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With Spring just starting and all the wonderful things that come with it – warmer weather, flowers, baby animals and so on – it’s time to showcase some of the wonderful events Nashville has to offer during this time of year. While we may be known for our music and food scenes, we got a lot more to offer including art, gardens, culture, and sporting events.
Enjoying Spring in Nashville
Cheekwood in Bloom
The first thing I think of when I think of spring, besides warm weather, is flowers. When it comes to flowers, where else would be more appropriate than an art and garden expo? Cheekwood in Bloom events start today, March 22nd, starting with hyacinths, daffodils, and magnolias that eventually give way to iris, dogwoods, and viburnums. Tulips, however, will be this year’s main focus with over 100,000 tulips to see in Cheekwood’s gardens.
Ongoing activities at Cheekwood in Bloom include art activities for children, live music, and storytelling for children. Special events that take place on varying Saturdays include a visit from the Nashville Zoo, a puppeteer, and the Nashville Ballet.
Cherry Blossom Festival
We might not be anywhere close to Japan, but Nashville still knows how to celebrate Japanese culture. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival features traditional Japanese food, performances, and much more. The proceeds from the festival go towards planting 1,000 cherry trees – 100 each spring for 10 years. This year will commemorate the 6th year, or 600 cherry trees to date.
The Cherry Blossom Festival Walk kicks things off and begins and ends at the Public Square. Following the walk, there will be music and performances along with plenty of Japanese food trucks and vendors.
Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil
The Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil in Nashville is entering its 15th year. With boiled crawfish fresh from South Louisiana, Louisiana-style chicken & sausage jambalaya and gumbo, and red beans & rice with an all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink setting, how could you pass this up?
Earth Day Festival
The Earth Day Festival is an annual and free, family-friendly event with live entertainment. The event features exhibits and activities that are geared towards educating Nashvillians on protecting our environment. Nashville’s Mayor, Karl Dean, has a goal to make this the greenest city in the Southeast and this event only helps that goal become a reality.
Along with live entertainment, the farmer’s market and the Yazoo Beer Garden are also making appearances this year.
Iroquois Steeplechase
Every second Saturday in May, more than 25,000 people gather for the Iroquois Steeplechase. This annual tradition dates back to 1941. The only year that it did not take place was in 1945 due to World War II. Even the major flood that took place in 2010 immediately before the race didn’t keep Steeplechase from taking place.
Besides the actual race, Steeplechase is well-known for the tailgating and the fashion. Women wear ridiculously huge, over-the-top hats and pearls while men wear khakis and bow ties.
Have you ever been to Nashville? Which of these seems like the best Spring event? Anything else to suggest?
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All these events sound interesting, but the cherry blossom festival looks just absolutely spectacular, I would love to see it with my own eyes!!
My vote is definitely with the Crawfish bowl. Only in Ohio we call those little guys crawdads.
You had to do it, didn’t you? Wave those crayfish in front of my eyes – knowing good and well they are not available in Costa Rica. Awe, I am definitely CRAYving home now. And yes, the cherry blossoms are nice too.
Well, I’ve lived in Nashville since 1977 and I haven’t been to most of these events. It looks like I need to get out more because they look like a lot of fun. I think I like that Cherry Blossom Festival also Gabor. I love Japanese food!
It looks great and now I want more and more to try crawfish! (we don’t do that around here) and that looks like some cool activities!
For the cherry blossom it does look very nice too though I still really want to see it in Kyoto one day.
Oh My Gosh This post makes me miss home! I went to school in NC and I love CrawFish and they are few and far between here in Germany! We do have some amazing Cherry Blossoms here but the food I for sure miss! How fun I have never spent much time in Nashville but it looks amazing! Love your Blog and your stories! Thank you for sharing!
My favorite is without a doubt the Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil 😀 I’ve never been to Nashville and we’ve never visited this part of the United States. Maybe a nice idea for a next travel? 😉
Nashville seems like a great place to be in spring. I would love to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival – what a great tree planting initiative. And Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil – craving some crawfish right now!
The Crawfish Boil wins for me – just because, amazingly, I’ve never had them, and what better place to try them?! The cherry blossom festival looks beautiful as well. I love spring!
I would love to visit Nashville, it looks like a brilliant place. Liking the look of those crawfish too! 🙂
looks like you have plenty of fun things to do in spring in Nashville. The cherry blossom is lovely but those crayfish win for me. Yummmmmy!
Love the flowers, I feel spring in the air, here in Poland too so I’m happy. Life is much better with sunshine!
I am so glad that Spring is here – means I can get back out on the golf course! Tired of this long winter, though with all the ice and snow we have been having down here in AR and TN, it’s meant that we have had more time off work (at least when you work at a college anyway – sorry Ashley!).
Some great ideas here on things to do in Nashville! We are thinking about taking a trip over maybe in the next month so will definitely let you know when we do.
Mmm crawfish!! Yum! That is certainly one big perk to living down south. Loooove cherry blossoms, can’t wait to go back to UW and see them in the quad!
Oh man that crawfish broil sounds amazing! I’m hungry just thinking about it! I’m totally with you on being glad to see the back of winter! I love Spring time!
The more I read about Nashville the more I want to visit.
