25+ Family Things to Do Around Nashville This Week (Oct. 8-14)
Fall break, cooler mornings and the first color in the hardwoods: it is a good week to get the kids outside. Here are more than 25 family things to do around Nashville, Franklin and Brentwood from Thursday, Oct. 8 through Wednesday, Oct. 14, including corn mazes and farm days, puppet shows and story times, nature-center hikes, Halloween movies at a historic theatre, and plenty that is free.
Harvest NIGHTS at Cheekwood
Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 p.m. · Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. Timed tickets from Cheekwood. On Thursday evenings the garden scarecrows light up after dark beside a giant jack-o-lantern topiary, with lawn games, pumpkin-carving demos and live bluegrass. Go early so the little ones see it at dusk and still make bedtime.
A Wizarding Adventure at Brentwood Library
Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 p.m. · John P. Holt Brentwood Library. An after-school wizard-themed program for elementary kids. Robes and wands are optional but encouraged.
Timeless Tales Children’s Read-Aloud: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Friday, Oct. 9, 9 a.m. · The Franklin Theatre. Free; registration required. A read-aloud of a beloved alphabet book right on the historic theatre stage, and every registered child goes home with a copy.
Homeschool Day: Mapping the Frontier at The Hermitage
Friday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. · The Hermitage. Per-person fees; see the event page. Hands-on stations show how early Americans measured, drew and printed maps, pitched at ages 5 to 11. A ready-made field trip for homeschool families.
A Very Magical Halloween Story Time with Wishing Chair Productions
Friday, Oct. 9, 10:30 a.m. · Main Library Children's Theatre, downtown. Free. The library's puppet company pairs not-so-scary Halloween stories with a live magic show. Costumes welcome; there are two morning shows.
Community Square Dance at Shelby Bottoms
Friday, Oct. 9, 5 p.m. · Shelby Bottoms Nature Center. Free. A live band and a caller walk everyone through the steps, so nobody needs to know a do-si-do going in. A happy way to kick off fall break.
World Migratory Bird Day at Warner Parks
Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 a.m. · Warner Park Nature Center. Fall songbirds are moving through, and the nature center team runs hands-on activities and bird-banding demonstrations. Early risers get the best looks.
Gentry Farm Fall Season Saturday
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. · Gentry Farm, Franklin. Admission per person; little ones free. A five-acre corn maze, wagon ride, tractor playground, tire swings and farm animals on a working Franklin farm. Budget an hour or two.
Nashville Fall Festival Weekend in Bellevue
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. · Bellevue. Online tickets cost less than at the gate. A riverside farm with a hillside corn maze, sunflowers, a petting zoo, a hayride and a pumpkin with admission. Weekend hours run into the evening.
Hobby Horse Racing at Farm Day, Bells Bend Park
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9:30 a.m. · Bells Bend Park. Free. Hobby-horse races for every age alongside Farm Day's hands-on farm activities. Silly, free and very photogenic.
Fall Ball, Y’all Festival at the Nashville Farmers’ Market
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. · Nashville Farmers' Market. Free; free parking. A fall festival at the market with seasonal fun for the whole family. Grab lunch from the market hall while you are there.
CR3W Open House at Adventure Science Center
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. · Adventure Science Center. Included with admission. Teens from the center's youth program show off their projects and help younger kids build straw rockets, gliders and catapults. Part of the statewide STEAM Festival.
Second Saturday Kids Club: Spooky Science and Glow Slime
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m. · Nashville Public Library. A Saturday kids' club session devoted to spooky science and homemade glow slime. Expect sticky hands and big grins.
The Puppet Truck presents Hansel and Gretel (Thompson Lane)
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2:30 p.m. · Thompson Lane Branch Library. Free. The library's rolling puppet stage brings a fairy tale to the neighborhood. A quick, sweet outing for preschoolers.
Fear Fest: Hotel Transylvania at The Franklin Theatre
Saturday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. · The Franklin Theatre. Tickets from the theatre. The historic Main Street movie house screens the monster-family comedy as part of its Halloween film series. Spooky-but-silly for elementary kids.
Frist Family Sunday: Monarch Butterflies
Sunday, Oct. 11, 1 p.m. · Frist Art Museum. Free for 18 and under. The family art lab builds flapping paper monarch butterflies, and a sensory station keeps the youngest busy. An easy Sunday afternoon downtown.
Gentry Farm Fall Break Monday
Monday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m. · Gentry Farm, Franklin. Admission per person. The farm adds an extra fall-break morning for families with a day off school. Shorter hours than the weekend, so go early.
STEM Storytime at Adventure Science Center
Monday, Oct. 12, 9:30 a.m. · Adventure Science Center. Included with admission. A Monday-morning science story time for the preschool crowd, followed by the rest of the museum.
Mime and Theatre Basics: Fall Break Favorites
Monday, Oct. 12, 1 p.m. · Nashville Public Library, Antioch. A fall-break workshop in mime and stage basics. Space is limited, so arrive on time.
Family Bird Walk at the Warner Park Nature Center
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. · Warner Park Nature Center. Registration required. A naturalist-led bird walk sized for families. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Fairy Forest at Shelby Bottoms
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. · Shelby Bottoms Nature Center. Registration required. An all-ages program about fairies and forest creatures, built for imaginative little explorers.
Family Campfire Stories at Brentwood Library
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m. · John P. Holt Brentwood Library. Stories around an outdoor campfire on an October evening. Bring a blanket and a jacket.
Family Hike and Snack at Shelby Bottoms
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. · Shelby Bottoms Nature Center. Registration required. A family hike along the river bottoms followed by a snack, at a gentle pace for little legs.
Fall Foliage Hike at Warner Parks
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. · Warner Park Nature Center. Registration required. A guided walk timed to the first real color in the hardwoods. Sturdy shoes recommended.
Spooky Halloween Art at Brentwood Library
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 12:30 p.m. · John P. Holt Brentwood Library. Free ticket from the children's desk. A Halloween craft session for kids on fall break. Tickets are first come, first served.
Fear Fest: Hocus Pocus Fall Break Matinee at The Franklin Theatre
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 3 p.m. · The Franklin Theatre. Tickets from the theatre. An afternoon showing of the witches-versus-kids Halloween classic. It is rated PG, a fit for most grade-schoolers.
Nashville SC v Sporting Kansas City – $1 Hotdog Night
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. · GEODIS Park. Tickets required. A midweek match with a hot dog deal, a pet adoption night and a fan giveaway for early arrivals. A cheap night out for soccer families.
Coming up
- PumpkinFest Day Two in Downtown Franklin — Sun., Oct. 25
- A Haunted House in Warner Woods — Fri., Oct. 30
- Free Community Trunk or Treat at Franklin Brentwood Arts Academy — Sat., Oct. 31
- Blippi The Musical — Tue., Nov. 24
- Brentwood Christmas Tree Lighting at the Library — Mon., Dec. 7
Times and details can shift, so tap through to each event page before you head out, and register early for the nature-center programs because they fill. Know about a family event we missed? Send it our way and we will add it to the calendar.
