Holiday Events Around Middle Tennessee

Every year we get asked what is on around Middle Tennessee over the holidays. We have lit homes here since 2006, so we have seen a lot of Decembers. But we are a lighting company, not an events listing. Dates, venues and ticket rules change every season, and a list of last year’s events does more harm than good when you drive across town for something that moved or sold out. So this is not a calendar. It is a practical guide to the kinds of holiday events you will find around Nashville and the surrounding towns, how to find this year’s details, and how to plan a night out that actually goes well.

The kinds of holiday events worth looking for

Most holiday outings around here fall into a few types. Knowing which one you want makes the search much faster.

Tree lightings and town gatherings

These are usually free, short and early in the season. A crowd, a countdown, a tree, often some music. They are good for small children because they rarely run late. Many towns and neighborhood associations hold one, but not always on the same weekend each year, so check before you plan around it.

Parades

Parades draw big crowds and close streets. The parade itself might last an hour, but getting in and out can take longer than that. Arrive early, bring something to sit on, and have a parking plan that does not depend on finding a spot two blocks away.

Ticketed light shows and displays

These are the large productions run by venues and attractions. Many use timed entry and some sell out on weekends. Buy early if you want a Friday or Saturday in mid December. Weeknights are usually easier and the lights look exactly the same.

Markets and shopping events

Holiday markets are a good excuse to walk a downtown square, buy a few gifts from local makers and eat something warm. Most are outdoors or partly outdoors, which matters when the weather turns.

Concerts, choirs and performances

Churches, schools, community choirs and performance venues all put on seasonal programs. These are the most weather proof option on the list, and some of the free ones are among the best things you can do in December.

Driving to see neighborhood lights

This one needs no ticket and no schedule. Pick a few streets, put the heater on and go slowly. We wrote a separate guide on planning a night of driving to see Christmas light displays if that is the outing you have in mind.

How to find this year’s dates

The most reliable source for any event is the people running it. Social media reposts and old blog lists are where wrong dates come from.

• City and county websites. Parks and recreation departments usually post tree lightings, parades and town events.
• Downtown and main street associations. Many historic downtowns have an organization that runs or lists the seasonal events on the square.
• Venue websites. For anything ticketed, go straight to the venue. That is where timed entry, parking and weather policies live.
• Public library calendars. Libraries often list free family events that never make the bigger roundups.
• Your church, school or neighborhood group. A lot of the best small events are only announced locally.

Check again the day before you go. Outdoor events get moved or cancelled for weather, and the update usually lands on the organizer’s own page first.

Plan around Middle Tennessee weather

December here is unpredictable. You can get a mild evening where a light jacket is plenty, then cold rain two days later, and the odd night of ice. Rain spoils more outings than snow does.

• Have a backup indoor plan for any outdoor night, especially with children.
• Wear shoes that can handle wet grass. Many events put crowds on lawns and fields.
• If ice is in the forecast, skip the drive. No event is worth a slide on a hill road after dark.
• If an event runs for several weeks, the earlier weeks are often the more comfortable evenings.

Getting there without the stress

The difference between a good night and a bad one is usually logistics, not the event.

• Go on a weeknight if the event allows it. Smaller crowds, easier parking, same lights.
• Arrive early. For parades and tree lightings, the last thirty minutes before start time are when traffic backs up.
• Eat first or plan where you will eat. Restaurants near a big event fill fast on event nights.
• Keep it short with small kids. One event and home to bed beats three events and a meltdown in the car.
• Charge your phone. Timed tickets, maps and parking payments all live on it now.

Staying close to home

You do not have to drive downtown to find something. Local events are often less crowded and easier with children, so search your own city or neighborhood association first. We light homes across the area, including Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Gallatin and College Grove, and closer in at 12 South, Sylvan Park, Green Hills and Belle Meade. Every one of those places has streets worth a slow evening drive in December.

If you are hosting this season

A lot of people plan their own gatherings around the public events: family in town for a parade weekend, neighbors over after a tree lighting, a party before a show. If people are coming to your house, it helps to have the outside ready before the first guest arrives, not the week after.

That does not mean you need a professional. If you have a single story home, a short roofline and a safe ladder, putting up a strand or two along the gutter yourself is perfectly fine. Use clips, not staples or nails, and keep the connections up off the ground where water sits.

It stops being a weekend job with steep pitches, second story rooflines, tall trees and long runs that need power planned properly. That is the work we do. Our installs include design, custom cut commercial grade LED strands, installation by insured crews, maintenance during the season, takedown after the holidays and off season storage, so the lights are not taking up your garage. If something goes out during the season, our 24 hour service guarantee covers it, which matters when guests are coming on a set date. There are no contracts and no long term commitments.

You can get a price over the phone. Call (615) 595-9686, describe the house and what you want lit, and we will quote it on the call. If you would like someone to come out and look, for a large or unusual property or just for peace of mind, we can do that too, but it is not required. You can also use the quote form, or read how the process works from first call to storage.

The short version

Decide what kind of outing you want, get the dates from the organizer rather than an old list, keep a backup plan for rain, and go on a weeknight if you can. And if your own house is part of the plan this year, get the outside sorted before the calendar fills up.