Things to Do in Nashville TN Around Christmas Time 2026
- Chase Gillmore
- Jul 24
- 15 min read
The best things to do in Nashville TN around Christmas time in 2026 are Cheekwood Holiday Lights, the ICE! exhibit and holiday displays at Gaylord Opryland, and Zoolumination at Nashville Zoo, three anchor events that run from mid-November through early January and give a holiday trip its shape.
Key Takeaways
Cheekwood Holiday Lights runs November 19 through January 8, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with last entry at 8:30 p.m., across a one-mile path lit by over one million lights.
Christmas at Gaylord Opryland runs November 8 through January 4 with more than five million lights, and its ICE! exhibit features a Charlie Brown Christmas theme carved from over two million pounds of ice.
Zoolumination at Nashville Zoo runs nightly from November 14 to January 5, then Thursdays through Sundays from January 9 to February 9, and is one of the largest Chinese lantern festivals in the country.
Nashville welcomed 16.9 million visitors in 2026 and roughly 17 million in 2026, and average trip spending hit $669 per visitor in 2026, according to Visit Music City, so holiday weekends fill up fast.
Nashville short-term rentals see their lowest occupancy in January and February, which means booking a group house for Christmas week itself is typically easier than locking down January dates once the tree comes down.
Free alternatives exist, including neighborhood light-walking tours in 12South and East Nashville, for travelers balancing a holiday budget against paid attractions like Cheekwood and Opryland.
Nashville in December operates on two tracks at once. There is the big, ticketed spectacle circuit, Cheekwood's gardens strung with over a million bulbs, Opryland's five-million-light display, the Nashville Zoo's lantern trail, and there is the smaller, neighborhood-level version: cocktail bars that swap their normal decor for tinsel and Christmas movies projected on the wall, honky tonks on Broadway playing "Blue Christmas" between sets, and a downtown tree lighting that draws locals as much as tourists. A good holiday itinerary uses both.
This guide is built for groups, not solo travelers ticking off a list. Whether you're organizing a girls trip around the holidays, a family reunion with three generations under one roof, or a birthday weekend that happens to land in December, the logistics matter as much as the attractions: what's actually walkable, what needs a car, what sells out, and where a big group can land when the day is done. If you haven't nailed down where to stay yet, our guide to things to do in Nashville covers the year-round basics; this one is Christmas-specific.
As of 2026, Nashville's tourism numbers keep climbing, and holiday season is no exception. Visit Music City data shows Nashville pulled in 16.9 million visitors in 2026, growing to roughly 17 million in 2026, with average per-trip spending reaching $669. That volume means December is not a quiet off-season here the way it is in some cities. It's peak lights-and-lodging season, and planning a few weeks ahead genuinely matters.
Is Nashville Worth Visiting at Christmas?
Nashville is worth visiting at Christmas because the city runs three major holiday light events simultaneously, Cheekwood Holiday Lights, Christmas at Gaylord Opryland, and Zoolumination, alongside its normal year-round draw of live music on Broadway, none of which shuts down for the season.
First, the weather works in your favor more than people expect. Middle Tennessee winters are mild by national standards, typically hovering in the 35 to 50 degree range in December, meaning outdoor light walks at Cheekwood or the drive-through experience at Dancing Lights of Christmas rarely get rained out or snowed under. Bring a coat, not snow boots.
Second, Nashville's live music scene doesn't pause for the holidays. Grand Ole Opry keeps its regular show schedule and layers in its own Grand Ole Opry Country Christmas programming, and Broadway honky tonks run full sets nightly, meaning a December trip gets both the seasonal spectacle and the city's core identity. Additionally, hotel and short-term rental demand tends to concentrate around Christmas week itself and New Year's Eve, with a noticeable dip in the weeks just before and after, so travelers with flexible dates in early or mid-December often find better rates and thinner crowds than those booking Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.
What Is the Christmas Village in Nashville?
The Christmas Village most people mean when they ask this is Nashvillage Holiday Market, a seasonal winter market that transforms Walk of Fame Park into a village of local vendor stalls, live music, and holiday food and drink, typically running for several weeks in December.
Specifically, the market functions like a European-style Christmas market scaled to downtown Nashville: wooden stalls selling handmade goods from local makers, string lights overhead, and hot cider or mulled wine available at food stands. It sits close enough to Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame that a group can walk the market, grab a drink, and still make it to a honky tonk set the same evening. For current hours and vendor lineups, check the Nashvegance Holiday Market entry page before you go, since seasonal market hours shift year to year.
