Nashville Tennessee Living

Halloween in Nashville TN - Things to do Part 2 Family Oriented

 

Families across middle Tennessee love to leave the suburbs and head to the farms for the fall activities that take place this time of year. With so many to choose from, one can head in almost any direction and find a farm with something happening.

 

Most of the following have a Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch, hay rides, and play areas for the kids. They're farms so you can expect to see plenty of farm animals.

 

Gentry Farm, 1970 Highway 96 West, Franklin TN. Saturdays 9-5 Sundays 1-5 no reservations needed. Admission $6. The Gentrys also offer school tours and classes.

 

Rippavilla Plantation, 5700 Main Street, Spring Hill TN. Rippavilla offers a Corn Maze and Educational Tours. It is no longer a working farm but a historical location.

 

Lucky Ladd Farms, Tennessee's largest petting farm has activities for all ages. Located at 4374 Rocky Glade Rd in Eagleville TN. Friday 2:30 -6pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday Noon- 5pm. Admission $8.

Walden Farm, 8653 Rocky Fork Road, Smyrna TN in addition to the animals, maze and hayride, Walden Farm offers Pumpkin Fudge, Pumpkin Cookies and other Pumpkin treats. Open Mon.,Tues,Thurs & Friday 3pm to Dark, Saturday 9am to dark and Sunday 1-4pm. Admission to the farm is free. Activities are $4 per child, $1 per adult.

Norman Farm, 512 Jones Lane Hendersonville, TN in Sumner County. Norman's Farm is known for it's corn mazes. Unfortunately they don't have a web site, but you can call them at 615-824-8254.

Keller's Corny Country, 542 Firetower Road, Dickson TN. This family run business has almost perfected the family friendly farm visit. There are truly things for everyone to do. Their video shows it all. Like the others, they can accommodate school buses. Open Saturday 10-6, admission $6 per person. Children under 2 admitted free.

Halloween in Nashville TN isn't all happy and playful, for Haunted Houses and things on the Scary side see: 

Halloween in Nashville things to do Part 1 on the Scary side.

 

 

 

Halloween in Nashville TN 

Things to do Part 1 on the Scary side

Nashville has an incredible assortment of things to this Halloween season. From The Bell Witch Cave in Adams TN to local Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes and pumpkin patches.

Spooktacular! 13th Annual Ghouls at Grassmere October 28th to 30th, 5-9 pm at the Nashville Zoo. This family friendly event, is a community favorite fundraiser for the zoo. Activities are appropriate for children 12 and younger, including the Scary Go Round, and Haunted Hayride. Dress the kids in their costumes and take them down the trick or treat trail. Prices are $7 for Zoo members and $11 for non-members. $2 discount is applied if you purchase the tickets at the Zoo Guest Services any day before 3pm.

 

Grave Matters, hosted by Franklin on foot and the Heritage Foundation, will take place in 2 of Franklin TN's oldest cemeteries. Rest Haven and Old City will be alive with costumed re-en-actors telling you the stories of a grieving mother, a bigamist, a Civil War soldier and many others. Tickets are $15 for Adults and $5 for ages 7 to 13 and can be purchased at the Foundation office at Five Points or at www.franklinonfoot.com.

 

The rest of the "scarier" activities are for the 18 and older group.

See Halloween in Nashville TN Part 2 for more family friendly activities.

Battleween Beer Festival at Battle Ground Brewery and Restaurant Saturday October 30th 1-10pm. Located at 108 Bridge Street in Franklin TN, this will be a perfect way to end the day after playing at Pumpkin Fest in downtown Franklin. Unwind with Beer and great music on the new deck. There will be all kinds of fun things!

 

Death Row - Sanitarium of Slaughter - Nashville's largest indoor haunted house with 80,000 square feet of fun and terror. Friday through Sunday from 7pm. Located at 418 Harding Industrial Drive, in Nashville. Admission is $12/person. Locations to pick up discount coupons on their website.

 

Devil's Dungeon located at 510 Davidson Street in Nashville. The most controversial Haunted House. You'll travel a narrow path through 2 floors of terror filled scenes. Friday and Saturday 8pm to 1am and Sunday 7-10pm $13.

Nashville TN doesn't have a lock on the Halloween activities.

 

 

The Bell Witch Cave in Adams TN is very popular this time of year. About an hour north of Nashville between Clarksville and Springfield. They offer many events during the Halloween season including the favorite candlelight tours of the Haunted Cave and Storytelling. This weekend one can enjoy Haunted Hayrides, Cave and Cabin Tours and Psychic Readings. Hours are Friday 6pm to Midnight, Saturday Noon to Midnight, Sunday Noon to 9pm. For more information call 615-696-3055.

 

 

Chihuly at Cheekwood in Nashville TN

 

Renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, widely regarded as the most innovative glass artist in the world today has brought his craft to Nashville TN.

Chihuly at Cheekwood will be open until October 31, 2010. See his captivating pieces throughout  the Cheekwood. Pieces have been installed to create an enchanting wonderland of color, light and form. the Chihuly sculptures actually mingle with nature there in the garden. See the Silvered Red Bamboo "planted" or interspersed in tall stalks of the real thing.

 

Cheekwood is a 55 acre estate and mansion built by the Cheek family of the Maxwell House Coffee fortune. The gardens consist of 10 special displays with stunning natural landscape. The pathways wind through trees and rolling hills to allow glimpses of the artwork from several angles, often before you get to a particular display. It took 12 professionals, and 20 volunteers 11 days to install this amazing exhibit at Cheekwood. This show was born in 2008 when the Chihuly team came to Middle TN to tour the gardens. They walked the grounds and took pictures and notes to take back to the Seattle with them.

