10 Things to Do in Nashville in December

December is a travel month par excellence in all parts of the world and if you are visiting the United States you might be interested in visiting a city as interesting as Nashville. Read on to get a better idea of what you could enjoy in this beautiful city.
10 Things to Do in Nashville in December

More about: 10 Things to Do in Nashville in December

The last month of the year is one of the busiest times for international tourism, and major cities like Nashville are often a popular destination when it comes to choosing a place to enjoy the December holidays. At the same time, you should keep in mind that the activities and plans to do in this city change during this month, or at least the most interesting places have to do with the particularities of the season.

That's why I've put together this list of plans and activities so that you can enjoy Nashville like a local from the beginning to the end of December. All of this takes into account the festivities that take place during the month as well as the practicality and comfort of your entire group.

1. Celebrate New Year's Eve on Broadway Street

Broadway Street in Nashville| ©Victor Hamberlin
Broadway Street in Nashville| ©Victor Hamberlin

New Year's Eve is something you can expect when visiting anywhere in the world during the month of December. Especially if your trip is at the end of the month. So if this is the case for you, don't miss the opportunity to join the locals in their New Year's Eve celebrations on the famous Broadway Street.

Every year, a live concert is organised here, as well as the traditional countdown to the arrival of the new year. The show is usually accompanied by fireworks over the Cumberland River, which can be admired from different points in the city.

Keep in mind that celebrating this holiday is a basic and essential part of any visit to Nashville in December. In fact, it is the main plan for those who have a three-day trip to Nashville between the last days of December and the first days of January. I also recommend that you enjoy a delicious dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, as it is less than 200 metres from where this entertaining event usually takes place.

Hard Rock Café Nashville

2. You could also enjoy a Christmas cruise on the Cumberland River

Nashville Cruise| ©Timothy LaBranche
Nashville Cruise| ©Timothy LaBranche

Christmas is the highlight of December, and if you want to celebrate, you can join one of the show cruises on the Cumberland River. These tours usually take place on the General Jackson Showboat and include dancers, live music and some comedy entertainment.

Keep in mind that from mid- to late December, this will be one of the best things to do in Nashville. In fact, it's one of the 63 most entertaining things to do in Nashville throughout the year. The big difference with doing it in December is that all the shows are inspired by Christmas as well as the New Year's Eve theme.

These types of boat tours usually include lunch and dinner. I recommend choosing dinner because it is a more exclusive and slightly more elegant experience. They usually last about three hours, but may be shorter depending on the speed of the river.

3. Children can also experience New Year's Eve at the Nashville Children's Theatre

Nashville Children's Theatre| ©Steve Green
Nashville Children's Theatre| ©Steve Green

The Children's Theatre of Nashville is one of the city's most important cultural institutions. Throughout the year, they are dedicated to bringing the performing arts within reach of children with the aim of increasing their interest in this type of entertainment.

The last days of the year are no exception, as from mid-December until the 31st there are usually daily performances of some of the most important plays of the Christmas season. This is to entertain all the children who have missed these events throughout the year, as well as the families of tourists who come to the city.

Keep in mind that visiting this site is one of the best things to do in Nashville with children during the month of December. In addition, it is a plan that you can easily do in the afternoon or evening, depending on the time of the performance. That means you can spend the rest of the day exploring downtown Nashville as well as its arts district.

4. A visit to Elvis Presley's home with its traditional festive decorations

Graceland| ©Lindsey Turner
Graceland| ©Lindsey Turner

Graceland is the name of the property that Elvis Presley bought in one of the privileged neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Memphis. Although this place is not located within Nashville, it is one of the most interesting things to see or do when travelling to this city during the month of December. This is because both the house and its surroundings are decorated with Christmas elements to create a fairytale atmosphere.

This means that a night-time visit to Elvis Presley's house is a recommended plan if you intend to visit Memphis from Nashville during your holiday. At the same time, if you feel that this is not a good idea because you would miss out on some of Nashville's sights, you can also balance your time by taking one of the best sightseeing bus tours in Nashville. These types of alternatives help you to see the most important areas of the city in a short amount of time.

5. A Victorian dinner at Monell's

Monell's| ©Kwong Yee Cheng
Monell's| ©Kwong Yee Cheng

Monell's is a historic restaurant located north of downtown Nashville that is one of the best options for authentic Tennessee cuisine all year round . In December, they host Victorian-inspired dinners that feature some of the best menus in the city. Onion soup and beef steaks with béarnaise sauce are just some of the dishes that are always on the menu at these themed dinners.

So, if you are visiting Nashville during the two weeks from mid-December to 31 December, we recommend taking part in this type of event . These Christmas dinners are usually held every night.

At the same time , I recommend that you try some of Nashville's food tours, as you shouldn't go home without having tasted some of the local culinary staples such as Tennessee BBQ or Nashville Fried Hot Chicken. If the tour you choose offers beer and bourbon to accompany the food, then you've made the right choice. That's because both drinks are the most representative of this city.

Enjoy a tour of the flavours of Nashville Food & Sightseeing

6. A Christmas afternoon at Belle Meade Plantation

Belle Meade| ©Ron Cogswell
Belle Meade| ©Ron Cogswell

This plantation is located on the outskirts of Nashville and is one of the few places of its kind left in Tennessee where you can experience what life was like before the American Civil War in the 21st century . It is undoubtedly one of the best attractions in Nashville, but during the month of December it becomes even more interesting because the impressive Christmas decorations from a couple of centuries ago take over the whole place.

If you decide to visit these plantations in December, you will not only find a perfectly preserved mansion but also a beautiful countryside. You will also have the opportunity to experience and learn how the families who lived here for many decades celebrated the Christmas holidays. You can even make a Christmas decoration with plants and flowers that you can take back to your accommodation for free.