Do you find that writing about where you live makes you appreciate it more, or realise how much is going on where you are? X
Oooh I love those tulips! And a cherry blossom festival! I always make it a point every year now to try to make it out somewhere to see the cherry blossoms bloom – once in Brooklyn, once in my town (Mississauga) and once in Toronto. They usually bloom in early May for us so I’ll have to see where I end up going. Great events happening in Nashville!
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I love this post… there’s something special about writing posts on your home town. The Cherry Blossoms look spectacular, but my favourite must be the crayfish! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t remember what season I visited Nashville in – I think it was either fall or winter – but I don’t think I saw it at it’s best. I do like any city that can put on a good crawfish boil. And the cherry blossoms are beautiful!
The cherry blossom looks beautiful!
I willing to guess that the Steeplechase is a pretty big party. Those horse races are always great people-watching and tailgating affairs.
Yes Dave it definitely is! I hope to go and do a post about it 🙂
Girl, you had me at Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil! Yum!
I think that’s everyone’s favorite 🙂
What a beautiful of photos! Spring must be a great time to visit Nashville with so many events taking place!
A Cajun Crawfish Boil AND Cherry Blossoms?!! You have just sold me on visiting Nashville in the Spring. It seems like a feast for the senses.
And they are on the same day! It’s gonna be a good day 🙂
Oh, all these spring posts are making me forget that it’s only one degree outside! Bring on this lovely weather (and the cherry blossoms and crayfish)!
Great post Ashley! I’ve always wanted to visit Nashville but haven’t had the chance yet. Hopefully this year I’ll be able to make the trip! The crawfish boil looks right up my alley – so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
If y’all come this way before I leave, let me know and I’ll definitely show y’all around! 🙂
I know, it’s almost April and we had a blizzard yesterday (well, by Tennessee standards)
When I think Nashville I just think country music. I always love reading things new about places where I always thing its mainly about one thing and there is so much more to Nashville.
Nashville fools alot of people I think! 🙂
I love cherry blossoms – I definitely know it is spring when they start blooming in Vancouver. Crawfish Boil sounds right up my alley. Yum.
Wow, the flower photography in this post is striking! Well done!
#SundayTraveler
Those cherry blossoms are just spectacular …
I can’t wait to see some for myself 🙂
We have a Cherry Blossom Festival in DC and I can’t wait to go to it next weekend! That’s always my favorite part of Spring. Wish I lived closer to Nashville so I could go do some of these things with my husband. Thanks for sharing!
Stopping by from the Southern Girls facebook page.
I bet the one in DC is gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Oh what an awesome list! I want to do done traveling this spring. I’ve also got a couple vacation days left before August. If love to see the Cherry blossoms! I’m stoping by from the Southern Girl community on Facebook. I’m also a new follower through Facebook.
Thanks for stopping by Leslie! Hopefully you can see them and other fun things on your vacation days 🙂
Haven’t been to Nashville but would love to go some time. The ragin cajun crawfish boil and checking out the cherry blossoms would be on my list!
They are on the same day too – how convenient! 🙂
I’m so glad that I found your blog! I was browsing the Southern Girl Blogging FB page and came across your link! I’m in Atlanta, but we’ll be coming to Nashville next month! Gorgeous city!!
Ohh what do y’all have planned? Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
I would go for the crayfish boil!, anything with seafood and I am there!
I feel ya! Seems the crawfish boil has definitely won out 🙂
Love from Memphis! I hope to go to Steeplechase sometime
Cherry Blossoms!!! How pretty!!! I’ve been dying to see them in real life!
I know – they are gorgeous! 🙂
Looks like there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Nashville during the Spring, Ashley… one of my favourite times of the year, I think. The Iroquois Steeplechase event sounds a bit like Ascot on this side of the pond.
Im sure it´s not only during the spring..But I wouldn´t miss the cherry blossom festival if I were there…:) So pretty!
We’ve got a winner with the Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil. Cajun food rocks; so do crawfish. 🙂
Sign me up for the Crawfish broil!!! Yeeeaaaaa ha! We missed going to Nashville on our 5 weeks honeymoon in the USA – everytime I see things from you I kick myself for that.
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I haven’t been to the US but it’s on the cards, thank you for your post 🙂
Yay, your post made me even more in a ‘spring’ mood (Spring has also arrived in the Netherlands) Love the cherry blossom festival :)!
Lovely events!
I think I’d expecially like the Cherry Blossoms one.
Thanks Serena! 🙂
Awesome! I love cherry blossoms! That festival looks so cool. I bet its gorgeous.
I’m excited to go this year–it’ll be my first time 🙂
Love the pictures! Really give that spring feeling
Thanks so much Grietje! 🙂
You got me at Cherry Blossom, but then when you mentioned Crawfish my interest stepped up another peg being a seafood lover. Two things I would never have associated with Nashville. My bucket just grew!
Happy to help grow your bucket list 🙂
I absolutely love Nashville! I haven’t been since I was little but I loved it then and your post definitely makes me want to go back! Also I think Alex would go crazy for the crawfish festival.
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Lovely pictures, Ashley! I’m actually surprised there’s a cherry blossom festival there—would never have expected that from Nashville. But I guess that’s what makes travel so interesting 🙂