8 Things You Must Do in Nashville in December
Visiting Nashville in December? This blog lists five things you must do during this time of year!
As someone who has never been into the country music scene, I can assure you that even if you hate country music, you will still appreciate the city and be able to let loose, especially after a few drinks. I have never seen a city full of more American spirit or full of as many friendly locals as Nashville. I left this trip craving even more southern hospitality and classic Nashville hot chicken. The only thing missing from our trip was a run-in with Dolly Parton.
Continue reading for all my best Nashville recommendations for December – yes, even for those of you who hate country music.
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8 Things to Do in Nashville in December
Explore 12 South
12 South may just be the trendiest neighborhood in Nashville. This street is lined with the cutest boutiques, restaurants, and murals. Honorable mentions like The Butter Milk Ranch, Molly Green, and more call this street home, as well as the iconic “I Believe in Nashville” mural!
You can easily spend half a day here weaving in and out of the shops and grabbing a bite to eat, especially as The Butter Milk Ranch can have some hefty wait times. The food is completely worth the hype, though. They did such an amazing take on Eggs Benedict that I highly recommend trying!
Exploring 12 South is such a great addition to an action-packed weekend and a great place to grab those Insta pics!
See the Graduate Nashville Hotel
Located a five-minute drive from the popular Broadway street in downtown Nashville is the funky retro hotel, Graduate Nashville. While we did not stay in this hotel, it left quite an impression on us during our short visit to the lobby. We admired the lobby’s Christmas tree (perks of visiting Nashville in December) and other funky decorations, such as these neon signs.
Check out prices and more details for the Graduate Nashville here.
The couches also grabbed our attention. We couldn’t resist taking a photo on them. My favorite part of the hotel, however, was the rooftop restaurant and bar, White Limozeen! Continue reading to hear more about this unmissable experience.
Eat at White Limozeen
Eating at White Limozeen was one of my favorite memories from Nashville. Attending this restaurant was the closest we came to meeting Dolly Parton. White Limozeen, while not affiliated with Dolly Parton, is a Dolly Parton-themed rooftop bar and restaurant located on top of Graduate Nashville. The inside had the most adorable Dolly-esque décor and Christmas trees. There was even a day bed that could be rented out to sip drinks on! What an adorable idea!
The outdoor dining on the rooftop was even more impressive. Not only did each table have the cutest striped umbrellas, but there was also a Dolly sculpture and a swimming pool with lounge chairs! It was a bit too cold to dine outside (the only downside of visiting Nashville in December), and the pool was closed due to COVID-19 precautions. However, we still made sure to take plenty of pictures with Dolly, as this was the closest we would get to meeting her in Nashville. As far as rooftop bars go, this was by far the coolest I’ve ever seen.
Enjoy Pinball and Vintage Arcade Games at Game Terminal
Game Terminal is a fun venue decked out with pinball machines and vintage arcade games. This sleek venue is the perfect place to begin a night out on the town, letting you shamelessly embrace your childhood with crowd favorites like Pac-Man, themed pinball machines, Mario Kart, and much more!
Make sure to find the Dolly Parton pinball machine while you’re there — a true iconic piece of real estate!
Game Terminal opens at 3pm on weekdays and 11am on weekends.
Shop By The Gulch
Nashville is full of adorable shops, making it a great activity for December! We did some shopping in an area called The Gulch, but the stores were a bit more spread out than we were expecting. Nevertheless, we still had fun looking at all the products each shop had to offer. Some stores that stuck out to us were Uncommon James, Blush Boutique, Kittenish, and VICI Dolls, where I purchased the most beautiful burgundy dress! Each shop was uniquely stylish.
See the Murals
While walking the streets and shopping, you’ll come across fun murals scattered throughout the city. This particular mural was located around the corner from Kittenish and was painted by @KelseyMontagueArt. We did the proper touristy thing and took some photos in front of this masterpiece. Make sure you leave some time in your schedule to grab photos of the different murals you’ll come across.
Venture to Franklin, TN
If you have the means to drive or be transported to Franklin, I highly recommend it! This bougie town has the cutest downtown shops and tasty restaurants like Biscuit Love, which is situated in a renovated home.
Walking down these streets, you’ll likely hear some folksy music, spot some cowgirl boots, and be tempted to spend even more money. Nashville is home to some of the cutest shops, so try not to feel guilty about wanting to buy everything in sight!
Bar Hop on Broadway
And finally, the reason so many people visit Nashville is to partake in the country drinking scene. Whether you like to drink or not, it’s still worth it to head to Nashville’s most popular street, Broadway. This street is lined with bars and restaurants, all of which have a live band playing. These are the perfect spots to dust off your cowboy boots and soak in the country atmosphere. Even though I’m not a huge country fan, it was still fun to absorb the lively atmosphere and sing along with the live artists.
You can get a drink or two at each bar before hopping to the next. Trust me; you will want to check out a variety of bars so you can hear the different bands. Each bar’s vibe was a bit different from the next. We chose how much time we wanted to spend at each, depending on how much we liked the atmosphere and band. This is a great way to spend your nights in Nashville in December!
Our extended weekend in Nashville in December was the perfect amount of time to soak in the country scene.
If you’re heading to Nashville in December or any time soon, make sure you do not miss out on the activities I mentioned in this post. If you’ve been to Nashville before, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your best Nashville tips below!
