15+ Family Things to Do Around Nashville This Week (Oct. 29-Nov. 4)

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, so the whole week leans into it. From Thursday, Oct. 29 through Wednesday, Nov. 4, Nashville-area families can take on zoo nights, a gardens-after-dark evening, library story times, a free Franklin trunk-or-treat and a few quiet nature-center options for kids who want spooky without the scares. Costs are noted wherever the organizer posts one.

Halloween Party at the Donelson Library

Thursday, Oct. 29, 10:30 a.m. · Nashville Public Library, Donelson Branch. Little ones come in costume, trick-or-treat through the library and dance and craft with the librarians. Aimed at ages 2 to 9, with everyone welcome.

Family Fun Night: Lego Night at Leiper’s Fork Library

Thursday, Oct. 29, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. · Leiper's Fork Branch Library. An after-school Lego build night billed for the whole family. Read, play and build at the little country branch.

Harvest Nights at Cheekwood

Thursday, Oct. 29, 5 to 9 p.m. · Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. $14 to $21. A fall evening in the gardens with illuminated scarecrows, pumpkin-carving demos, lawn games, food trucks and live music. A kids' bird-art activity runs at the Ask a Gardener table from 5 to 7. Timed-entry tickets are required.

Boo at the Zoo

Thursday, Oct. 29 through Sunday, Nov. 1, from 5 p.m. · Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. $19 on Thursday, $23 Friday through Sunday. Halloween after dark at the zoo, with trick-or-treat stations for ages 2 to 12, animal shows, character meet-and-greets, a carousel, a Ferris wheel and games. Sunday night is a Day of the Dead edition with skeleton performers and a sugar-skull demo. Advance tickets are required and parking is extra.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Shadow Puppet Show

Friday, Oct. 30, 4:30 p.m. (repeats Saturday at 4:30) · Nashville Public Library, Main Library Children's Theatre. Free. The library's Wishing Chair Productions puts a shadow-puppet spin on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is not recommended for children under 8.

A Haunted House in Warner Woods

Friday, Oct. 30, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. · Warner Park Nature Center. Registration required. Families hike a short trail into the woods to solve a nature mystery and escape a haunted cabin, then warm up at a campfire with s'mores and ghost stories. Spooky in a nature-center way, not gory.

Creature Casualties at Warner Parks

Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 to 11:30 a.m. · Warner Park Nature Center. Registration required. A Halloween-morning trivia game about how tough life in the wild can be, with candy for prizes. Great for kids who love gross-but-true animal facts.

Kidsville at the Parthenon

Saturday, Oct. 31, 10:30 a.m. · The Parthenon, Centennial Park. Activity and craft stations upstairs at the Parthenon for ages 12 and under. Register ahead or in the lobby starting at 10:30.

Rock & Roll Playhouse: Halloween Spectacular for Kids

Saturday, Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m. · The Basement East. A family concert for kids who like to move, play and sing, with a spooky-season set list and costumes encouraged.

Mr. Bond’s Science Guys: Spooky Science Show at Inglewood Library

Saturday, Oct. 31, noon · Nashville Public Library, Inglewood Branch. A Halloween-day science show with eerie fog, owl screeches, bubbling potions and optical illusions, billed for all ages.

Free Community Trunk or Treat at Franklin Brentwood Arts Academy

Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 to 3 p.m. · Franklin Brentwood Arts Academy, 210 Gothic Court, Suite 200. Free. Open to everyone, not just students: trunk-or-treating, live music, face painting, popcorn and games. The first 20 kids through the door get a small tote while supplies last.