10 Things to Do in Nashville in April

Winter is a cold time in Nashville, so in April, when spring brings back the warm days and clear skies, the city prepares for the music festivals and concerts as well as the outdoor events that make Tennessee's capital one of the busiest places in the southern United States.

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

The Rock and Roll Marathon is one of Nashville's busiest and most 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 the event consists of a marathon, a half-marathon and a 5-kilometre 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 Tennessee capital's sporting profile 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 until the early hours of the morning and is one of the best things to do at night in Nashville if you're in town in April.

Details of interest

• Price... Registration for the race has an initial 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 home in Nashville, which was later converted into a museum and can now be visited 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 country's union should be preserved, a statement of principle that came to prominence years later during the Civil War, when Tennessee supported the Confederate States in defiance of Jackson's words. That political act, 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 transportation, meals and skip-the-line admission to the house, which is among Nashville's finest museums. Each month in April, there are also theatrical re-enactments of the Union Speech and a tribute to the most iconic politician in the city's history.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the residence hall with the guided tour costs approximately 50 euros initially.
• When... In April you can attend the Union Speech celebrations.
• Where... 4580 Rachels Ln, Hermitage.

Gaylord Opryland Resort is a convention centre surrounded by 3 hectares 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 in.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort is also home to 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 walking trails are available in April.

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

Interesting details

• 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 one of the city's traditional events held each year during the second month of spring. 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're a film buff because it offers expert panels, musical performances, parties and receptions featuring the stars, but it 's also a good plan if you just want to have fun with a good show, as the festival calendar includes ten days of film screenings with venues open to the general public.

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

Details of interest

• Price... A 2-day ticket for the screening series 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 come together in the capital of Tennessee to experience 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 for a week and you can buy special passes to see the runway shows or attend the handbag, jewellery and shoe exhibitions.

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 a major event on the global calendar and one of the last of the fashion show season, which opens each year in January.

Details of interest

• Price... Individual tickets for the catwalk shows start at approximately 28 euros per person.
• When... Every year in April.
• Where... 528 Rundle Ave, Nashville.

The Rites of Spring Festival is an annual April event hosted by Vanderbilt University students and brings together the best local and Tennessee artists each year 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 trucks and booths, 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 buy tickets in advance online as soon as they go on sale as they tend to sell out quickly, especially as most of the attendees are students or alumni of the university. Please note that you must be over 21 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 largest and most important museums and among its attractions is the Tennessee Time Tunnel, a permanent exhibit that spans the geological eras to the present, through the Civil War, the rebuilding of the city and Tennessee's contributions to the United States in a 13,000-year look back at the events of the American South.

In April, the museum also hosts the annual History Fair, a 2-day event featuring a display of local history by Belmont University students and high school students. 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, so it's a great plan if you're planning on touring Nashville with children. In any case, if you're in town in April, you can visit 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 for two days.
• Where... 1000 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville.

Bluebird Café is a small lounge but it's also one of Nashville's most recognisable venues because it's where aspiring professional musicians come every year to be discovered by producers at the annual talent fair s held in April.

If you're planning to visit Nashville in April, you too can come to this little café to be one of the 90 people watching emerging artists perform nightly on the stage once graced 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, but it's in April that the small stage vibrates with the talent of up-and-coming stars.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the bar is free, you only pay for what you consume.
• When... The talent fair is organised every year during the evenings in 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. Here you'll find giraffes, tigers, kangaroos, an aviary and many other animals.

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

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

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the zoo costs 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 catch 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're in town, although be aware that many of the tickets are sold in annual passes so tickets for the general public are limited.

Details of interest

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

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

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

Nashville's peak season starts in May, so April is relatively low compared to the summer or other months of the year in the city, which is ideal for you to explore 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 accommodation and some tours.

April is part of the low season, so prices are affordable, especially for accommodation and some tours. If you're planning a budget trip during the spring, Nashville offers low costs and pleasant weather.

You can also get better discounts by booking tours in advance online.

During the spring Nashville offers pleasant weather but rainy weather is also common so I recommend packing the following:

• Lightweight coats
• Waterproof boots
• Waterproof and tactile gloves
• Wool jumpers
• Lightweight trousers
• Thermal T-shirts
• Rain jacket
• Comfortable footwear