Explore Nashville’s Special Holiday Offerings
Nashville is a mecca for good music, unparalleled barbecue and straight-up Southern charm. Spice up your holidays with a few of our favorite festivities right from our home base, Hotel Preston.
Get In the Spirits
Lights are not taken lightly here. From a fully functioning winter village to synchronized music shows, we’ve got plenty of bright ideas.
10-minute drive – The name says it all. GLOW is Nashville’s shiniest Christmas experience, open until December 31st at First Tennessee Park. From one of the country’s tallest Christmas trees to a Mistletoe Café and Winterfest Market, you’ll feel like you walked into an excellently branded North Pole.
25-minute drive – What happens when you combine reindeer, s’mores pits, gingerbread workshops and bars serving wine, beer and hot chocolate? A real good time, that’s what. The mile-long twinkling path at Cheekwood features over a million lights and the Mansion will be decked out as well. Open until January 5th, go get a holiday-gram your friends will be jealous of.
30-minute drive – Back for its 10th season, this light show is the definition of a Music City experience. Here’s how it goes down: pile your crew into a car, blast the special FM radio station and drive through decorations that sync with your tunes. Grab those dancing shoes and get your jingle on.
Holiday Shopping
Aren’t markets the merriest? Food, drinks, new goodies and even better – you can call it productive if you cross off a Christmas present or two.
10-minute drive – Start shortening your gift list at this upscale yet classic indoor market. Explore handcrafted goods made by over 100 vendors from around the country while enjoying a selection of scrumptious Southern food and beverages.
Porter Flea is one of Nashville’s coolest places to shop. With an emphasis on handmade art and design, their holiday market is perfect for filling up your bags. The event is hosted at the Nashville Fairgrounds (don’t worry, it’s heated and indoors) and is free on December 14th. Check out their Instagram to get excited.
Stay Social
Music and sports are two of Nashville’s soft spots. Soak in the straightforward cheer of a Titans or Predators game or even grab tickets to the historic Music City Bowl – all just 15 minutes from Hotel Preston. If you’re itching for tunes, check out the incredible live performances by local musicians right downstairs at Blackwood. Hot tip: the fried chicken goes perfectly with a glass of whiskey.
Full, Festive and Tipsy
Let all the comfort food cuddle you up. And then let it kick you out because it’s time to hit the town. Here are a few of the holiday hotspots.
Settle into spacious lounge seating for live music and seasonal Southern-style food. From creative cocktails and Tennessee whiskey flights to cozy dinners and bright brunches, Blackwood is the perfect place to escape winters bite at Hotel Preston.
10-minute drive – An immersive holiday pop-up bar set in the Headquarters Beercade in SoBro where you can expect a true winter wonderland experience. We’re talking 3D Christmas trees, 2,000 feet of twinkling lights, a life-size Santa’s sleigh and of course – holiday-themed food and cocktails.
10-minute drive – Perfect for before or after your GLOW Nashville adventure, the winter beer garden in Von Elrod’s features a heated patio space and plenty of festive flares including an outdoor ‘Alpine Forest’ photo booth. The winter drink menu is magical and the food options will make your mouth water…are you ready? Try a s’mores pretzel dipped in marshmallow and drizzled with Olive & Sinclair chocolate, and winter sausage platters, of course.
8-minute drive – Calling all dive bar believers. The local go-to, Santa’s is a late-night, cash-only spot for karaoke and cold beers, or wine coolers if that’s your style. Why not add some good ol’ grit to your holidays?
Partying At Preston
At Hotel Preston, we love the holidays—and not just because it’s an excuse to drink spiked eggnog. Keep up with what we’ve got going on this season through the events section on our Facebook.