10 Things to Do in Nashville in January

Nashville is one of America's musical landmarks and the birthplace of some of the country's most important genres, so music shows and activities are no exception even in January, which is one of the coldest months of the year in the Tennessee winter.

Some of the best things to see and do in Nashville in January include attending the Jack Daniel's New Year's Eve Festival, celebrating Martin Luther King Day, taking part in Restaurant Week to enjoy the local culinary highlights and commemorating the end of the Civil War.

If there's one thing Nashville is known for, it's its celebrations, and on New Year's Eve, Jack Daniel's hosts one of the city's most renowned festivals. The brand, which is one of the world's most famous distilled spirits makers , celebrates the last night of the year and the welcoming of the next with a series of events that extend into the wee hours of the morning, including, unsurprisingly, live music and fireworks.

This free festival is held each year on the main stage of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the esplanade in front of the Tennessee Capitol in downtown Nashville. This celebration is a unique opportunity to take part in the festivities involving locals and to discover the history of Jack Daniel's, which has a tradition of deep partnership with Nashville and whose distillery is located in the city.

The Jack Daniel's New Year's Eve Festival is one of Nashville's top attractions and also an event packed with music, excitement and fireworks on one of the most important nights of the year in Tennessee's capital city.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the event is free.
• When... Starts during the night of 31 December and runs until the early hours of 1 January each year.
• Where... Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Nashville.

Food is one of Nashville's great heritages and in January each year Nashville celebrates Restaurant Week, with around 100 local establishments participating with a 3-course tasting menu at a fixed price.

This way you can visit the city's best restaurants at affordable prices and sample the flavours of the American South and beyond, as the event is multicultural and includes restaurants with cuisines from all over the world.

Restaurant Week is an event that has been held in Nashville for more than 20 years and aims to promote local cuisine and also nourish the city's calendar during the off-season.

In addition, during the event, Nashville's best food tours include visits to participating restaurants.

Details of interest

• Price... Each year a fixed price is set for the 3-course menu.
• When... During the second week of January.
• Where... At various restaurants around the city.

If you're planning on touring Nashville in January, you'll find that many tourists are preparing to visit Graceland, Elvis Presley's legendary Memphis residence two hours away from the Tennessee capital, to celebrate the birthday of the singer, who was born on January 8. If you're a music fan, you'll no doubt be interested in visiting one of the meccas of rock and roll.

You can either drive yourself to Graceland or book a skip-the-line tour to one of America's most famous residences. These tours usually include meals and a guided tour of what was Elvis Presley's home until the time of his death, but it's certainly one of the best tours to do in Nashville.

Graceland becomes a pilgrimage site for Elvis Presley fans every January 8th, and also the heart of Memphis for a day, pulsing to the rhythm of musical performances and the warmth of the King of Rock and Roll's fans.

Details of interest

• Price... The tour with return transfers, meals, skip the line tickets to Graceland and a visit to Sun Studio has an initial cost of approximately 270 euros.
• Duration... The tour is a full day tour.
• When... 8 January each year, the date of Elvis Presley's birth.
• Where... Graceland, Memphis.

Nashville was the first capital to fall to the Unionists during the American Civil War and this marked a major defeat for the Confederate States during the Civil War, but it also marked a triumph for the slaves as the Union fought to eliminate slavery, and this is celebrated in the city each January with a series of activities honouring the anniversary of the end of the conflict.

Nashville commemorates the end of the American Civil War with marches, tours, public events and lecture series featuring activists and historians. The goal is to promote awareness of the conflict and also the importance of the conflict in the United States in abolishing slavery and improving the lives of southern citizens.

The main parade is in downtown Nashville but also includes activities on the outskirts of the city and guided tours of the various battlefields that pitted the Army of Tennessee against Unionist soldiers.

If you're planning to visit Nashville with friends and want a different kind of party experience in the early hours of New Year 's Eve, you can visit Walden Bar's Onesie, a local distillery on the outskirts of the city that hosts beer pong tournaments that you can participate in as a group.

Entry to the bar is free and the entry fee for the beer pong tournament is around 30 euros per team, with the proceeds going to the winners, but you can also visit the bar just for cocktails or to enjoy the tournament from the bar.

Visiting Walden Bar's Onesie is also one of the best things to do in Nashville at night as their cocktails are famous in the city and are often included in food tours that include bar visits.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the bar is free. The entry fee for the beer pong tournament is approximately 30 euros per team.
• When... The bar opens from 16.00 on 31 December and tournaments start in the early hours of 1 January.
• Where... 2909 Gallatin Pike, Nashville.

