april is nashville's glow-up month!

the weather finally cooperates, the patios fill back up, and suddenly the city is packed with things to do! from cherry blossom festivals and crawfish boils to some of the biggest concerts of the year. spring is officially here and nashville is showing out.

below is your april highlight reel 👇

it’s officially event season — pop-ups, festivals, crawfish, comedy + baseball all month long.

unfiltered minds: a mental health community open mic: april 7 | 6:30–8:00 pm | the cast collective | nashville, tn

unfiltered minds is a nationwide mental health open mic where anyone can take the stage and share something unspoken! a part of their story, something they've overcome, something they've never said out loud before.

created by madina (yes, from abc's the bachelor 👀), this event was built on a simple but powerful idea: vulnerability is a strength, not something to shy away from.

no pressure to share. come to listen, come to speak, come to feel less alone!

frothy monkey — wine down wednesdays: 3 pours + a cheese board for $17. every wednesday.

gray & dudley — whiskey & wine wednesdays with $20 flights and half-off bottles

teddy's tavern — free karaoke thurs, fri & sat. no cover, just vibes steps from broadway

fridays by the river — free outdoor beer garden at shelby park EVERY friday this month

house of cards — sunday brunch buffet with live magic. ✨ every sunday!

mercado by butchertown — the roof came off and patio season is officially HERE.

cledis burgers & beer — the gulch: burgers, beer + a good time. simple. perfect.

jo's coffee — dream nashville lobby: the beloved austin coffee staple officially landed in nashville. grand opening april 10th ☕

bar mar & butterfly — the gulch: rooftop seafood + cocktails by josé andrés. nashville's newest elevated patio 🦞🍹

bacco — downtown: tuscan-inspired steakhouse with a grand opening april 10th. reservations are open now! this one is going to be on everyone's radar fast 🍷

fortunate sun @ lost and found nash: the open air gathering spot is blowing up and it's bringing the whole crew: pizza lolo • birdies wine bar • chiva nada • qbop korean bbq • the pepper pott! this space is dog friendly + open air = your new go-to spot 🐾

heartbreakers hideaway: midtown's newest spot just opened its doors 🖤

crawfish patio party — april 2 | bagelshop: 6–8pm | sponsored by the gumbo bros. the perfect crawfish kickoff 🦞

nashville crawfish festival — april 19 | bringles smokin oasis: 11am–7pm | free entry! live dj, gumbo, beignets, smoked oysters + cajun favs from local restaurants, bourbon street inspired drinks + mardi gras family area! all ages welcome 🎉 pre-order your 3lb bag of crawfish at nashvillecrawfishfestival.com for $50

april 2 — morgan wallen: pop-up concert | the pinnacle

april 3 — chris tomlin: good friday nashville | bridgestone arena

april 3 — music row happy hour: morgan wallen's this bar | 3–7pm live on the highway sponsored by sirius xm free + first come first serve, limited attendance 🎶

april 4 — zara larsson + amelia moore | marathon music works

april 4 — patti labelle | ryman auditorium

april 4 — chris lake | the pinnacle

april 5 — possum party easter extravaganza | the basement: tickets required | live music, food, critter tattoos, vendors + more 🐾

april 5 — white limozeen grown up egg hunt | white limozeen rooftop: 21+ patio party with drink specials, a dj + bacardi sponsorship 🥚

april 8 — freely fest | bridgestone arena: the killers, t-pain, janelle monáe, dominic fike + avery anna

april 8 — breland & friends | ryman auditorium

april 9 — kevin james | ryman auditorium

april 10 — bingo loco | skydeck on broadway: 90s/00s music, dance offs, lip sync battles, confetti showers + crazy prizes 🎉

april 11 — monster energy ama supercross | nissan stadium

april 12 — third day with zach williams | bridgestone arena

april 14 — demi lovato | bridgestone arena

april 15 — theo von | ryman auditorium: tickets on sale now!

april 18 — riley green | bridgestone arena

april 18 — lany | the pinnacle

april 18 — calum scott | brooklyn bowl nashville

april 25, 26 + 27 — hayley williams | ryman auditorium: three nights! grab tickets before they're gone 🎶

april 26 — crowder | the pinnacle

april 29 — raye | ryman auditorium

april 30 — chelsea handler: the high and mighty tour | ryman auditorium

april 3–5 — panda fest: north america's largest asian food festival comes to nashville 🐼🥢

april 5 — every weekend: skinny dennis vintage market | east nashville: april 5 • april 12 • april 19 • april 26 vintage vendors, bloody marys, brunch popups + good vibes 🤠

april 4 — every weekend: factory farmers market | the factory at franklin: april 4 • april 11 • april 18 • april 25 local produce, meats, baked goods, honey + crafts 🥕

april 10–12 — animation y’all expo | lipscomb university: animation legends, exhibitors + studio portfolio reviews 🎨

april 11 — east nashville beer fest | east park (21+): festival entry includes a tasting glass + unlimited samples from 50+ breweries 🍻

april 11 — stranger things takeover @ morning brew | the shoppes on fatherland: your favorite coffee shop just entered the upside down ☕

april 11 — cherry blossom festival | public square park (free!): japanese music, dance, sumo suit wrestling, a 2.5-mile walk + food trucks 🌸

april 11 — germantown spring crawl | the golden slipper nashville: 11am–4pm | shop + support local germantown businesses 🛍

april 11 — inglewood lounge block party | inglewood lounge: 1pm–late | a full day of music, bbq, vendors, tattoos + vibes

april 11–12 — crafty bastards art + craft fair | onec1ty: 100+ makers showcasing art, jewelry, ceramics, candles, textiles + more

april 12 — ice cream sundaze | harriet’s rooftop (21+): 12pm–6pm | a premier r&b brunch party with dj, drinks + rooftop views 🍦

april 12 — fitness sampler: the beauty boost | drakewood farm: sample fitness classes, health + spa experiences + epic swag bags

april 17–18 — nash yarn fest | fairgrounds nashville: 90+ vendors, knitting + crochet goods + workshops

april 19 — nashville crawfish festival | bringles smokin oasis (free entry!): see the 🦞 crawfish section above for the full breakdown!

