Tennessee's state fair runs out of Lebanon\, which puts it within easy reach of Nashville for a weeknight or a full Saturday. Ten days at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center cover livestock shows\, motorsports\, music on six stages\, exhibit halls\, the walk-through history of Fiddlers Grove\, and more than 60 carnival rides.
\nWhen: Thursday\, August 13 through Saturday\, August 22\, 2026
\nWhere: 945 E. Baddour Pkwy.\, Lebanon\, TN
\nGates: 4 p.m. weekdays\, 10 a.m. Saturdays\, noon Sundays
Admission: $14 adults in advance\, $5 for ages 6–12\, free for ages 5 and under. Opening Thursday drops to $12 adults and $4.50 for kids; Tuesdays are $10 for ages 60 and up. A $50 season pass covers gate admission all ten days.
\nThe 2026 theme is “Tennessee Voices and Volunteers Celebrating America 250!” with a Year of Forestry thread running through the exhibits.
URL:https://nashvegas.com/event/wilson-county-tennessee-state-fair-2026/ CATEGORIES:Family Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260813T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260822T220000 DTSTAMP:20260822T221045Z CREATED:20260819T124055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260822T221045Z UID:10046015-1786636800-1787436000@nashvegas.com SUMMARY:Wilson County–Tennessee State Fair DESCRIPTION:Ten days of the real thing at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon: carnival rides\, livestock shows\, agricultural exhibits\, live music on several stages\, competitions for every age\, and fair food you will regret in the best way. \nGate hours: Monday–Thursday 4 to 9 p.m.\, Friday 4 to 10 p.m.\, Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.\, Sunday noon to 9 p.m. A free satellite shuttle runs from 3 p.m. daily\, which is the single best piece of advice for anyone bringing small kids — park off site and skip the lot crawl. \nThe fair runs through Saturday\, August 22. URL:https://nashvegas.com/event/wilson-county-tennessee-state-fair/ LOCATION:James E. Ward Agricultural Center\, 945 E. Baddour Parkway\, Lebanon\, TN\, United States CATEGORIES:Family Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260821T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260823T235959 DTSTAMP:20260824T030048Z CREATED:20260821T122143Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T030048Z UID:10046119-1787270400-1787529599@nashvegas.com SUMMARY:Member Appreciation Weekend at Adventure Science Center DESCRIPTION:Worth knowing up front: the perks here are for members. If you hold an Adventure Science Center membership\, this is the weekend to use it. If you do not\, general admission still gets you into the building — you just will not collect the extras below.
\nFor member families\, the science center stacks three days of additions on top of the usual floor. Friday morning brings a “Mini Members” STEM storytime during early explorations\, aimed squarely at the preschool set before the building fills up. Saturday adds free professional family photos across a five-hour window\, which is a genuinely useful thing to get for nothing. Hands-on science stations run Saturday and Sunday throughout the building\, and there is trivia in Wonders of the Universe with prizes attached.
\nMembers also get a map of where everything is happening\, plus on-site discounts: 20% off the gift shop\, 50% off planetarium tickets\, and a cut off the café. Giveaways over the weekend include a free membership renewal and tickets to a couple of the bigger seasonal member nights later in the year.
\nParent notes: the Friday storytime is early-morning and the family photos are Saturday only\, so those two are worth planning around rather than hoping to catch. Half-price planetarium tickets make the dome an easy add — with a toddler\, the shorter shows are the safer bet.
\nWhen: Friday–Sunday\, August 21–23\, 2026
\nWhere: Adventure Science Center\, 800 Fort Negley Blvd.\, Nashville\, TN 37203
\nCost: Included with membership; general admission otherwise
”Crepuscular” is the word for animals that come alive at dusk\, and it is exactly the kind of five-syllable term a six-year-old will repeat for a week afterward. That is the whole idea behind this one.
\nThe Junior Naturalist program at Shelby Bottoms takes kids out on a sunset hike and puts their science skills to work as the park shifts from day into night — the light going flat\, the bird noise trading over for insect noise\, and whatever decides to show itself in between.
\nParent notes: ages 6 and up\, and registration is required — call or email the nature center to get on the list before you drive out. Closed-toe shoes and bug spray are the obvious calls for an August evening in the bottoms. It runs to 8 p.m.\, so plan on a later bedtime and consider that a fair trade.
\nWhen: Friday\, August 21\, 2026\, 6:30–8 p.m.
\nWhere: Shelby Bottoms Nature Center\, 1900 Davidson St.\, Nashville\, TN 37206
\nCost: FREE — registration required