Free but fascinating things to do in Nashville
Famous country music is in the air and whiskey is down the highway
NASHVILLE — Nashville’s history is so intertwined with music that tunes seem to pour from every door and window.
From Music Row to the honky tonk highway, the city recognizes its past, while also celebrating emerging artists who are drawn to the city just as music lovers are.
Learn a little about the great artists that defined the Nashville scene for decades, hear new music that may soon be hitting radio waves, and take a sniff of Tennessee sipping whiskey, all for free. Honky Tonks
Nashville’s siren song for tourists has long been the neon lights and twangy guitars pouring country and western standards from downtown honky tonks, where you can catch an upand-coming singer or one of the town’s talented musicians.
If you’re lucky, sometimes even country’s biggest stars will make a surprise appearance for a song or two, as Keith Urban did to promote his latest album.
Most of the bars on lower Broadway are free from cover charges so you can stop in for a two-step or just gaze at the memorabilia on the walls, although it’s always good to tip the band when they pass the bucket around.
Best picks are Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Hatch Show Print
The letterpress print shop that dates to 1879 recently moved to the newly renovated Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
The packed shelves of thousands of wood blocks look right at home among the country music artifacts.
There’s no cost to watch the presses and the staff churn out the iconic handmade posters that have been used by everyone from Grand Ole Opry stars to blues and jazz greats and modern rock bands. Jack Daniel’s Distillery
About 110 kilometres southeast of Nashville in the small town of Lynchburg is the home to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.
It’s worth the drive to take a free tour of the oldest registered American distillery where you can learn about the ingredients that go into Old No. 7, take a whiff of the charcoal mellowing process and see the barrels where whiskey is stored to mature. CMA Festival
One of the city’s biggest parties is the annual CMA Festival, a four-day celebration of country music in June that has always been about connecting fans with their favourite musicians. While the nightly concerts at LP Field require tickets, there are multiple stages set up around the city, including free concerts outside the Bridgestone Arena, where artists play for
free during the daytime. Cumberland River
The banks of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville are more than a place to watch barges pass.
The Shelby St. pedestrian bridge is one of the best viewpoints for the Nashville skyline that inspired Bob Dylan to write a country album.
Besides the city skyline, the view from the bridge includes a 30-metre industrial steel sculpture created by Alice Aycock, the Tennessee Titans’ stadium, the spot where the first settlers founded Nashville at Fort Nashborough and a newly built city waterpark and playground.