april 25–26 — main street festival | downtown franklin (free!): live music, arts + crafts, food, drinks + family activities on historic main street

april 2 — let's meat in nashville | outside bridgestone arena: 11am–5pm | hosted by verde organic beef. an organic beef experience, food truck + enter to win verde beef for a year 🥩 free + family friendly!

april 3, 10, 24 — fridays by the river | riverview pavilion at shelby park: (free!) live music, food trucks, yard games + riverside hangs

april 7 — east nashville farmers market opening day! 🌿 | 511 woodland st, nashville: 3:30pm

april 10 — jo's coffee grand opening | dream nashville lobby: austin's beloved coffee spot is officially in nashville ☕

april 10 — bacco grand opening | downtown: tuscan-inspired steakhouse! reservations open now 🍷

april 21 — ocean prime nashville | nashville yards: upscale steak + seafood spot opening in the heart of downtown🍸

every wednesday — wine down wednesday | all frothy monkey locations: 3 pours of wine + a cheese board OR $4 off an entree, all for $17!

every wednesday — whiskey & wine wednesday | gray & dudley: $20 whiskey flights + half-off wine bottles

every sunday — family brunch at house of cards | downtown nashville: live magic + brunch buffet ✨ all ages welcome

april 18 — mix 92.9 yappy hour | two rivers dog park: free dog toys, pup cups + a chance to win a $150 stanley steemer gift card 🐾

april 18 — forever friends 12 year anniversary spring market | union hill trading post: local vendors, dog businesses, tarot readings, candle bar, live music + adoptable pups from rare rescue 🐾

april 18–19 — dogs & dogwoods | cheekwood estate + gardens: dog-friendly festival with vendors, food trucks, live music + spring blooms 🌸

now open — wags and walks low-cost vet clinic: essential vet services for dogs in their program + the community! learn more at wagsandwalks.org 🐶

april 4 — eggstravaganzoo | nashville zoo: egg hunts by age group, animal encounters + keeper talks 🐣

april 10–12 — animation y’all expo | lipscomb university: animation legends, exhibitors + studio portfolio reviews 🎨

april 18 — earth day festival | centennial park bandshell (free!): in partnership with urban green lab | vendors, workshops, live music + eco-friendly fun 🌿

april 21 — reading club at fait la force brewing | fait la force brewing: bring your book, grab a drink, read for 30 minutes alongside strangers! no pressure, no discussion, just good company and good beer 🖤

april 2 • april 3 • april 4 • april 5 — nashville sounds vs charlotte knights | first horizon park

april 3 — nashville predators vs chicago blackhawks | bridgestone arena

april 6 — nashville predators vs montreal canadiens | bridgestone arena

april 11 — monster energy ama supercross | nissan stadium

april 12 — nashville predators vs columbus blue jackets | bridgestone arena

april 14 • april 15 • april 16 • april 17 • april 18 • april 19 — nashville sounds vs worcester red sox | first horizon park

april 16 — nashville predators vs pittsburgh penguins | bridgestone arena

april 25 — charlotte fc vs nashville sc | geodis park

april 28 • april 29 • april 30 — nashville sounds vs norfolk tides | first horizon park⚠️ heads up

deep tropics equinox has been cancelled. so sorry if you had plans around this one — keep an eye on their socials for any updates or refund info.

the 2026 cma fest lineup is set with luke combs, lainey wilson, jelly roll + chris stapleton. tickets are moving fast! plan ahead!

GET CMA FEST TICKETS →

this is just a snapshot of what’s happening this month.

the full april calendar (80+ events) - including trivia nights, happy hours, markets, fitness classes, and pop-ups happening every day is live inside the nashville times app.

save this email, send it to a friend, and i’ll see you around the city 🖤

if you’re a planner, these are the major nashville events worth saving dates for now.

we published a mark your calendars blog featuring:
- the biggest festivals + weekends of the year
- events locals plan trips, time off, and friends around
- what sells out early vs. what you can wait on

(this is separate from the april calendar — it’s your long-range planning cheat sheet)

this email is the highlight reel.
the nashville times app has 80+ april events, 600+ events for the year, weekly repeats, filters by date + neighborhood, and last-minute additions you won’t see here.

if this already feels helpful, imagine never having to Google “what’s going on in nashville this weekend” again.

USE CODE EARLYBIRD50 FOR 50% YOUR APP SUBSCRIPTION FOR DURATION OF MEMBERSHIP!

Inside The Nashville Times app, you’ll get:
- a live, searchable event calendar (updated daily)
- last-minute plans you’ll miss on socials
- restaurant guides by vibe + neighborhood
- no endless scrolling or guessing what’s worth it

if you ever find yourself asking “what should we do tonight?” — this is for you.

earlybird pricing is only available for a limited time.

i appreciate all of you!

love, the nashville times newsletter team!

p.s.

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