Top Nashville Dates at Christmastime

5) Holiday Lights at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

November 23 –  December 30
Now Open 7 Nights A Week!*
5:00 – 10:00 PM

PRO : Amazingly Beautiful work done by the artists featured at Cheekwood.

CON : IT’S 99% OUTSIDE. Fair warning. It’s worth it if you wear appropriate clothing.

I’ve done this one several times, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s different every year, as new artists are brought in to design the lights and light sculptures. It’s cold, unless you find a week where it warms up a little. Plan accordingly.

4) Gaylord Presents : ICE! Featuring HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Event Dates: November 9, 2018 – January 1, 2019
ICE! is an indoor winter wonderland featuring:

• A walk-through holiday attraction kept at a chilly 9°F
• 2 million pounds of colorful ice sculptures
• Sculptures that are hand-carved by 40 artisans from Harbin, China.
• The story of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
• Four two-story tall ice slides
• Full Nativity scene in stunning, crystal clear ice

PRO : It is a must see Nashville (and all cities with a Gaylord Hotel) attraction. Amazing work and rotating featuring stories

CON : You’re literately paying to see ICE. Like for real. Only a Southerner would PAY to see ICE. it’s also 9*. NOPE.

Guys, I do this one every year. I’m not even sure why anymore. They rotate the themes every year. Gaylord ICE! introduces new ideas periodically. I make the same joke as I’m putting on my parka “Only southerners would pay for ice.”

3) Headquarter Beercade Christmas Pop-up Bar, Reindeer Games

Nashville’s beloved arcade bar Headquarters Beercade explodes into a winter wonderland on Saturday, December 1 with Reindeer Games — an immersive holiday pop-up. Located in the heart of SoBro at 114 2nd Ave South, Nashville’s biggest arcade bar will actually deck the halls with over-the-top decorations, interactive installations, specialty holiday-inspired cocktails, and more. Reindeer Games will take over the entire two-story, 6,500-square-foot space with traditional holiday decor turned on its head, designed and installed in-house to create a unique holiday experience.

• Website: hqbeercade.com
• Phone: (615) 784-3494
• Address: 114 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201

PRO : An arcade bar POP-UP CHRISTMAS BAR. I mean, what else do you need?

CON : LIMITED time only.

For any more reason to do this if you are not sold can be found here : Big Natural loves Christmas

2) Bobby Hotel Rooftop Bar and Heated Igloos

The rooftop bar at Bobby is open Sunday though Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., plus Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

1) Gaylord’s Opryland Hotel

“Marvel at lavish holiday displays featuring more than three million twinkling lights and festive décor at A Country Christmas…”

Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas: 
November 9, 2018 – January 1, 2019

PRO : Literally millions of lights. A grand hotel lit to the gills. There’s a Christmas tree on every corner. The pictures literately take themselves. Kidding, that’s one of the thousands of strangers willing to take your photo for a quid pro quo photo.

CON : Literally thousands of people. If you don’t like strange families in your photos, it might not be the place for you.

I don’t have a list per say of “You’re not Nashville if…” BUT IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE THIS YOU AIN’T NASHVILLE. This is about the most fun you can do during Christmas with a date be it first, second or 1,345th date. Beautiful scenery, lights, and unending paths to new places.

HONORABLE MENTIONS :

• ‘A Christmas Story” is playing at TPAC.
• Dancing Lights of Jellystone, though Stoney doesn’t exactly recommend this one…