Where to get festive in Nashville

For the New Year’s Eve bash that dreams are made of, Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, right in downtown Music City, is the place to be on 31 December. An annual free, public event since 2009, Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight gets bigger every year, attracting hundreds of thousands of revellers. Headlined by Keith Urban for the fourth year in a row, the night’s multi-genre line-up includes Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Struts, Amanda Shires, Bren Joy, Kalie Shorr and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Gates open at 4pm, and midnight sees the traditional Music Note Drop that triggers fireworks and biodegradable rice paper confetti.

Whether you hit up Nashville during or after the festive season, Santa will be waiting for you at his very own dive bar, located beyond the well-worn paths of downtown’s party-packed streets. You’ll enjoy a cold beer, a warm welcome and the chance to appreciate a taste of Nashville’s less glitzy past. The Santa Pub’s owner’s St. Nicholas resemblance is real, as are the chilled beers and the nightly karaoke magic that starts at 7pm, except on Sundays when it follows the house band’s 7pm show. What’s more Southern than a mobile home trailer filled with year-round Christmas decorations? Don’t forgot to bring cash, as that’s the only payment Santa will accept.

From early November through to 1 January, Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas offers a variety of Christmas-time favourites, including fun activities like ice skating and gingerbread decorating for the little tikes in your entourage. Plenty of Nashvillians, at least the ones willing to brave large crowds and heavy traffic, make an annual tradition of wandering Gaylord Opryland Resort’s three-million-light-strong holiday decorations. Ticketed events include ICE!, this year featuring A Christmas Story, featuring 2 million pounds of colourful carved ice sculptures; Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical; and The Gift of Christmas with Trace Adkins & Friends.

The Ryman is a favourite venue for locals and tourists alike, no matter the time of year. But the Christmas season brings a number of annual concerts to the Ryman that are staples of many locals’ festive plans, though there are enough tickets available for visitors to get in on the tradition too. On Christmas Eve there will be two performances of Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, a dazzling must-see for all the family. Also, at the top of the list of many people’s Christmas traditions are the annual Christmas at the Ryman shows put on by superstars Amy Grant and Vince Gill. They’ve added additional dates and matinee shows this year to accommodate the high demand for their only-at-the-Ryman holiday season concerts.