Events

THE CONTRIBUTOR CALENDAR

Nashville’s Best Free Events Downtown

Whether you’ve lived in Nashville for years or you’re just in town for a few days, there’s always a way to get out and about without spending a ton. Every two weeks, The Contributor rounds up some of the best local fun to help you navigate all the city has to offer.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS SEASON KICKOFF PARTY Oct. 13 | 4 p.m. at Assembly Food Hall, 5055 Broadway Place

Assembly Food Hall is hosting a viewing of the home opener of the Nashville Predators on its Skydeck. The event and viewing are free, but there will be specially drinks for $9 and beer buckets for $25 for sale. The Nashville Preds will square off against the Dallas Stars. Seating is first come, first served. Get there early as popular events tend to fill up quickly.

HOCUS POCUS AT HARD ROCK CAFE Oct. 14 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Cafe, 100 Broadway

At Hard Rock Cafe downtown, they’ll be hosting a free screening of the beloved Hocus Pocus. Doors open at 7 p.m., and seating is first come, first served.

BEST OF NASHVILLE FESTIVAL Oct. 15 | 11 a.m. at Walk Of Fame Park, 121 4th Ave. S.

Each year, the Nashville Scene dubs people, places and things all over Nashville the best. This year, they’re hosting a free Best of Nashville Festival featuring winners of the paper’s awards. At Walk of Fame Park downtown, locals and tourists alike are invited to hang out at the daylong event, which includes winning vendors, giveaways, food trucks, a photo booth, live music, craft cocktails and more.

SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS Oct. 14-16 War Memorial Plaza and Nashville Public Library

At the first in-person event since 2019, The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word will host hundreds of authors and book lovers in downtown Nashville. The festival is free every year, and it spreads from War Memorial Plaza to the public library downtown. It includes book talks, performance stages, food trucks and more than 60 publishers and booksellers.

LUNCH AND LEARN: TENNESSEE FOLKLIFE AND THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS WITH BOB FULCHER Oct. 20 Noon at the Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.

At the Tennessee State Museum, which offers free admission, they’re hosting a lunch and learn with Bob Fulcher. He’ll discuss the state’s traditional music, dance, craftwork, lore, and oral histories that “has enlivened, beautified, and supported culture and families through generations of sharing, especially in the Great Smoky Mountains,” the event reads. The Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project and its images from its collection will be highlighted.