Everything Fun to Do in Nashville This October, from Whiskey Fests to Film Fests

With a name like “Music City USA,” Nashville leaves no doubt about the quality of its concert venues, and even the singers at local karaoke bars could probably win any talent contest in less musical cities. That abundance of talent is matched by the staff and select at the city’s iconic dive bars to upscale cocktail lounges and crafty breweries, thrift shops filled with vintage clothing and instruments, fabulous coffee shops, and indie bookstores.

The culinary scene in Nashville is equally outrageous, with the must-get food that starts before visitors even leave the airport. The city’s most famous dish, Nashville hot chicken, is just a starting point, because the city has fantastic barbecue, burgers, pizza, biscuits, and even some pretty respectable seafood for a landlocked state. Whether you’re looking for a quintessential Nashville dining experience or the hottest restaurants new and old, you’re in luck.

And when it’s time to get out and about, Nashville has a plethora of options: go to a museum, have a drink on a rooftop, go jump in a lake, bust out of an escape room. Or you could just check out our October 2023 calendar for a little inspiration. Whatever you’re in the mood for, Nashville has you covered.

Thursday, October 5 and Saturday, October 7
SoBro, $89 and up
The 10th iteration of Nashville’s largest local whiskey festival returns to the ballroom of the Omni Hotel for a grand tasting of hundreds of whiskey varieties from around the globe along with educational seminars. A panel discussion of the role of “Women in Whiskey” kicks off the festival on Thursday night, and VIP-level tickets offer access to exclusive tasting opportunities of rare pours.

Saturday, October 14
Wedgewood-Houston, $50 and up
If you’re the type of coffee drinker who likes to nerd out on different roast levels and brewing techniques, this is the festival for you! In addition to sampling coffee from around the world, attendees can also enjoy educational seminars addressing coffee origins, home brewing techniques, and latte art. Food and drink vendors will be on hand to offer everything from breakfast treats to cocktails, and live music will also be part of the festivities.

Saturday, October 21
Donelson, $60
Food-lovers take over the 1,100-acre grounds of Two Rivers Mansion for this long-running autumnal event which features tasting of local, regional, and global beers plus wine and moonshine along with food trucks and crafty vendors. Bring a picnic blanket or a lawn chair and settle on the lawn for a long day of food, drink, and music. (Then think about taking a rideshare home.)

Sunday, October 22
Nations, Free
Southern Grist invites their legions of fans to their brewery in the Nations for a free day of fun in the sun, as long as it doesn’t rain. In addition to some one-off and limited releases of special beers from the brewery, the festival also features an outdoor beer garden, arts and crafts market, face painting, and a photo booth.

Friday, October 27
ONEC1TY, $49 and up
More than 50 different tequilas and mezcals will be on offer at this annual salute to all things agave, and attendees will receive tickets to sample up to 15 different products. If that’s not enough, there will also be a cash bar and food trucks for more sustenance. A lively DJ set will keep the party pumping, and if you come in costumes, there’s a chance you could win a prize. Artists will be on hand to provide Dia de los Muertos face painting if you’re not good with makeup.

Saturday, October 28
ONEC1TY, Free
Bring your best four-legged buddy to this celebration that benefits the Nashville Humane Association. Well, if you best friend is a cat, you might want to leave him or her at home because this party will be crawling with pekes, pugs, and poodles competing in costume contests, playing in the pop-up dog park, shopping at the “Bark Market,” and generally having a doggone good time.

Saturday, September 28 through Wednesday, October 4
Various $10 and up
One of the oldest film festivals in the country returns to Nashville for the 54th time featuring more than 140 titles screening at venues around town. From quirky indie films to documentaries, shorts, and experimental cinema, movie buffs are certain to find something new to love. A special mini-series of films focusing on Tennessee and Nashville will also be a highlight of the festival.

Thursday, October 5 through Sunday, October 8
Germantown, Free
Nashville pays homage to the German workers who built many of the largest older buildings downtown and who settled in the Germantown neighborhood with a weekend of food, beer, and music spread over Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and along Jefferson Street. You can even bring your own stein to raise a toast (or a prost) with beers provided by vendors featuring traditional Oktoberfest brews.

Thursday, October 5 through Sunday, October 8
Germantown, Free
Nashville’s favorite beer and wurst hall invites their fans to join them for a few days of fun with flights of traditional Märzen Oktoberfest beers, pretzels, and bratwursts. Listen to DJ sets, participate in stein-holding competitions, and wake up with biscuits, BAMs (Big Ass Margaritas,) and beer to get the day started right.

Saturday, October 7
North Nashville, Free
Hundreds of walkers will descend on Hadley Park near Tennessee State University to participate in Tennessee's oldest continuously running HIV fundraiser and advocacy event. Hadley Park is considered to be the first public park in the country created for African-American residents, and the event and locale will draw attention to the disproportionately large percentage of minorities affected by HIV and AIDS.

Saturday, October 21
Nations, Free
This benefit for Thistle Farms and their efforts to assist survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction brings the Nations neighborhood together to enjoy live entertainment, food and drink vendors, activities for kids, arts and crafts booths, and trivia contests while shining a spotlight on neighborhood businesses up and down 51st Avenue.

Saturday, October 21
Centennial Park, $10
Every dog has his day, and this is the day for every dog. Centennial Park will turn into a huge dog park with a full day of costume contests, pup parades, agility contests and exhibitions, pet portraits, and canine-centric merch vendors. Pet owners will enjoy live music, food trucks, door prizes, and a beverage garden.