Winter in Nashville often brings sub-zero temperatures but also a range of activities to make the most of the natural environment that surrounds the city and makes it an ideal place for adventure hiking. The Owl 's Hill Nature Sanctuary is an ecological reserve of more than 2000 species of flora and fauna and in January also organises walks through the woods.

These walks are designed to promote environmental stewardship and care for the city's natural spaces and include a final reward of hot chocolate and marshmallows, making it an ideal activity for families or if you plan to visit Nashville with children

This event is held on weekends in January, when the trails in the forest outside the city are usually less snow-covered. If you visit Nashville in February, you'll find that rainfall is more frequent.

Details of interest

• Price... Tickets for the Marshmallow Walk start at approximately €10 if you book online in advance and €12 if you buy tickets on the day of the event.
• When... The walk takes place on weekends in January.
• Where... 545 Beech Creek Rd S, Brentwood, Tennessee.

January's cold temperatures in Nashville encourage indoor plans in the city, so at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center you can participate in the traditional annual Treasure Hunt held each year during the first month of the year to raise funds for the Nashville Symphony.

This event consists of finding the treasure hidden in the building by following a series of clues and also participating in other interactive games that will be great fun if you are a fan of escape rooms and board games, as you will be able to enjoy the activities and also watch the Nashville Symphony and the Crescendo Club members perform live.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Centre is located in the city centre, so you can make the most of your visit by visiting other venues nearby, as the area is home to some of Nashville's best museums and is a hub for tours and guided tours.

Useful details

• Price... Entry to the event has an initial cost of approximately 25 euros per person.
• When... The event is held every year for one day in January.
• Where... Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville.

Martin Luther King Day, celebrated on the third Monday of January each year in the United States, is one of the most famous celebrations in the country and Nashville is home to one of the oldest commemorative marches in honour of the civil rights activist who was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

This Nashville march, which has been held for more than 30 years, also includes other activities such as the Worship Service, the Working Breakfast, lectures by local activists and a series of talks about Martin Luther King and the anniversary of his birth.

If you plan to visit Nashville in winter, you can attend one of the city's signature celebrations in January and experience Martin Luther King Day from one of the most important sites in the civil rights struggle.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the march is free.
• When... The march is held every year on the third Monday in January.
• Where... At different locations around the city.

Sudekum is home to the Adventure Science Center and is also one of the main planetariums in the southern United States. During the second Saturday of every month it offers a stargazing cycle and January is the ideal month for stargazing from its giant dome, because it is one of the months with the best star field of the year and you can enjoy it during clear days.

The planetarium also offers other activities such as laser shows, concerts and if you visit Nashville in June or during the summer months you can participate in the yoga under the stars event.

The experience is free but you will need to reserve your spot on the Sudekum website.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the planetarium during the second Saturday of each month is free.
• When... During the second Saturday in January.
• Where... 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville.

Nashville is essentially a waterfront city, relying on the Cumberland River and offering many water activities in the summer. During the winter, with the exception of cruises, most of these activities are suspended, but in January there is the Nashville Boat Show, a great event for boat enthusiasts, held at the Music City Center.

The Nashville Boat Show features top brands in powerboating, an extensive boat show, workshops and clinics for kids and adults, as well as boating safety courses and opening and closing musical performances.

If you would like to attend the Boat Show, which is held every year during the first week of January, you can buy tickets in advance online or at the box office at the time of your visit.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the event costs approximately 14 euros per person. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• When... Every year during the first week of January.
• Where... Music City Center, Nashville.

January is one of the coldest months of the year in Nashville, with lows below 0° and highs no higher than 8°, with average temperatures of 3°, so snowfall is frequent, although it's less rainy than February.

Nashville's winter days are short and it gets dark early, so if you want to get the most out of your visit, start your sightseeing early in the morning.

Winter is Nashville's off-season, so the number of tourists in the city decreases significantly. However, the city still offers an extensive list of things to do.

The low tourist numbers will help you to visit the city quietly and with few tourists during the activities, although on the downside you will find that unlike if you visit Nashville in June or during the summer months many tours may not be available.

January is the coldest month of the year in Nashville and is part of the low season, so it is also the most affordable month to visit the city on a budget, saving you money on tours and especially on accommodation.

You can also save money by booking the best Nashville tours in advance online to take advantage of online discounts.

In January the temperatures in Nashville are very cold and snowfall is also very common so I advise you to include the following items in your suitcase:

• Winter coats
• Waterproof and comfortable boots
• Warm socks
• Waterproof and tactile gloves
• Woollen hat
• Woollen scarf
• Woollen jumpers
• Fleece trousers
• Thermal fleece