 

Dale Chihuly, born in 1941 in Tacoma Washington, first started using glass as a student at the University of Washington. In 1965 he enrolled in the first glass program in the country at the University of Wisconsin.  In 1968 he was awarded a Fellowship to work in the Venini Factory in Venice Italy. There he learned the "team approach" to blowing glass that he uses today. He co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle and is rumored to employ as many as 150 "Chihuligans".

From now through January 2, 2011, Chihuly at the Frist will offer his museum pieces such as "Mille Fiori" and "Sea Blue and Green Tower".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CMA Music Festival - Nashville TN - Thursday to Sunday June 10-13, 2010

The CMA Music Festival brings Country Music lovers to Downtown Nashville from near and far. There are 4 days of free concerts and activities. The evening concerts are just $30/night or you can buy the package for $110-$155. Buying the package gives visitors access to the Greased Lighting Fan Fair Hall, at the Nashville Convention Center, where fans can meet their favorite performers and get autographs.

Years ago most people knew this as Fan Fair. It started in 1972 with just 5000 people attending. Last year, 2009, there were over 56,000 people each day! This is one of the few venues where Stars actually rub elbows with their fans in mass. Visitors can follow the schedule of events on-line or can get the latest updates on their mobile phones by texting the word SCHEDULE to 66937.

 

Watch this clip by Laura Bell Bundy. It's a little long but full of all the information you'll need and a good bit of humor!

Some Highlights include:

THE JUDDS kick off the party at 10am on Thursday at Riverfront Park. Not performing as a duo since 1991 this is an event not to be missed!

Taylor Swift will host a free 13 meet and greet at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Josh Turner will have a dance contest from 2-3pm also on Thursday in the Family Zone.

Celebrity Bull Riding at Noon on Sunday at the 5th Avenue Plaza Stage.

And you can see: Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Kellie Pickler, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, the list just keeps going.

 

This year 50% of the proceeds will go to Flood Relief.

Summer in Nashville Tennessee - Fun things to do in Nashville that won't bust your budget!

With Memorial Day weekend behind us, summer has officially started here in Nashville, like most places around the country. The pools are open, the kids are out of school and the weather is balmy!

Summer in Nashville doesn't have to bust your budget either. One just has to look around to keep themselves busy. There is truly something for everyone. I'm kind of a park person so I'll start this series here. If you're more into Cultural events or sports, we'll cover that too! Just check back.

The following are some popular outdoor things to do:

Nashville Farmers Market on Eighth Avenue North in Downtown Nashville is open everyday of the week. Shop for fresh produce or flowers. Unfortunately only the shed is open at this time but while you're there, walk over to Bicentennial Mall. Parts of it are still closed due to the flood, but you can still visit the walkway.

Franklin Farmers Market located at the back of the Factory on the corner of Franklin Road and Liberty Pike. Open every Saturday from 8am to 1pm. You can expect to find Organic vegetables, flowers, meats, cheeses and LIVE Music each week!

Nashville Parks and Recreation offers several areas of the city to participate in great outdoor, and some indoor, activities.

Starting in the east one finds Stone River Greenway. It has a trail head at the Kohls on Lebanon Road and at the Percy Priest Dam just off Stewart's Ferry Pike. One can bike, walk or run on the paved walkway that runs along the Stone River. It mostly shady and very enjoyable on a hot day.

Two Rivers Park has a skate park. It also connects to the greenway where you can cross over the Cumberland on the pedestrian bridge to Shelby Bottoms. Located off Briley Parkway near Opry Mills.

Try Warner Parks if you just want a good hike. Located at Hwy 100 and Old Hickory Blvd in the south west part of Nashville. You can access Percy Warner there or at the end of Belle Meade Blvd. Edwin Warner Park is on the southern side of Old Hickory. The Nature Center is visible and accessible from Hwy 100. Picnic shelters and play areas are accessed from Vaugns Gap. They have a full calender of events.

Head to the Beach. No I don't mean drive to the Gulf. For a small entry fee most of the lakes have beach accesses. The best way to find one near you is to check out their websites. Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest.

Then if you want more excitement, you can head to Nashville Shores over on Percy Priest Lake. They have water slides, a new wave pool, and all kinds of water toys.

If sand isn't your thing, you can try Metro Park Community Pools. There are 10 different pools run by the park service. Some are indoor, open all year round, others outdoor only. Some offer swim lessons and most are free entrance.

Well that's a good start. ENJOY!

 

 

 

I love the holidays and the events surrounding them. People often ask me what things to do in Nashville when they're here for a short stay. I usually say act like you live here! Here are a couple of things I reccommend to do if you live in the Nashville Tennessee area.         

 My all time favorite show to see each year is Christmas at the Ryman with Amy Grant and Vince Gill. Just being at the Ryman, as we call it here in Nashville, is a treat. At over 100 years old, it's one of Nashville's favorite sites and used to be the full time home to the Grand Ole Opry! Shows are Sunday and Monday December 22 & 23.

Don't forget to slip out to World Famous Tootsie's Orchid Lounge!

Then, there's the holiday tradition of Handel's Messiah. Performed this year at the still new Schermerhorn Symphony Center Dec 18-20. The Hallelujah chorus itself is enough to get me there! All performances begin at 8pm.

Finally, for 2 perfomances only on Sunday, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will play at the Sommet Center in Downtown NashvilleTN. Their 30 piece ensemble includes a full orchestra, a rock band and 9 lead singers! A narrator will walk you through an original Christmas Story, The Lost Christmas Eve, written by Paul O'Neill, the founder of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Be safe and enjoy the Weekend!!