As a result, this is one of the better low-cost stops on a holiday itinerary. Entry to browse the market itself is typically free, you only pay for what you buy, which makes it a smart first stop before a paid attraction like Cheekwood or Opryland later the same day. Go in the early evening, around 5 or 6 p.m., when the lights are on but the after-dinner Broadway crowds haven't fully arrived yet.
EIGHT CHRISTMAS THINGS TO DO IN NASHVILLE, TN 🎄
What Is the Best Christmas Town in Tennessee?
Nashville is widely considered one of the best Christmas destinations in Tennessee because it combines large-scale ticketed events like Cheekwood and Opryland with a live music identity no other Tennessee city matches, though smaller towns like Franklin and Lebanon offer distinct, complementary holiday experiences worth a day trip.
Franklin, roughly a 30 to 45 minute drive south of downtown Nashville depending on traffic, hosts the Franktown Festival of Lights, running November 18 through December 31 with drive-through lights, vendors, and photos with Santa. It's a good half-day add-on if your group has a rental car and wants a quieter, small-town contrast to downtown's density.
Lebanon, about 30 minutes east of Nashville, is home to the Dancing Lights of Christmas at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, a one-mile drive-through synchronized light show set to holiday music broadcast through your car radio, running November 11 through January 1. It's billed as the largest drive-through light and music show in Tennessee, and it works especially well for groups with young kids or anyone who'd rather stay warm in the car than walk a mile in December air. Check the Dancing Lights of Christmas Wilson County Fairgrounds site for current ticket pricing and hours before you drive out.
In contrast to these single-attraction towns, Nashville's advantage is density: you can walk from a Christmas market to a honky tonk to a rooftop bar in under fifteen minutes downtown, something no drive-through light show town can replicate.
How Much Do the Big Holiday Light Displays Cost, and Which One Is Worth It?
Nashville's three major holiday light attractions, Cheekwood, Gaylord Opryland, and Nashville Zoo's Zoolumination, are all ticketed events with pricing that varies by date and time slot, and each one serves a slightly different type of visitor.
Cheekwood Holiday Lights spans a one-mile walking path through the estate's gardens, lit by over one million lights, and runs November 19 through January 8, open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with last entry at 8:30 p.m. This is the 10th anniversary of the display, and it's the pick for anyone who wants a genuinely photogenic, slower-paced evening walk. Cheekwood also runs Holiday Teas on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays throughout December in Café 29 with tableside service, plus photos with Santa, wreath-making workshops, and s'mores roasting, all of which make it the strongest option for a girls trip or a family with a range of ages. Check current pricing and time slots on the Cheekwood Holiday Lights official page before booking, since tickets are typically timed-entry and popular evenings sell out.
Christmas at Gaylord Opryland runs November 8 through January 4 and is the largest-scale option, with more than five million lights across the resort property. Its headline draw is ICE!, an indoor exhibit built from over two million pounds of hand-carved ice, themed this year around A Charlie Brown Christmas. Beyond ICE!, Opryland adds ice skating, ice tubing, ice bumper cars, a brunch with Rudolph, gingerbread decorating, and carriage rides. Confirm current hours and admission tiers on the Gaylord Opryland Christmas at Gaylord Opryland event page, since ICE! typically requires a separate, timed ticket from general holiday lights access.
Zoolumination at Nashville Zoo runs nightly November 14 through January 5, then shifts to a Thursday through Sunday schedule from January 9 to February 9. It's one of the largest Chinese lantern festivals in the country, with glowing animal-shaped lantern displays and a North Pole village where kids can see Santa on select nights. See the Nashville Zoo Zoolumination event page for the current schedule and Santa night dates.
Attraction | Dates (2026 season) | Best For | Signature Feature |
Cheekwood Holiday Lights | Nov 19 to Jan 8, Tue-Sun 10am-10pm | Photo-focused groups, couples, families | One-mile path, 1M+ lights, Holiday Teas |
Christmas at Gaylord Opryland | Nov 8 to Jan 4 | Families, first-time visitors | ICE! sculptures, 5M+ lights, ice skating |
Zoolumination (Nashville Zoo) | Nightly Nov 14-Jan 5; Thu-Sun Jan 9-Feb 9 | Kids, lantern festival fans | Chinese lantern animal displays, North Pole village |
Dancing Lights of Christmas (Lebanon) | Nov 11 to Jan 1 | Groups who'd rather stay in the car | 1-mile drive-through, radio-synced music |
Do You Have to Pay to See Christmas Lights at Opryland?
