Guide to Halloween
Nashville sure does holidays right. Never ones to miss an excuse for a party or a theme, we love to celebrate!
But, if a Midtown or Broadway bar crawl sounds scarier than the holiday itself, here a few Xennial-approved activities. And by a few, I mean a lot because again – Nashville loves to celebrate!
Pre-Halloween Festivities:
Leading up to the big day, there are SO MANY spooky activities to enjoy. Here are a few:
Movie Nights
October is a GREAT month for movie nights at breweries. A few showing all of our classic favorites are: Diskin, Fait la Force, and Tailgate. Check their socials for details. Assembly Food Hall also has some upcoming movie nights, including showing Ghostbusters on Halloween night (and some Halloween trivia nights)!
And, if you want to delve a little scarier, the Belcourt has a great lineup of vampire movies showing all month long.
Spooky Pop-Up Bars
We love a themed pop-up! All of these are great options to get you in the Halloween spirit:
- BeetleBar (Beetlejuice)- Dream Hotel
- Hocus Pocus Bar – TENN bar at Holston House
- Hawkins Arcade (Stranger Things) – HQ Beercade
- Apotheca – Sidebar
Cocktail Classes and Themed Dinners
- The Spirit of Halloween – Hathorne, October 25. This cocktail class from Hathorne’s celebrated beverage director Hayley Teague will feature four cocktails, small bites, and a lot of fun.
- Dorsia Pop-Up – Ellington’s, October 27-30. This American Psycho themed dinner and a show offers three courses and a cocktail. Seatings are limited, so get your tickets soon!
- I Love the 80s to Death: A Murder Mystery Dinner – Commons Club at the Virgin Hotel, October 28. A three course meal and entertainment – in very Gen X style!
- Corks and Candies: Halloween Candy and Wine Pairing – City Winery, October 28. I don’t know what I could say about this that would make it more appealing than the title already does. Sign me up!
Haunted Stories and Tours
- Profs and Pints – Fait La Force Brewing, October 19 and 26. I LOVE the concept of Profs and Pints – hear a college lecture on a super interesting topic, drink some beer, have intellectual conversation. Perfection. Topics this month are Poe’s Mastery of Horror (Oct 19) and A Night with Horror Slasher’s (Oct 26). Tickets required.
- Ghost Tours at the Hermitage – explore the spooky side of Andrew Jackson’s home throughout the month of October.
- Spirit Legends Tour – Two Rivers Mansion, various dates. Tour the house and hear a discussion of the paranormal.
This family-friendly event always sells out quickly, so make your plans soon to visit the Adventure Park and play on some LED-lit ropes courses and zip lines while listening to some spooky tunes.
Festivals and Pumpkins
- Pumpkin Painting and Carving – Monday Night Preservation Co., October 16. Ge there early to grab a pumpkin, and then stay for the ML Rose burger, DJ, and of course, delicious beer!
- Spooky Ghoul Fest – Vinyl Tap, October 22. Bring your pets to this one, as they have costume contests for adults, kids, and furry friends! Food trucks, live music, vendors – oh my!
- Paint a Pumpkin – New Heights Brewing, October 26. This one’s for the girls. Join Girls Pint Out for a fun night of painting pumpkins and some of my favorite beer in Nash!
- Spooky Stroll – Sandbar, October 28. Dog treats, kid treats, adult treats! And, even though this is a free event, you get a t-shirt with a drink purchase!
- Pumpkins on the Patio – Diskin, October 29. Another to bring your pup! Dog costume contest, so many ciders, and photo ops. It’s BYOP(umpkin) with paint supplies provided.
- All Hallows East – Five Points, October 29. Party all day with activities for the whole family! Kids 12 and under are free.
- 37th Annual PumpkinFest – Downtown Franklin, October 29. Franklin does seasonal festivals like no other. Bring the kids, bring the pups, and browse the food, art, and craft vendors. And, stop by the whiskey lounge!
