Things to do in Nashville

The people who know this city best love sharing their delicious food, warm weather, and multifaceted music scene with brides-to-be and music lovers, but you’ll be hard pressed to find them in downtown Nashville (with exceptions like catching a show at Ryman Auditorium).

Each neighborhood or district has its own personality (keep an eye out for the city’s colorful murals to prove it). Places like North Nashville showcase the thriving Buchanan Arts District; meanwhile across the Cumberland River in East Nashville (or “East Nasty”) you’ll find trendy coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques. For a family-friendly vibe, head over to Sylvan Park or Germantown to explore beautiful historic homes, lush parks, and more shopping and dining.

At its heart, Nashville is all about the down-home cooking, but it’s not all barbecue, meat-and-threes, biscuits, hot chicken, and Tennessee whiskey (but yes, those are all delicious too). It’s also a multicultural city, with immigrants from around the globe elevating the Music City dining scene with European, Asian, and African influences around every corner.

For the real Southern classics, check out the Nations neighborhood for regional favorites like a slugburger (it’s tastier than it sounds), barbecue, pizza, and brews. For global cuisine, head over to Nolensville Road for Turkish and Latin American menus in stylish restaurants and laid-back taquerias. Back in 2014, President Obama even made a stop along this stretch to visit a beloved family-owned and -operated Mexican restaurant known for its homemade tortillas.

And for those staying closer to downtown, head over to 12 South or the Gulch District. While it is definitely still a busy part of town for visitors and college students, there are more than just barbecue and bars here: think vegetarian options, dumplings, and artisanal coffee spots.

Find live music with history. What you hear, and where you hear it, is part of the adventure here in Nashville that is world famous for places like the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Music Row. And there’s plenty to appreciate when it comes to Nashville’s music scene.

Catch a live performance of the Fisk Jubilee Singers

This a cappella group first formed in 1871. In 1892, they would go on to play for Queen Victoria at Jubilee Hall in London. Upon hearing the group perform, as the story goes, the queen remarked that they must be from the “Music City.”

While we’ll never know if the Queen really said that (the city’s nickname didn’t catch on until the 1950s), there is no doubt that for more than 150 years, the Fisk Jubilee Singers have represented the importance of preserving musical traditions of the American South.