☁️ 79°F and cloudy today
Good morning, Nashville!
Fall showed up right on schedule — 79° and cloudy today, a real break after a week that felt like a sauna.
Dollywood just got named America's favorite theme park again, and it turns out Dolly's hometown isn't done celebrating.
By Friday, Nashville's declaring its first-ever Dolly Day, and three bars inside one hotel are already competing over who loves her most.
Alex
🎉 NASHVILLE JUST DECLARED ITS FIRST-EVER DOLLY DAY
Mayor Freddie O'Connell just made Friday, September 25 official: Nashville's first Dolly Day. Downtown buildings turn pink at dusk, venues sing "9 to 5" at 5 p.m., and fireworks go off downtown at 9:25 — Dolly's own number. Bars across town are running their own tributes too, proceeds going to her Imagination Library.
Locals Only
🚢 A real WWII landing ship is docked in Hendersonville this week — LST-325 hit Omaha Beach the day after D-Day, and you can walk the deck through Sept. 29. $20 for adults, kids 5 and under free.
🎒 10 free things to do in Nashville, and none of them are a typo — honky-tonk live music, the murals, Radnor Lake, a walk through the Gulch, all of it at zero dollars.
🎢 Dollywood just got named America's favorite theme park again — the new ride cost more than $60 million, uses over 500,000 gallons of water, and only needs a 39-inch minimum height, so most kids can ride it too.
Overheard in Nashville
📚 Silent Book Club at Nashville Public Radio — Tonight, 6-8pm · 630 Mainstream Dr · Free (RSVP, 21+)
The lowest-key thing on this list: bring a book, sit with strangers, nobody has to talk.
🎉 Dolly Day at White Limozeen, Poindexter & Cross-Eyed Critters — Friday, all day · Graduate Nashville, 101 20th Ave N · No cover
Three completely different bars in one hotel, each running its own Dolly tribute — a Dolly impersonator on the rooftop, "9 to 5" playing on the lobby couches, and Dolly karaoke till close.
🎻 Full Moon Pickin' Party — Friday, 5:30-10pm · Warner Parks Equestrian Center · $15 in advance / $20 at the gate, kids 6 and under free
Bluegrass, food trucks, and beer under Percy Warner Park's actual full moon — a Nashville tradition for almost 30 years.
🎨 Artville & the American Artisan Festival — Friday through Sunday · Walk of Fame Park downtown · Free
Murals, live music, and a juried craft show taking over downtown for the weekend. No ticket needed.
🍐 Pear Jam 2026 — Saturday, 3-7pm · Mill Ridge Park, Antioch · Free
A straight-up neighborhood block party — live music, food trucks, a bounce house, a silent auction — well outside the usual downtown radius.
Planning a Trip?
Skip the hotel bill. We rounded up 9 Tennessee day trips, waterfalls, lakes, mountain towns and more, that give you the getaway feeling without the getaway price tag.
Got a sec? Tell us what you'd like to read about in future newsletters. We read every reply!
Hit reply and tell us.
Partner With Us
Get Your Business Featured
get your business, service, event, or announcement promoted in front of 5,000+ engaged Nashville readers
Thank you for reading Nashville To Do!
If you enjoyed this, share it with a friend, it's the best way to support what we do.
Alex