- Fall Fest – Southern Grist: the Nations, October 29. Live music, local artisans, and activities for the kids – and, of course, beer! It’s everything you could want in a fall festival. And, while you’re dressed up, head down the road to Czann’s for some discounts to costumed guests!
The Main Events
Halloween is on a Monday, but the parties start on Thursday and run the whole weekend, with most going down on Saturday!
Thursday, Oct. 27
Up-Down. Kick off the weekend with Up-Down’s monthly 80’s dance party! Be sure to wear your most tubular costume and get ready to bust a groove.
Friday, Oct. 28
Mixtape’s Annual Halloween Show
Hop Springs Beer Park, Murfreesboro. If you’re out in the burbs or just don’t want to deal with Nashville traffic, Mixtape’s show might be a great option. The 80s tribute band will rock the house, but tickets sell out every year so get yours now!
Saturday, Oct. 29
W Nashville. As far as I know, this is the only Halloween party in Nashville with acrobats! It seems like it might skew young, but the ticket cost ($50) may help keep it from getting too rowdy.
Halloween Party ft: Mama Jen’s Blues
The Rudder at Anchor High Marina. Hang out on the lake and hear my friend Jen sing the blues! Cash prizes for costume winners!
Rubik’s Groove Halloween Extravaganza
3rd and Lindsley. Y’all, I did this last year and it was SO FUN!!!! Rubik’s Groove is the best 80s, 90s, and 00s cover band, and they are a whole show, complete with themes and costumes (even when it’s now Halloween!) The theme of this year’s show is Stranger Things.
Eastside Bowl. Keeping with the concert experience option, My So-Called Band is playing all the 90s hits all night long. I also saw this band recently, and it was a great set and a great (age-appropriate!) crowd.
Lakeside Lounge. If a chill dive bar night is more your thing, check out Lakeside Lounge’s free party! Themed costumes encouraged.
Fait la Force Brewing. I’m a big fan of breweries not only because I like beer, but because I like the more chill crowd they draw. This party at Fait la Force combines good beer, a very cool ambiance, DJs, and slasher films!
Jackalope Brewing. With a prize for the least sexy costume, I am sure there will be some really creative looks at this party. This party promises lots of “really, really strange things”, and I’m definitely the cat that curiosity killed. Consider me intrigued!
Living Waters Upside Down Metal Day
Living Waters. Living Waters loves to combine things – coffee and beer. Stranger Things and Heavy Metal/80s music. This all day party starts at 8 am and carries on until close. Follow their socials for more details as the day approaches!
Kingsbluff Brew. Should you find yourself in Clarksville for spooky weekend, here’s one more brewery party to check out. Kingsbluff is often at Nashville events, so check out their flagship, find your favorite beer, and then look for them around town.
Captain Cavejam’s Underground Halloween Disco
The Caverns. Sure, this is a bit of a drive from Nashville…but I can think of nothing more eerily Halloween (in the BEST way!) than to celebrate in a cave! Bring your dancing shoes for a 70s/80s/90s party, and maybe make a weekend of it by doing a “Stay & Cave Package”, which includes lodging and transportation, or camping on the grounds. You can add on a spooky cave tour or scary movie showing, as well!
Sunday
Rarebird. A bougie rooftop option, Rarebird at the top of the Noelle will make for some great photo ops with the Nashville skyline as your costume’s backdrop.
Monday
Up/Down. Your inner goth/punk was made for this night. Break out the eyeliner and join the fun!
Motown Monday Halloween Dance Party
The 5 Spot. The 5 Spot celebrates Motown Monday every Monday, honoring the music of the 50s and 60s. This week will have a Halloween twist, and I can only hope they’ll play Monster Mash on repeat!
Where are you headed this Halloween? Did I miss your party, or one that you think Xennials would enjoy? Leave us a tip below, and happy Halloween!
XO,
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