14 Great Reasons to Visit Nashville in 2017

In case there was ever any doubt, we’re here to assure you that Nashville is the city to visit in 2017. From Fashion to Football — and everything in between — 2017 is shaping up to be a banner year for Music City. We scoured local news sources, dug deep into our personal archives, and we grilled in-the-know Nashvillians to bring you this list of new and exciting things to see, do, hear, and experience in Nashville in 2017.

Hot New Nashville Restaurants for 2017

For those East Coast expats eking by on hot chicken, rumors of Federal Donuts’ new East Nashville outpost is exciting, indeed. From its humble Two Street roots in South Philly’s Pennsport neighborhood, chef Michael Solomonov is welcome to bring his Korean-influenced chili-garlic chicken on over.

After indulging in a dozen hot fresh from Fed Nuts, it may be worth dropping in on EiO & the Hive, coming to West Nashville in the spring. With its emphasis on local, fresh, seasonal and organic foods EiO’s globally-influenced food and cocktails, it may be enough to set you back on the path of righteousness.

If the notion of adult milkshakes sets your heart aflutter, be sure to grab a stool at the Mockingbird Nashville. The culinary brain-parents behind the much-loved Chauhan Ale & Masala House are poised to open their version of a modern diner later this winter.

The city may be landlocked, but that isn’t stopping Nashville native Julia Sullivan and partner Allie Poindexter from cracking open the ocean’s finest oysters at Henrietta Red’s raw bar in Germantown in February.

It’s a Sporting New Year in Nashville

If sports are more your thing than the celebrity-fueled dining scene, never fear, Nashville has your back. Check out the SEC Men’s Basketball Championship in March at the Bridgestone Arena. If tickets are hard to come by, check out the free FanFare from March 9-12 for interactive games, displays, live entertainment, and a chance to meet this year’s SEC standouts.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAL! Soccer fans, rejoice! This year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played in Nashville on July 8 in Nissan Stadium.

From the SEC to Soccer to Steeplechase, Nashville is the place to be. Pay your respects to spring and usher summer in with the 76th running of the Iroquois Steeplechase in Percy Warner Park on May 13.

Variety is the Spice of Life and Nashville Sure is Spicy

If you think that Tulip Time is something that our neighbors to the north, in Holland, MI, hold exclusive rights to, think again. Nashville’s Cheekwood Gardens explodes in a cacophony of color with more than 100,000 gorgeous tulips bursting into bloom throughout early April.

Nashville’s the new New York. Be sure to see area models and designers strut their stuff during Nashville Fashion Week, April 4-8 2017. Proceeds from the event benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Drink More Beer. Each April, the entire city seems to funnel into East Nashville for this annual homage to beer in East Park. Enjoy the best that local craft beer and national microbrewers have to offer at the East Nashville Beer Festival.

We Didn’t Forget That it’s Music City, Y’all!

Be sure to check out the exciting new 2017 exhibition lineup at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Check out memorabilia and learn all about beloved country icons Jason Aldean, Shania Twain, Loretta Lynn, and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. For a behind-the-scenes look at the lifestyles of the legends, book a tour with Tommy.

We’ll forgive you if your musical leanings are more rock than country. You’ll be happy to learn that U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Weeknd are headlining Bonnaroo in 2017.

If you’re happy to blur the lines, stand in lines, and rock out with some of country’s biggest stars, head on over for CMA Music Fest from June 8-11. Each summer downtown Nashville opens its arms and transforms into the world’s biggest honky tonk. While the 2017 lineup will be announced later this spring, expect see heavy-hitters like Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Old Dominion and more. For tour packages, check out our good friends at Sweet Magnolia Tours.

Let’s face it, where would some of the industry’s top stars be without the strength of the city’s talented Music Row standing behind them? Come on down to Nashville between March 28 and April 1 to celebrate the city’s finest songwriters. Tin Pan South, the country’s largest songwriter festival, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2017 and is doing so in style.

Goodbye 2016, hello 2017. Nashville is ready for you. For more information about what to see and do in Nashville, contact Tommy’s Nashville Tours today.