Yes, general access to Christmas at Gaylord Opryland's light displays typically requires paid admission, and the ICE! exhibit specifically requires a separate, timed ticket on top of general holiday admission, since it's built and maintained as its own controlled-temperature attraction.
Specifically, Opryland structures its holiday season as a tiered ticketing system: one price gets general grounds access to view the outdoor lights, decorations, and some activities, while ICE! and certain premium experiences like brunch with Rudolph or specific ice-skating time slots are add-ons or separate purchases. Pricing changes by date, with weekend and peak-week (Christmas week, New Year's) slots typically running higher than weekday visits in early December.
As a result, if your group is budget-conscious, plan an early-December weekday visit rather than a Christmas week weekend, and decide in advance whether ICE! is worth the upcharge for your group. Families with young kids tend to find it worth it; groups mainly there for the outdoor lights and photo ops can often skip it and still leave satisfied. Always confirm exact current pricing on the Gaylord Opryland Christmas at Gaylord Opryland event page before your trip, since holiday attraction pricing is not evergreen and shifts by season.
What Should a Multi-Day Holiday Itinerary Actually Look Like?
A realistic 3-day Nashville Christmas itinerary pairs one big ticketed light event per evening with daytime downtown activity, leaving one full day open for a day trip to Franklin or Lebanon if your group has a car.
This is one of the gaps most Nashville holiday guides skip entirely: they list the same eight or nine attractions without ever telling you how to sequence them for an actual multi-day trip. Here's a framework that works for a typical girls trip, birthday weekend, or family group of 8 to 12 people staying together in one rental.
Day 1: Arrival and Downtown Orientation
Check in, settle into your rental, and spend the evening walking Broadway and the Nashvillage Holiday Market at Walk of Fame Park before dinner. This is a low-commitment first evening, no tickets to plan around, and it lets a group that just flew in decompress without a rigid schedule.
Day 2: Cheekwood or Opryland
Pick one major light attraction and commit the evening to it. Cheekwood closes at 10 p.m. with last entry at 8:30, so a late-afternoon arrival works well if you want dinner first. Opryland's larger footprint and ICE! exhibit typically eat up 3 to 4 hours, so plan an earlier arrival, around 5 or 6 p.m., especially on weekends.
Day 3: Zoolumination or a Day Trip
Groups with young kids often prefer Zoolumination's nightly run through January 5. Groups without kids, or those wanting a change of scenery, can use this day for the roughly 30 to 45 minute drive to Franklin's Festival of Lights or Lebanon's Dancing Lights of Christmas instead.
Additionally, build in downtime. A group of 10 people trying to hit three ticketed attractions plus Broadway plus shopping in three days will burn out by day two. One big event per evening, with flexible daytime hours for food, shopping, or just relaxing at your rental, is the realistic pace.
How Do You Handle Transportation and Crowds During Nashville's Holiday Season?
Getting around Nashville during the holidays requires more planning than the rest of the year because Christmas week and New Year's Eve draw some of the city's heaviest visitor volume, and rideshare pricing tends to surge accordingly on the busiest nights.
First, on the transportation gap most guides skip: rideshare prices spike hardest on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and any Friday or Saturday night in December when Broadway is at capacity. If your group is staying somewhere outside the immediate downtown core, budget more for Uber or Lyft on those specific nights, or plan to designate a driver for at least part of the trip.
Second, parking at Cheekwood and Opryland is typically on-site but fills up during peak hours; arriving 30 minutes before your ticketed entry window gives you a real shot at a close spot instead of a long walk in December cold. Zoolumination's Nashville Zoo location has its own dedicated lot, though weekend evenings in mid-December get tight fast.
Third, for groups thinking about accessibility, both Cheekwood's garden path and Opryland's indoor concourses are stroller and wheelchair accessible, though Cheekwood's one-mile outdoor route has some natural terrain variation worth knowing about in advance if mobility is a concern for anyone in your group. Confirm current accessibility details directly with each venue before visiting, since paths and accommodations can shift with construction or seasonal changes.