Guided tour through the history of Belle Meade

7. Take part in a Christmas lights tour

Nashville Christmas lights| ©Julie's Digital Photo Art
Nashville Christmas lights| ©Julie's Digital Photo Art

Throughout the month of December, the neighbouring community of Lebanon, located about 15 to 25 minutes from downtown Nashville, hosts a light display. It stretches along a long road that must be travelled by car to be fully enjoyed, and the whole concept is a very American event that usually takes place in most cities across the country.

It really is quite a Christmas spectacle and a great way to participate in a local tradition during the month of December. At least for those who are travelling at the beginning or end of the month and don't have the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve in the capital of Tennessee.

If you wish, you can access this attraction by bicycle. In fact, you should also know that guided bike tours through downtown Nashville are another of the best things to do in the city. Above all, it is one of the best things to do in Nashville in winter because it is an activity that allows you to exercise and stay warm while enjoying the cityscape.

Rent a bicycle in Nashville

8. Attend one of the Grand Ole Opry concerts

Grand Ole Opry| ©Don Sniegowski
Grand Ole Opry| ©Don Sniegowski

The Grand Ole Opry is one of the most important places in all of Nashville. It is a radio programme that has become one of the most significant institutions in the world of country music. Specifically, throughout the month of December, from beginning to end, special events are organised with Christmas themes and also inspired by the end of the year.

Attending these live music performances is one of the best things to do in Nashville at night throughout the year. Keep in mind, however, that December is even more important, as these are very entertaining galas that can help you understand the beauty that characterises country music. It is also common for family activities or special festive events to be held here during the day.

If you want to continue experiencing this musical genre a little more, you can also book a dance class at Nashville Line. This will allow you to learn to dance like a true cowboy who was born and has lived his entire life in Tennessee.

1-hour dance class at Nashville Line

9. Go carol singing

Christmas carols| ©donnaskolnick0
Christmas carols| ©donnaskolnick0

Despite being a city with such a rich musical culture and interesting history, Nashville also has a very strong religious identity that remains strong to this day. This can be very beneficial for those visiting the city during December because it means that there will be dozens of churches where you can enjoy Christmas carols in the best style of such a musical city.

Keep in mind that in this city you can find everything from Catholic churches to Episcopal or Baptist churches. My advice is to choose the first one where you hear carols being sung during an evening stroll through the city.

At the same time, when considering this plan, keep in mind that you will have the whole day to do other activities. Therefore, I would advise you to schedule this idea on the same day that you plan to visit some of Nashville's best museums or on the same day that you plan to take a double-decker bus tour of downtown Nashville.

10. Don't hesitate to party in true Nashville style

Christmas party| ©picjumbo.com
Christmas party| ©picjumbo.com

Nashville is a party town par excellence, and you can feel it from the moment you set foot on its streets. Downtown is full of themed bars, and Broadway and its surroundings have a large number of nightlife establishments for all types of audiences.

My recommendation is that when you are in Nashville in December, you should take advantage of celebrating in the best style of the locals, and for that reason, you cannot miss visiting some of the Honky Tonks in the city centre. These are typical bars that play country music or a little blues and rock 'n' roll, while offering line dancing and live shows.

This city also has large country music bars that belong to established artists in this genre. Blake Shelton's Ole Red and Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa Tex Mex are just a couple of examples.

Keep in mind that partying in this city is so important and meaningful that it's often included in the itineraries of those taking a day trip to Nashville, as they know it's something they can't miss. At least if they want to make the most of their visit to the city.

Temperatures in Nashville in December

Christmas at the Gaylord Opryland Resort| ©Dave Lanz
Christmas at the Gaylord Opryland Resort| ©Dave Lanz

December is a fairly cold month in Nashville, even though it is only the beginning of winter. Maximum temperatures do not usually rise above 10 °C, while minimum temperatures can easily drop below 0 °C on a windy afternoon or evening.

Tourist numbers in Nashville in December

Streets of Nashville| ©Kari Nousiainen
Streets of Nashville| ©Kari Nousiainen

December is one of the most profitable months of the year for tourism in Nashville and could only be surpassed by some of the busiest weekends in summer. In fact, the week from 24 to 31 December represents one of the largest peaks in visitors to the Tennessee capital throughout the year. I therefore advise you to book most of the attractions and places of interest in advance.

Prices in Nashville in December

Money in euros| ©Ibrahim Boran
Money in euros| ©Ibrahim Boran

December is a relatively expensive month all over the world, and Nashville is no exception to this rule. This is mainly due to the fact that the festive season causes many businesses to temporarily increase their prices to maintain profitability during a very touristy time of year.

What to pack for a visit to Nashville in December?

Luggage| ©Ezequiel Garrido
Luggage| ©Ezequiel Garrido

If you visit Nashville in December, don't forget to pack a good coat that is also waterproof. This is mainly because there is a chance of snowfall at the end of the month. It also rains a lot in the first few days of December.

I recommend choosing comfortable footwear so you can walk around the city with ease. I also recommend packing formal and elegant clothing in case you want to attend a Christmas or New Year's celebration that has a dress code.

Reviews from other travellers

4.5
· 4225 Reviews
  • N
    N.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Fun visit. Nice place. It was fun to see the costumes worn by the performers and the cars. The people seemed friendly
  • C
    C.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    A must-see when in Nashville, highly recommended.
  • L
    L.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    We are not big fans of country music and we still enjoyed it. I would recommend it
  • T
    T.
    4
    (0 Reviews)
    Lots of information and interesting things to see. We learned things we didn't know and got to see a lot of memorable things from all generations of country music.
  • J
    J.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    I thought the whole place was great. My favourite part was learning about the evolution of country rock. That kind of music is one of my favourites