10 Things to Do in Nashville in April

In winter the weather is very cold in Nashville, so in April, when spring brings back the mild days and clear skies, the city prepares for festivals and music concerts and also for the outdoor events that characterize the capital of Tennessee as one of the most active places in the southern United States.

The Rock and Roll Marathon, the traditional Fashion Week, the Film Festival and the Bluebird Café Talent Fair stand out as the best things to do in Nashville in April, but there are also many other offerings on the city's busy calendar during the second month of spring.

The Rock and Roll Marathon is one of Nashville's most well-attended and popular events and is held each year in April to coincide with the balmy spring weather, which is also one of the driest times of the year in the city. Each edition of this event consists of a marathon, a half marathon and a 5K run that closes with an evening country music concert.

The marathon attracts some of the best athletes in the world and is one of the city's landmarks, combining the sporting profile of Tennessee's capital with its love of music. In the days leading up to the marathon , the city prepares an itinerary for visitors that includes tours of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum, among other sites.

The concert marking the end of the marathon runs into the wee hours of the morning and is one of the best things to do at night in Nashville if you find yourself in town in April.

Details of interest

• Price... Registration for the race has a starting cost of approximately 99 euros per person.
• When... Every year in April.
• Where... The courses run through the streets of downtown Nashville.

Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and set up his retirement residence in Nashville, which was later converted into a museum and can be visited today to learn about life in the 18th century. If you plan to visit the city in April you can tour the residence during the anniversary of one of the most fiery speeches of his presidency.

On April 13, 1830 Jackson confronted his vice president in Congress and declared that the union of the country should be preserved, a statement of principle that took on relevance years later during the Civil War, when Tennessee supported the Confederate States by disregarding Jackson's words. That political act, which is known as the Union Speech, is vindicated at his residence during each anniversary.

You can visit Jackson's Belle Meade residence with a tour that includes round-trip transfers, meals and skip-the-line admission to the house, which is among Nashville's finest museums. Each month in April, they also hold theatrical reenactments of the Union Address and pay tribute to the most iconic politician in the city's history.

Details of interest

• Price... The entrance to the residence with the guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 50 euros.
• When... In April you can attend the Union Speech celebrations.
• Where... 4580 Rachels Ln, Hermitage.

Gaylord Opryland Resort is a convention center surrounded by 10 acres of indoor gardens that include rare and exotic specimens of tropical plants and local flora. These gardens are surrounded by trails that you can walk on regardless of the weather and relax on.

On the Gaylord Opryland Resort grounds there are also restaurants, bars, a shopping area and services of all kinds, so you don't need to be staying at the hotel to enjoy the gardens and their attractions, which are particularly popular in the spring. In addition, guided tours of the walkable trails are available in April.

Gaylord Opryland is located on the outskirts of the city but near the theater where the traditional Grand Ole Opry takes place, so you can get there on the 34 bus or Nashville's hop-on-hop-off tour bus, which includes a stop at the theater entrance area.

Details of interest

• Price... The guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 8 euros per person.
• When... Every year in April.
• Where... 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville.

The Nashville Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the southern United States and also one of the oldest in the country, making it also one of the city's traditional events held each year during the second month of spring. In each year the participation of filmmakers, producers and directors from all over the world grows substantially and receives hundreds of films for playback.

This event is ideal if you are a film buff because it offers expert panels, musical presentations, parties and receptions in which the protagonists participate, but it is also a good plan if you just want to have fun with a good show, since the festival calendar includes ten days of film screenings with spaces open to the general public.

The Film Festival is one of Nashville's main attractions during its celebration and also a reference for the film industry, as it is included in the Academy Awards circuit and is used by filmmakers for the screening of some of the best works of the year.

Details of interest

• Price... The 2-day ticket for the cycle of screenings has an initial cost of approximately 25 euros per person for adults.
• When... Every year in April.
• Where... Regal Hollywood Stadium, Nashville.

Fashion Week is an event that takes place worldwide in the most important capitals of the world and Nashville is one of the venues in the United States, so every year in April the world's most famous designers and brands gather in the capital of Tennessee to live one of the most vibrant celebrations of the city.

If you plan to visit Nashville in April you can experience Fashion Week and enjoy live music shows, celebrity meet-and-greets, fashion galas and charity events. The event lasts a week and you can purchase special passes to attend the runway shows or attend the handbag, jewelry and shoe shows.

You can also experience the inaugural Fashion Week if you plan to visit Nashville in February, but the main event takes place in April and is important on the global calendar and is one of the last of the fashion show season, which opens each year in January.

Details of interest

• Price... The individual ticket for the catwalk shows has an initial cost of approximately 28 euros per person.
• When... Every year in April.
• Where... 528 Rundle Ave, Nashville.