Finally, the best strategy for avoiding the worst crowds at any of these three attractions is simple: go on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday rather than Friday through Sunday, and arrive within the first hour of opening rather than in the evening rush after dinner.
What Does a Group Trip Look Like When You Stay Together Instead of Splitting Hotel Rooms?
Staying together in one vacation rental for a Nashville Christmas trip is a logistics advantage for groups of 6 or more, since it eliminates the need to coordinate schedules across multiple hotel rooms and gives everyone a shared space to warm up between light shows.
After a night walking Cheekwood's mile-long path in December air, or standing in line for ICE! at Opryland, a group wants somewhere to come back to that isn't a cramped double-queen hotel room. This is where a house-based stay earns its keep during the holidays specifically: shared kitchens mean nobody has to find a restaurant for a group of 10 at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, and a private hot tub turns a cold December night into part of the trip instead of just downtime.
Underwood Manor, a rustic modern farmhouse just 5 minutes from downtown Nashville and 7 minutes to Broadway, sleeps up to 10 guests across 3 bedrooms and is built around exactly this kind of group holiday stay. The 7-person hot tub and smokeless SoloStove fire pit with unlimited firewood mean your group can warm up outside after a night at Cheekwood without needing to find a bar with an open patio. Inside, the speakeasy game room with its 8-foot pool table and whiskey barrel bar gives a group somewhere to gather after the kids are down or after a long day of sightseeing, and the fully-stocked kitchen with unlimited Nespresso coffee means mornings don't require a coffee run before heading out to Zoolumination or the holiday market. Check current dates and book Underwood Manor direct to skip third-party platform fees.
For groups closer to 12, Fern Unit A sleeps 12 across 4 bedrooms with its own rooftop deck and hot tub, roughly 7 to 10 minutes from Broadway, a solid pick for a bigger family reunion or a birthday group split across generations. And The Herman Haven, under 2 miles from downtown Broadway, gives every bedroom its own en-suite bathroom, useful when a group of 10 doesn't want to share bathrooms during a busy morning of getting ready for a day of holiday sightseeing. If you're comparing group lodging options more broadly, our guide to the best vacation rentals in Nashville breaks down more of the portfolio.
What Should You Know Before Booking a Nashville Christmas Trip?
Booking a Nashville Christmas trip requires locking in lodging earlier than a typical off-season visit, since Nashville's short-term rental market runs at higher demand during Christmas week compared to the market's typical January and February lull that follows it.
According to AirROI's 2026 market data, Nashville's median-performing short-term rentals run around a 45% occupancy rate, with the broader market posting an average booking lead time of 43 days. That lead time is worth paying attention to: it means a meaningful share of Nashville bookings happen roughly six weeks out, which for Christmas week means late October and early November is when serious planning should start, not early December.
Additionally, factor in that Nashville's overall visitor base keeps growing, with international visitation alone forecast to grow from 453,000 in 2026 to over 500,000 by 2026, a 42% increase over 2023 levels according to tourism forecasts. More visitors overall means more competition for the same holiday-week rental inventory and restaurant reservations.
Practical mistakes to avoid: don't assume Cheekwood or ICE! tickets are available at the door during peak weeks, both typically require advance timed-entry booking online. Don't book a rental far outside downtown assuming a quick Uber ride, since surge pricing on peak nights can turn a $10 ride into $35 or more. And don't try to cram all three major light attractions into a single 2-day trip; each one realistically takes half an evening on its own.
What Else Is Worth Doing Around Nashville at Christmas?
Beyond the three major light attractions, Nashville's holiday season includes live shows, seasonal cocktail bars, and a handful of family cruises and concerts that round out a well-paced trip without requiring another full evening of ticketed lights.
Nashville's Nutcracker, staged by Nashville Ballet at TPAC's Jackson Hall with live accompaniment from the Nashville Symphony, is a strong pick for a group wanting one traditional, dressier evening during the trip. Grand Ole Opry Country Christmas gives country music fans a genre-specific holiday show that fits naturally alongside a Broadway bar crawl earlier that same evening.
For a mellower afternoon, the General Jackson Showboat runs seasonal Christmas cruises along the Cumberland River, a good option for a family group with a wide age range or anyone wanting a slower-paced few hours between busier attraction days. And for adults looking for a seasonal cocktail experience, The Mistletoe Club pop-up bar (hosted at Eddie at Dynamite) transforms into a fully decorated holiday-themed lounge each December, a worthwhile stop for a girls trip or bachelorette-adjacent group wanting festive drinks without standing in a Broadway line.
