The festival calendar in Nashville, Tennessee always comes stacked and loaded, but summertime—no surprise—really takes things to another level. And the very best home base for taking in one or more Music City happenings this summer is most certainly The Union Station Nashville Yards, which combines historical glamor and modern luxury boutique hospitality right in the heart of things on Broadway.
Let’s take a whirlwind tour of just some of the summer festivals going down in Nashville, yours to enjoy while ensconced in our Marriott Autograph Collection embrace here at The Union Station! (And keep in mind this is, indeed, just a sample: You can browse through a more extensive list of seasonal Nashville festivals and special events right here.)
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (June)
One of the country’s defining concert events takes place Friday, June 13th through Sunday, June 16th in Manchester, Tennessee—a pretty drive from Nashville—with this year’s edition of Bonnaroo. As always, there’s a heavy-duty list of headliners, among them Pretty Lights, Chris Lake, Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fred Again, Megan Thee Stallion, and Jon Batiste. Other 2024 Bonnaroo performers include Cage the Elephant, T-Pain, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, and The Mars Volta. And don’t miss the Dashboard Confessional Emo Superjam!
The onstage performances at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival come complimented by all sorts of other attractions, including a huge lineup of craft and food vendors, film screenings, yoga, parades, and an irresistible Ferris wheel.
Summer Food Festivals at the Nashville Farmers’ Market (June – August)
Just a stone’s throw from The Union Station Nashville Yards at 900 Rosa L Parks Blvd., the year-round Nashville Farmers’ Market always promises a good time. But its summer schedule comes spiced with some special events, including several awesome festivals that celebrate one or another in-season farm-fresh delicacy amid live music, kids’ activities, and other fun.
On Saturday, June 15th, there’s the Peach Jam Festival, where you can tuck into scrumptiously sweet locally grown peaches and sip on various peach-y adult beverages while grooving to the live entertainment. The next month, on Saturday, July 13th, tomatoes will take the starring role in the Tomat-O-Rama Festival, presenting a smorgasbord of varieties as well as a salsa contest and refreshing Bloody Marys.
Finally, you can get the perfect late-summer vibes going at the Farmers’ Market’s Watermelon Festival on Saturday, August 24th.
Springer Mountain Farms Presents Bluegrass Nights at The Ryman (June – July)
The popular Bluegrass Nights at The Ryman series marks its 30th year in 2024, firing up the hallowed stage of the “Mother Church of Country Music” with plenty of fast-picking, toe-tapping goodness from June 13th through July 25th. Upcoming performers include Steep Canyon Rangers, The Earls of Leicester, Della Mae, Dailey & Vinent, and Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder.
Each Bluegrass Night at the Ryman concert, held at 7:30 PM, comes preceded by the free Pickin’ on RNC Plaza at 5:30 PM, with bluegrass groups from the area serenading folks outside the entrance to The Ryman.
Nashville Pride Festival & Parade (June)
Music City’s own Pride festivities take place Saturday, June 22nd (11 AM to 9 PM) and Sunday, June 23rd (11 AM to 7 PM) with live music, games, Kids & Family Zone activities, and more.
The free Pride Parade steps off at 10 AM on Saturday and proceeds down Broadway between 8th and 2nd avenues. The Nashville Pride Festival at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, meanwhile, will feature a whole slew of performers, among them Tinashe, Desiree York Mystere, Icona Pop, Billy Porter, and Gisele.
Nashville Predators Craft Beer Festival (June)
Sample some outstanding suds courtesy of Music City’s NHL team at the Nashville Predators Craft Beer Festival, taking place this year on Saturday, June 22nd from 3:30 to 7 PM at Bridgestone Arena—which, mind you, happens to be but a short stroll away from our Marriott Autograph Collection hotel!
The event—which also features great eats and live entertainment—raises money for the Preds Foundation, dedicated to supporting nonprofit groups and events in Middle Tennessee.
The Music City Hot Chicken Festival (July)
Few genuine Nashville culinary specialties are so well known (and, let’s be honest, a little bit feared) than hot chicken. There’s no better way to experience its singular magic than the Music City Hot Chicken Festival, a Fourth of July tradition over in East Park.
The free proceedings get underway at 10:30 AM on Independence Day with the Fire Truck Parade, with the festival proper—featuring the best of Nashville’s hot chicken as well as other food, ice-cold beer to soothe your taste buds, an Amateur Cooking Competition, and live tunes—running from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th
“Hot” on the heels (sorry) of the Music City Hot Chicken Festival comes Nashville’s famous 4th of July blowout, Let Freedom Sing! Culminating in one of America’s biggest fireworks shows—synced up with live music by the Nashville Symphony—Let Freedom Sing! also brings big-name performers to Downtown Nashville: This year’s lineup includes headliner Chris Young as well as YOLA, Girl Named Tom, and Blessing Offor.
Music City Jerk & Caribbean Food Festival (August)
Some wonderful and varied flavors from Jamaica and the West Indies define the culinary experience at the Music City Jerk & Caribbean Food Festival, held this year on Saturday, August 17th at Music City Walk of Fame Park. You can also expect plenty of live entertainment as well as a good-sized craft market.
Music City Brewers Festival (August)
Sample beers from better than 40 craft breweries as well as ciders, spirits, seltzers, and non-alcoholic beverages at the 2024 Music City Brewers Festival, which takes place on Saturday, August 24th at the Walk of Fame Park. This benefit for the Nashville Humane Association will also be featuring live performances by Spazmatics as well as food trucks and yard games.
Tomato Art Fest (August)
The Nashville Farmers’ Market Tomat-O-Rama isn’t the only celebration of that luscious red fruit on tap for this summer. For some two decades, the Tomato Art Fest has served as one of the most unique and all-out fun happenings in Nashville, and it’ll once again be doing its thing Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th at East Nashville’s Five Points.
There’ll be lots to eat, naturally (and not just tomatoes), plus onstage and popup concerts, the Tomato Art Show, and, at 9 AM on Saturday, the “Push, Pull, and Wear” Parade. Expect plenty of tomato-themed costumery—and consider coming suited up yourself!
Experience the Excitement of Summer 2024 Festivals in Music City, USA on a Getaway at The Union Station Nashville Yards
Our luxury boutique hotel, first built in 1900 and showcasing spectacular Gilded Age Richardsonian-Romanesque architecture, provides some of the very finest accommodations in Nashville. Besides the bespoke perfection of our guest rooms and suites and the exceptional on-site cuisine available at Stationairy and ERGO, we’ve got our own roster of Hotel Happenings as well as nightly live music in our resplendent lobby.
Book a stay at The Union Station Nashville Yards for a summer festival in Nashville, Tennessee—we look forward to welcoming you to Music City!