What's New In Nashville: Fall 2016
It's almost September in Nashville, Tennessee and the culinary scene is exploding. So what does this mean? It means there's a surplus of food and beverage festivals that you need to know about! Some of the greats have passed like the Hot Chicken Festival in July and the Tomato Art Fest in August. Alas, the best is yet to come. Here are dates for upcoming culinary celebrations in Music City:
Sept. 3: InterNASHional Food Crawl
Emphasis on the InterNASHional, this event explores the most diverse strip of culinary offerings Music City has to offer—Nolensville Road. There are a plethora of cuisines: Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai, Indian and more. Much more. If you haven't explored the culinary happenings in this nook yet, this event is for you, from 12 p.m.- 4 p.m. on Labor Day Saturday.
Sept. 2 – 5: Southern Living #NashvilleNow Weekend
What is Southern hospitality? This is the occasion to find out. It's a four-day series and tickets are available to purchase for series of events from Friday to Monday all to celebrate Southern Living Magazine's 50th anniversary i.e. garden tours, local fashion designers, songwriter rounds, and most importantly, culinary events.
Sept. 3 – 5: Tennessee Volksfest
Nashville's Munich-style Oktoberfest free and open for the public over Labor Day weekend at East Park in East Nashville. There will be things to do for all ages. But let's be real: you're wondering about the food. There will be a variety of German foods and brews – think pretzels, bratwursts, and Spaten lager. And being Music City, yes, live music.
Sept. 10:Wine on the River
The 14th annual afternoon of Wine on the River is held on the picturesque Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge over the Cumberland River. Foods, beverages, and a view could be the reasons this event's VIP has already sold out. General admin tickets go up on the day of the event so if you want to go, I suggest planning ahead.
Sept. 14: Eat Green for Tennessee
Dine out Sept. 14 at participating restos because they will be donating a percentage of their revenue from that day to raise awareness and support for conserving Tennessee farmland. Some participating restaurants include Frothy Monkey, Wild Cow, Porter Road Butcher, and City House. Click here for more info.
Sept. 17 and 18: Music City Food + Wine Festival
Eat fabulous food with great food notables at Bicentennial Park / Walk of Fame Park at this well-known event. Tickets are sold separately for Saturday and Sunday ― or get the all-in ticket for the full experience. You can enjoy Nancy Silverton, Vivian Howard, Andrew Zimmern, and more for food entertainment, followed by tasting sessions and then a grand tasting. Click here for more information.
Sept. 24: Nashville Brew Festival
This is the best place to bring your "brew crew". From 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Nash's First Tennessee Park you can experience breweries a plenty, the great outdoors, games and of course, music. General admission and VIP tickets get you unlimited brew. Food sold separately. Click here for more information.
Oct. 1:Nashville Whiskey Festival
It's Music City USA, a whiskey watering hole, so it makes sense that this event is being held in the heart of Nashville. At the Omni Nashville Hotel, it'll be an evening affair starting at 6:30 p.m. –unless you're a VIP whiskey drinker. There will obviously be an array of whiskey plus a few expert speakers aka professional drinkers. Wink wink. For more information, click here.
Oct. 7 – 9: Nashville Oktoberfest
Nashville's annual Oktoberfest in Germantown will run from 2 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. General admission is free and additional passes are available for purchase. Come for the beer, stay for the world's longest beer slide. That's correct, beer slide, alongside various other activities for all ages.
Oct. 22: Nashville Beer & Wine Festival
Known as the Nash Beer Fest, this 6th annual fest will be held at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum downtown from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. and VIP begins sooner. Ticket holders have all-access to the museum, brew education, and more.
Oct. 28: Day of The Dead Tequila Festival
A festivity for The Day of the Dead is happening on the Friday of Halloween weekend with the consumption of tequila and Mexican cuisine. Which I would bet is going to be pretty remarkable. To be more specific: Local Taco, Flip Burger, a salsa bar, and more tasty treats will be available. There are 15 different variations of tequila to taste. Which troubles me, because who can try 15 tequilas and still live and breathe?