Finally, if your group is watching the budget, Nashville's neighborhood walking tours through 12South and East Nashville, where many homes go all-in on holiday decor, cost nothing beyond gas or a rideshare fare and make a genuinely good free evening activity, something almost none of the major Nashville holiday guides mention. For more on Broadway's music scene specifically, our roundup of the 15 best live music venues in Nashville is a useful companion piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top things to do in Nashville TN around Christmas time?
The top things to do in Nashville TN around Christmas time are Cheekwood Holiday Lights, Christmas at Gaylord Opryland with its ICE! exhibit, and Zoolumination at Nashville Zoo, all three running from mid-November through early January in 2026. Rounding out the list are the Nashvillage Holiday Market, Grand Ole Opry Country Christmas, and day trips to Franklin or Lebanon for drive-through light displays.
Do you have to pay to see Christmas lights at Opryland?
Yes, general access to Christmas at Gaylord Opryland's light displays requires paid admission, and the ICE! exhibit specifically requires an additional, separately timed ticket. Pricing varies by date, with weekday early-December visits typically running lower than Christmas week or New Year's weekends.
Is Nashville worth visiting at Christmas?
Yes, Nashville is worth visiting at Christmas because it runs three major light attractions simultaneously while its year-round live music scene on Broadway and at the Grand Ole Opry continues uninterrupted. Mild Middle Tennessee winters, typically in the 35 to 50 degree range, also make outdoor light walks comfortable compared to colder-climate holiday destinations.
What is the Christmas Village in Nashville?
The Christmas Village most travelers are referring to is Nashvillage Holiday Market, a seasonal winter market set up in Walk of Fame Park with local vendor stalls, live music, and holiday food and drinks. It typically runs for several weeks in December and sits within walking distance of Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
What is the best Christmas town in Tennessee?
Nashville is considered one of Tennessee's best Christmas destinations because of its combination of large ticketed attractions and its unmatched live music identity, though nearby Franklin and Lebanon offer strong day-trip alternatives with the Franktown Festival of Lights and Dancing Lights of Christmas. Most visitors base themselves in Nashville and use it as a hub for these shorter day trips.
How far in advance should I book a Nashville rental for Christmas week?
Book at least six to eight weeks ahead for Christmas week in Nashville, ideally by late October or early November. Nashville's average short-term rental booking lead time runs around 43 days according to AirROI's 2026 market data, and holiday week demand tends to book out earlier than that average suggests.
Do I need a car to see Nashville's Christmas lights?
A car is not required for Cheekwood or Zoolumination if you're staying near downtown Nashville and using rideshare, though having one makes day trips to Franklin's Festival of Lights or Lebanon's Dancing Lights of Christmas far more convenient. If you plan to rely on rideshare during peak nights like Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, budget extra for surge pricing.
What should a group pack for a Nashville Christmas trip?
Pack layers for temperatures typically ranging from the mid-30s to low-50s, comfortable walking shoes for Cheekwood's one-mile path, and a warmer coat for evening events since Nashville winter nights get noticeably colder than the daytime. A reusable water bottle and phone charger are also useful for longer evenings at Opryland or Zoolumination.
The Bottom Line on a Nashville Christmas Trip
A well-planned Nashville Christmas trip in 2026 centers on picking one or two of the city's three major light attractions, Cheekwood, Opryland's ICE! and holiday lights, or Zoolumination, and building the rest of your days around Broadway's live music, the Nashvillage Holiday Market, and enough downtime to actually enjoy the trip rather than rush through it.
Nashville's tourism numbers keep climbing year over year, and holiday season concentrates that demand into a shorter window than most of the calendar. Book your lights tickets and your group lodging early, lean on a day trip to Franklin or Lebanon if your group wants variety, and don't try to force three ticketed attractions into two days. The city rewards travelers who plan ahead and still leaves plenty of room for spontaneity once you're here.
If your group's holiday itinerary includes a night walking Cheekwood's mile of lights in the December cold, Underwood Manor puts you 5 minutes from downtown with a 7-person hot tub waiting when you get back. Check availability and book direct before Christmas week dates fill in.
Written by Chase Gillmore, Owner at Underwood Manor
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