25+ Family Things Around Nashville This Week
This is the week Nashville tips into fall for real. Cheekwood lights its scarecrows after dark, Gentry Farm opens the corn maze, Adventure Science Center hands kids a chisel and some real fossils, and Musicians Corner plays its last free Friday of the season. The libraries and nature centers fill the weekdays, most of it free.
Here is the week, Thursday through Wednesday.
Thursday, September 24
Nature Center Puppet Show at Shelby Bottoms — 10 a.m., free, all ages. A short puppet show from the nature center's own cast. It's a gentle first outing for toddlers, and the greenway is right outside for after.
Preschool Story Time at the Fairview Library — 11 a.m. Picture books and a simple craft for preschoolers.
Cheekwood Harvest NIGHTS — 5 to 9 p.m. The Harvest scarecrows glow after dark next to a jack-o'-lantern topiary. There are pumpkin-carving demos, lawn games, live music and a kids' art activity. Timed tickets must be bought in advance.
Opry Country Classics — 7 p.m. at the Grand Ole Opry House. The Thursday show leans on the standards, which makes it a good first Opry for kids who know the songs from grandparents.
Friday, September 25
Musicians Corner Fall Season Finale — 5 to 9 p.m. in Centennial Park, free. The last free Friday of the season. Bring a blanket, let the kids loose on the lawn and stay for the headliners.
Full Moon Pickin' Party at Percy Warner Park — 6 to 10 p.m., $25, all ages. A bluegrass jam at the equestrian barn under the full moon, with food trucks. Proceeds help the Warner Parks.
Grand Ole Opry: Opry 100 — 7 p.m. at the Opry House, with more shows through the week. A two-hour variety show is about right for most school-age attention spans.
Saturday, September 26
Fossil Quest at Adventure Science Center — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., included with admission. Kids dig real fossils, make plaster casts and bring their own rocks to scientists for identification. The guided dig is $10 extra and worth it for dinosaur kids.
Gentry Farm opens for fall — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Franklin, $13 at the gate (under 2 and 65+ free). A five-acre corn maze, wagon ride, tractor playground and pre-picked pumpkins. Saturdays through Nov. 1.
Curious Naturalist at Warner Park Nature Center — 10 a.m. to noon, free. Drop in and poke around with a naturalist, no registration needed.
TN Maker Fest at the Wond'ry — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vanderbilt. More than 60 exhibitors, from kid entrepreneurs to university labs. It's the best room in town for a kid who takes things apart. Parking is free in the 25th Avenue garage.
Family Story Time at the Brentwood Library — 10:30 a.m. Stories and a craft, no registration.
Spanish Storytime at Parnassus Books — 10:30 a.m. Stories in Spanish for beginners and fluent speakers alike.
43rd Annual WilCo Pow Wow — Saturday and Sunday at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon. Grand Entry is at 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Cash only: $10 adults, $5 ages 6 to 12, free for 5 and under.
Art in the Park: Oil Pastels at Bledsoe Creek — 1 p.m. in Gallatin, $3. A ranger-led drawing class on the park's wildlife, with all supplies provided.
Nashville Predators vs. Carolina Hurricanes — 2 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. An afternoon puck drop, which is the easiest way to try hockey with kids without a late night.
Nashville SC vs. Toronto FC: Harry Potter Night — 7:30 p.m. at GEODIS Park. The first 12,000 fans get a house flag, so pick your house and get there early.
Just added for the weekend
Archaeology Day at Bells Bend Outdoor Center — Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., all ages. Metro Parks turns kids into archaeologists for a day with hands-on local-history activities out on the wide-open Bend. Register ahead by email or phone (details on the event page).
Monday, September 28
STEM Storytime at Adventure Science Center — 9:30 a.m., included with admission, best for 5 and under. A science story plus a hands-on activity.
Homeschool Monday at the Frist — 10 a.m., free for 18 and under. Priority access to the Martin ArtQuest hands-on gallery, plus educator-led tours at 10:30 and 11:30.
Tuesday, September 29
Fall Migration Bird Banding at Warner Park Nature Center — 8 a.m. to noon, all ages. Watch researchers band migrating songbirds at a station that has run since 1982. It's the closest most kids will get to a wild bird. Canceled in bad weather.
Story Time with Wishing Chair Productions — 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the Main Library, free. The library's puppet company sings, juggles and reads. It's the best free thing for preschoolers downtown.
Toddler and Preschool Story Time at the Brentwood Library — Toddlers at 10 a.m., preschoolers at 11.
Reading with Reggie at the Fairview Library — 4 p.m., ages 12 and under. Kids practice reading aloud to a very patient listener.
The Great Library Quest at the Brentwood Library — 6 p.m., ages 8 to 12. A scavenger hunt that teaches kids how to actually find a book on the shelf.
Family Game Night at the Hermitage Branch Library — 6 to 7:30 p.m. Board games, prizes and snacks for the whole family.
Wednesday, September 30
Hummingbird Migration Banding at Warner Park Nature Center — 7:30 a.m. An early start, but kids get to see a hummingbird in a researcher's hand.
Aviary Education Center Open House at Radnor Lake — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. See Radnor's resident birds of prey, including two bald eagles and a golden eagle. It's a three-quarter-mile walk in from the East lot.
Crazy for Cats! at the Brentwood Library — 5 p.m., kindergarten through 2nd grade. Kids make a cat toy and a cat stamp and mix up a snack. Free tickets are handed out 30 minutes before.
Coming up: Wishing Chair's free A Very Magical Halloween Story Time starts Oct. 2 at the Main Library. Boo at the Zoo opens Oct. 16, and Pumpkinfest takes over downtown Franklin Oct. 24 and 25. The Tennessee STEAM Festival adds dinosaurs at Shelby Bottoms, archaeology at the Parthenon and a telescope night at Dyer Observatory mid-month. It's all on the Nashville family events calendar.
