25+ Fall Family Things Around Nashville This Week
October opens with the biggest family weekend of the fall so far. Saturday, Oct. 3 stacks a free 30th-anniversary cultural festival in Centennial Park, a brand-new neighborhood festival in Donelson, a working-farm pumpkin patch and corn maze in Bellevue, and the Sadie Ford heritage day out in Lebanon. Weekdays bring puppet shows at neighborhood libraries and the Adventure Science Center planetarium, and the Opry is still celebrating its 100th year every night.
Here is the week, Thursday through Wednesday.
Thursday, October 1
Family Puzzle Night at the Goodlettsville library — 3:30 p.m. Teams race to finish a jigsaw first, and the winners take home a new puzzle. It runs on first Thursdays, and it is an easy after-school stop.
Predators vs. Minnesota Wild — 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. Every fan in the building gets a free Preds T-shirt, which makes this one of the easier game nights to bring kids to.
Grand Ole Opry Birthday Show — 8 p.m. at the Opry House. The Opry is marking its centennial with a run of birthday shows, and all-ages seats make this a real Nashville night out.
Friday, October 2
Pre-K STEAM at the Brentwood library — 10 a.m. A hands-on hour of science, art and building for ages 2 to 6. Pick up a ticket at the Children's Desk 30 minutes early.
A Very Magical Halloween Story Time with Wishing Chair Productions — 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Main Library, free. Not-so-scary Halloween stories and a live magic show from the library's own puppet company. Costumes are encouraged.
Grand Ole Opry Birthday Show — 7 p.m. at the Opry House. Another night of the centennial celebration on the Opry stage.
Saturday, October 3
Sadie Ford Heritage Day — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., free. A 1920s-to-1940s living-history day at the Sadie Ford Heritage Farm in Lebanon, with old-fashioned games, butter churning, homemade ice cream, mule wagon rides, blacksmithing and face painting. Live music runs 11 to 1.
Nashville Fall Festival — 9 a.m. to dark, Bellevue. A working farm with a corn maze, a 7-acre sunflower field, a petting zoo, a playground, hayrides and a pumpkin with every ticket. Kids 6 and under are free, and the season runs through Nov. 1.
Gentry's Farm in Franklin — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pre-picked pumpkins, a corn maze, wagon rides, farm putt-putt and a tractor playground at a seventh-generation family farm. These are the Saturday pumpkin-sales hours, and the season runs through Nov. 1.
Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Centennial Park, free. The 30th annual multicultural festival has a morning parade, dance and music stages, a world bazaar and international food. Kidsville, a children's area, stays open all day.
Knoblin Fest in Donelson — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free. A first-year neighborhood festival built around a local goblin legend, with three music stages, an art show, food trucks, costume contests and a Knoblinland kids' area. Free shuttle parking runs from satellite lots.
A Very Magical Halloween Story Time — 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Main Library, free. The second Saturday showing of the Wishing Chair Halloween puppet-and-magic show.
The Puppet Truck: Hansel and Gretel at the Donelson library — 11 a.m. A 30-minute puppet telling of the Grimm tale, recommended for ages 3 to 8. Knoblin Fest is happening the same day in Donelson, so the two pair up.
The Stellars: Mission Green at Adventure Science Center — 11:15 a.m. A planetarium show for ages 3 to 8 in which three alien friends learn what plants need to save their forest. It repeats Sunday at the same time.
Full STEAM Ahead: Zoomin' Balloons at the Brentwood library — 1 p.m. Kindergarten through 2nd graders build balloon-powered cars. Pick up a ticket at the Children's Desk.
First Saturday Family Fun at the Thompson Lane library — 2 to 4 p.m., free. A book giveaway with bookmarks and buttons, plus a story time at 3 p.m. All ages are welcome.
Star Party at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center — This evening, free. Local amateur astronomers set up telescopes for the public. It is all ages, with no registration and no telescope needed.
Predators vs. Dallas Stars — 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. A Hispanic Music Heritage night at the arena.
Opry 100 Birthday Show — 7 p.m. at the Opry House. The Saturday early show on the Opry's 100th-year calendar. A second show follows at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 4
The Stellars: Mission Green at Adventure Science Center — 11:15 a.m. The Sunday showing of the ages 3-to-8 planetarium adventure.
Grand Ole Opry: OPRY 100 — 7 p.m. at the Opry House. A Sunday-night Opry, and it is the easiest way to end the weekend.
Monday, October 5
STEM Storytime at Adventure Science Center — 9:30 a.m. A weekly story session with a science angle for young children.
The Puppet Truck: Hansel and Gretel at the Edmondson Pike library — 10:30 a.m., free. A 30-minute puppet show with Peeko Puppets on a Monday morning.
The Puppet Truck: Hansel and Gretel at the Bordeaux library — 4 p.m., free. The after-school showing of the same puppet show.
Tuesday, October 6
Grand Ole Opry: OPRY 100 — 7 p.m. at the Opry House. A midweek Opry for the family that missed the weekend.
Wednesday, October 7
Grand Ole Opry: OPRY 100 — 7 p.m. at the Opry House. The last Opry night of the roundup week.
Just added for the weekend
Curious Naturalist at Warner Park Nature Center — Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to noon. Drop in and explore a nature mystery with a naturalist. Families are welcome, and no registration is needed.
Coming up: Boo at the Zoo starts Oct. 16 and Pumpkinfest in Downtown Franklin is Oct. 24. The holiday season arrives early this year: Glow Wild at the Nashville Zoo opens Nov. 13, Holiday LIGHTS at Cheekwood and the FrankTown Festival of Lights in Franklin both open Nov. 20, and the Franklin Christmas Parade is Dec. 5. Everything is on the Nashville family events calendar.
