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
There is a particular kind of Saturday morning where the best possible outcome is a kid soaked to the knees holding a cup with something wriggling in it. This is that morning.
\nNaturalists set up at Henry Creek and hand the water over to whoever shows up — turning rocks\, checking the shallows\, and working out which small creatures are living down there. Creek critters are a reliable hook because they are genuinely strange up close and there are always more than anyone expects.
\nParent notes: this one is drop-in — no registration\, come when you can inside the two-hour window. Shoes that are allowed to get wet\, a towel in the car\, and a dry change of clothes will each earn their keep. Beaman Park is out toward Joelton\, so give yourself the drive time from the middle of town.
\nWhen: Saturday\, August 22\, 2026\, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
\nWhere: Beaman Park Creekside Trailhead\, 4111A Little Marrowbone Rd.\, Joelton\, TN 37080
\nCost: FREE — drop in
Saturday mornings at the Nashville Farmers' Market are already a good time with kids — produce stands to wander\, food to split\, room to roam without anyone shushing anybody. Add live music to the mix and it becomes a genuinely easy outing.
\nSean Donovan plays the market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.\, folding folk\, rock and a bit of ambient texture into a set built to be listened to at any volume of attention. He aims for something that works for all ages and backgrounds\, which is exactly the right instinct for a room where half the audience is under four feet tall.
\nParent notes: the market is free to walk into and there is no ticket for the music. Strollers are fine. Come hungry — the Market House is right there\, and letting everyone pick their own lunch is half the appeal. Shade and indoor seating are both available if the August heat wins.
\nWhen: Saturday\, August 22\, 2026\, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
\nWhere: Nashville Farmers' Market\, 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.\, Nashville\, TN 37208
\nCost: FREE