The Rites of Spring Festival is an event organized each year in April by Vanderbilt University students and each year brings together the best local and Tennessee artists to perform on a stage that combines different genres of music in a youthful atmosphere.

The festival is held on the university campus and also includes food booths and trucks, craft beer bars and a VIP area near the stage to watch the show from a seat.

If you want to attend the festival you should purchase tickets in advance online as soon as they go on sale as they tend to sell out quickly, especially since most of the attendees are students or alumni of the university. Please note that you must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the festival has an initial cost of approximately 40 euros per person.
• When... Every year in April.
• Where... Alumni Lawn, Vanderbilt University, Nashville.

The Tennessee State Museum is one of Nashville's main and most important museums and among its attractions is the Time Tunnel, a permanent exhibit that spans from geological eras to the present, traversing the Civil War, the rebuilding of the city and Tennessee's contributions to the United States in a 13,000-year review focusing on events in the South.

In April, in addition, this museum hosts the History Fair, an annual 2-day event consisting of a display by Belmont University students and high school students on local history. Admission to this event is free and during the tour you can also visit the museum's rotating galleries.

The Tennessee State Museum also hosts an interactive exhibit for the kids, making it an ideal plan if you plan to tour Nashville with children. In any case, if you visit the city in April you can attend the museum and enjoy the History Fair.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the museum is free.
• When... The fair is held in April and lasts two days.
• Where... 1000 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville.

Bluebird Café is a small lounge but at the same time it is one of the most recognized stages in Nashville, because every year aspiring professional musicians come there to be discovered by the producers in the talent fairs that are organized every year in April.

If you plan to visit Nashville in April, you too can attend this small cafe to be one of the 90 people who witness the shows of emerging artists every night on the stage once trodden by Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks and Keith Urban.

Bluebird Café is open every day and offers a different show every night, including open mic Mondays, writers' Sundays, independent artists' Wednesdays and a wide range of events, although it is in April when the small stage vibrates with the talent of future stars.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the bar is free, you only pay for what you consume.
• When... The talent fair is organized every year during the nights of April.
• Where... 4104 Hillboro Pike, Nashville.

The Nashville Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the southern United States and also one of the most picturesque, with a 200+ year old farmhouse crowning the 76 acres of grounds that are home to nearly 400 species. There you can find giraffes, tigers, kangaroos, an aviary and many other animals.

In April, you can also enjoy the family week at the Zoo, so all members of the family can enter for the price of a single ticket. You will also get a discount on the extra-cost activities inside the zoo, such as the train ride or the butterfly farm tour, making it an ideal plan if you plan to tour Nashville with children.

During guided tours of the zoo's trails you can also learn about the history of the farm, which was once a slave farm outside Nashville, so on the tour you can also learn about the history of the city and the farmhouse that is now home to the zoo's management.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the zoo has an initial cost of approximately 16 euros.
• When... Family week is in April.
• Where... 3777 Nolensville Pk, Nashville.

Nashville Predators is the city's ice hockey team that competes in the NHL and each year closes its regular season participation in April, so if you plan to visit Nashville during the second month of spring you can attend a game at the Bridgestone, which is one of the city's largest and most modern arenas.

The Predators are frequent entertainers in the league's Western Conference and have represented the city since 1996, making them Nashville's most popular team and attending a live game is a spectacle in itself and one of the city's main attractions.

You can buy your tickets in advance online or at the stadium box office once you are in town, although you should be aware that many of the tickets are sold in annual passes so tickets for the general public are reduced.

Details of interest

• Price... A ticket for a regular season game has an initial cost of approximately 55 euros.
• When... The regular season ends in April and the Predators play at their home stadium.
• Where... Bridgestone Arena, Nashville.

The maximum temperature in April in Nashville is 24°, while the minimum temperature is 12°. The average temperature is 18°, so the city during the spring offers pleasant weather.

Keep in mind that Nashville is a rainy city during the spring, so it is advisable to always have waterproof clothing on hand during excursions.

The high season in Nashville starts in May, so in April the tourist flow is relatively low compared to the summer or other months of the year in the city, which is ideal for you to tour the city at your leisure.

If you visit Nashville in June you will find that the number of visitors increases substantially, as do the costs of accommodations and some tours.

April is part of the low season, so prices are affordable, especially for accommodations and some excursions. If you plan to take a budget trip during the spring Nashville will offer you low costs and pleasant weather as well.

You can also access greater discounts by booking tours in advance online.

During the spring Nashville offers pleasant weather but also frequent rain showers so I advise you to include the following in your suitcase:

• Light coats
• Waterproof boots
• Waterproof and tactile gloves
• Wool sweaters
• Light pants
• Thermal T-shirts
• Raincoat
• Comfortable footwear