Saturday, October 28
Franklin, Free
Downtown Franklin turns into ground zero for The Great Pumpkin in this celebration of the coming of fall. More than 100,000 people are expected to pack Main Street and the town square to browse the charming shops of downtown, listen to music from the local campus of School of Rock, sample beverages in the whiskey lounge and beer garden, and shop from crafts vendors set up around the square.

Saturday, October 7
Centennial Park, Free
Nashville celebrates the multi-cultural melting pot that makes up a large portion of the city’s population with a full day of international activities. A sports field will be set up to showcase exotic sports like Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie courtesy of the Nashville Gaelic Athletic Club. The Global Village will demonstrate the vast variety of cultural traditions from representatives of international residents of the community, and The World Bazaar will offer the chance to shop from craftspeople from Mexico to Myanmar.

Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15
Centennial Park, Free
This massive crafts fair that stretches around the lawn at Centennial Park only features Tennessee artists and crafters that have been selected through a rigorous jury process, so you can expect high-quality merchandise. Organizers also require the artists to remain on-site so that visitors can speak with the creators to discover the inspirations and stories behind their works before making purchases. There will also be demos, hands-on activities for kids, and food tents to grab a bite between shopping binges.

Friday October 13
Wedgewood-Houston, $25 and up
What better way to celebrate Friday the 13th than by getting lucky at an 18+ burlesque show in the cozy confines of Diskin Cider. The talented performers will take to the air with cirque-style acts and PG-13 striptease that’s more about the tease than the strip. Since Halloween is near, attendees can expect some fun and spooky macabre themes to their seductive dances.

Saturday, October 21 through Sunday, October 22
Downtown, Free
This free literary festival is one of the oldest gatherings of readers and writers in the region, now celebrating its 35th anniversary. In addition to hundreds of authors holding readings and panel discussions in venues like Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, the festival also features signing events and tents set up by publishers to showcase their latest releases for sale. Nationally known authors mingle with local first-time writers in an ecumenical celebration of the written word.

Saturday, October 21
Hillsboro Village, $40
This marathon of the macabre offers a septuple feature of horror movies screened back-to-back-to-back. To add to the suspense, the organizers don’t announce the titles in advance, so moviegoers never know what’s coming next over the course of a half-day of horror that runs from 10 pm until breakfast time the next day.

Saturday, October 21
Berry Hill, $300
The largest fundraiser of the year for the Land Trust for Tennessee, this festive al fresco dinner event at the historic Glen Leven Farms site near downtown helps the organization purchase and conserve natural areas with the cooperation of landowners who want to see the wilderness preserved. Blue jeans, boots, and flannel are the dress code for an evening of food and drink in a pasture on the urban farm.

Saturday, October 21
Midtown, $40 and up
You didn’t know that you needed a Grateful Dead drag band in your life, but apparently you do, and they’ll be performing in the intimate venue Analog at the Hutton Hotel. The all-star group of female, queer, and allied East Nashville musicians, rock out to the music of the Dead in wigs and full face makeup, led by a trio of Berthas singing angelic harmonies and backed by a kickass band of Berthas.

Monday, October 30 through Friday, November 3
Various, $5 and up
Nashville is known for creativity, and that extends far beyond just songwriting. This special week showcases the design talent of the city, from fashion to civic planning to culinary arts, architecture, and graphic arts. Organizers have planned a series of studio visits and creative conversations at venues around town, so if you appreciate fine design, this is a can’t-miss.

Wednesday, October 8 through Friday, October 10
Various, $65 and up
If Dolly Parton is the queen of Music City, and she is, John Prine was the king. The amazingly talented singer-songwriter was beloved for his clever and quirky lyrics that told real stories, and he is sincerely missed since his 2020 passing. His family has organized a series of tribute and benefit concerts that have brought together famous performers to honor his legacy and raise money for the artist’s charitable foundation. Events are planned for the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Basement East, and the venerable Ryman Auditorium, and attendees can expect all sorts of amazing surprise guest acts at the shows.

Sunday, October 8
SoBro, $25
Four talented singer/songwriters will come together for an afternoon show at The Listening Room to benefit the Pedigree Foundation that helps abandoned dogs find new homes. If that’s not enough reason to move you to attend, consider that the performers have written hits for major stars and performed on their own on national tours and as opening acts. For just $25 plus a good cause, it’s definitely a matinee worth checking out.

Saturday, October 14
SoBro, $70 and up
Darius Rucker has come a long way since his stint as frontman for Hootie and the Blowfish, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry and launching a long and successful career as a country singer. His latest album ”Carolyn’s Boy” is winning plenty of advance acclaim, and he’ll be debuting many of the songs from the record along with his older hits under the stars at Ascend Amphitheater.

Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21
West Nashville, $40 and up
“Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' star and Tony Award winner John Cameron Mitchell will bring an evening of outrageously campy fun to the stage of the OZ Arts complex in West Nashville for two nights of fundraising shows to benefit the ACLU of Tennessee’s LGBTQ+ justice initiatives. International cabaret star Amber Martin will also perform, and special guest surprises have been promised. The event will be an unabashed call for action to support queer rights in the state, but it should also be a ton of fun.

Saturday, October 21
Franklin, $250
The Nashville Jazz Project will pack up their instruments and head to The Factory at Franklin for their biggest fundraiser of the year, Jazzmania. Performers include international stars of the musical genre as well as some future potential luminaries as part of the Nashville Youth Jazz Ensemble. In addition to the music, patrons will also enjoy a full dinner along with wine, beer, and spirits pairings.

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