November 14, 2023

Top Hotel For Winter Activities Near Nashville

There’s never a bad time to escape to Music Cityhere at The Union Station Nashville Yards, where you get to combine historic—and resplendent—accommodations with impeccable on-site wining and dining, note-perfect amenities, and an auspicious location for soaking up the very best of Nashville, Tennessee.

That includes during the wintertime stretch of the calendar, which comes jam-packed with seasonal activities and special events—not least holiday festivities—for which our luxury boutique Marriott Autograph Collection hotel provides exceptional lodgings.

Here are some ideas for things to do this winter while calling the stunning historical landmark and peerless hospitality haven of The Union Station Nashville Yards your home base on Broadway!

Holiday Popup at The Union Station Nashville Yards

We’ve got our very own special happening down here at our Music City hotel this season: our holiday popup bar 9¾ at The Union Station Nashville Yards.

Taking its inspiration from a magical world this festive watering hole will feature special themed cocktails and delicious small plates.

The 9¾ at The Union Station Nashville Yards holiday popup bar will be casting its irresistible spell all throughout November and December, underway 1 to 10 PM Sundays through Thursdays and from 1 to 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Come join us, and make it a full holiday experience with a stay in one of our bespoke Marriott Autograph Collection rooms or suites!

Holiday Festivals & Displays in Nashville, TN

There are too many special holiday events and installations on offer in Nashville to do any kind of comprehensive coverage, but the following three examples should whet your appetite for a wintertime escape to The Union Station!

Zooillumination at The Nashville Zoo

Beginning November 17th and running until February 4th, the Nashville Zoo will be presenting its Chinese Festival of Lights, Zooillumination, the country’s biggest Chinese lantern festival. Prepare to be blown away by the fantastical custom-crafted silk lantern creations that anchor this wonderful event.

The festival will also feature nightly live entertainment (6, 7, and 8 PM) in the Amphitheater courtesy of Chinese acrobats and other performers, unique evening animal viewing (Sumatran tigers, flamingos, and the critters of the Unseen New World building), Santa meet-and-greets November 24th through December 24th, and lots of cheery food and drink, including hot cocoa, specialty cocktails, and cider.

Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS

Over at the historic Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, meanwhile, you’ll find the annual Holiday LIGHTS on display each evening from 5 to 10 PM from November 18th through January 7th. A one-mile walking path weaves its way through installations featuring more than a million lights.

There’ll also be a Holiday Marketplace with ornaments, toys, and other gifts for sale going down in the Frist Learning Center Great Hall, plus hot cocoa, spirits, and s’more-making stations on offer. Within the Cheekwood mansion, you can admire a 20-foot-tall poinsettia tree as well as other sumptuous holiday décor.

New Year’s Eve in Music City: Nashville’s Big Bash

Music City, USA marks the end of the year with one heck of a blowout party: the nationally known Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash. This free celebration will be featuring, per usual, some top-tier headliners, including Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, with the plunge of the Music Note Drop and spectacular fireworks to mark midnight.

Holiday Concerts & Performances

The New Year’s Eve artists taking the main stage at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park for Nashville’s Big Bash are far from the only holiday performances you can enjoy on a Union Station Nashville Yards stay this festive season. Here’s a not-at-all-exhaustive survey of some of the other shows you can take in!

Grand Ole Opry House: Opry Country Christmas Show

Consider the Grand Ole Opry House’s Opry Country Christmas, featuring a whole slew of performers from November 26th through December 18th.

Nashville Symphony Holiday Performances

The Nashville Symphony has plenty of diverse holiday programs on tap at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center: everything from Home Alone in Concert (December 1st through the 3rd) and The Holidays With Boyz II Men (December 5th and 6th) to Handel’s Messiah featuring the Nashville Symphony Chorus (December 15th through the 17th).

Onstage at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center This Holiday Season

Over at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, you can take in some full-on seasonal classics courtesy of Artistic Director Micah-Shane Brewer’s new production of A Christmas Carol (December 1st through the 12th in the James K. Polk Theater) and Nashville’s Nutcracker by the Nashville Ballet (December 8th through the 24th in Andrew Jackson Hall), which’ll showcase original choreography by Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Wasterling as well as accompanying live music by the Nashville Symphony.

The Ryman: Christmas Tunes to Year’s End With Old Crow Medicine Show

At the Ryman Auditorium, soak up some yuletide vibes via Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Christmas on December 10th or the beloved Amy Grant and Vince Gill’s Christmas at the Ryman December 13th through the 23rd—or maybe celebrate the New Year with Old Crow Medicine Show’s little holiday mini-residency December 30th and 31st!

Post-Holidays Winter Delights in Nashville

Of course, Nashville’s calendar of live music and other entertainment continues full steam ahead on the other side of the holiday season. Some high-profile musicals are coming to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in the new year, for instance—The Cher Show January 19th and 20th and Girl From the North Country, soundtracked by Bob Dylan’s songs, from January 30th through February 4th—as well as big-name comedians: Tom Para on his Good Stuff Tour on January 13th, Ron White on January 26th.

The Nashville Symphony kicks off 2024 with a filled calendar, including visiting luminaries such as Kristin Chenoweth (January 20th through the 21st), Patti LaBelle (February 8th through the 10th), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (February 25th), and Yo-Yo Ma (February 27th), and a special Lunar New Year With the Nashville Symphony performance celebrating the Year of the Dragon on February 7th.

Especially if you’re taking advantage of The Union Station Nashville Yards for a wintertime family vacation, you might be interested in some historically themed fun over at the Andrew Jackson Hermitage, which’ll be throwing a Winter Frolic on Saturday, January 6th. Modeled after President Andrew Jackson’s 1835 White House Christmas Frolic, this event will feature various period games and activities as well as a capping-off Yule Log Ceremony—plus cocktails and mocktails!—against the backdrop of Jackson’s 19th-century estate.

And looking farther out, foodies have a heyday in Music City all of February 2024 thanks to the monthlong Dine Nashville, which’ll feature dining discounts across town, collaborative chef experiences, and the culinary extravaganza of Nashville Restaurant Week.

Plan a Winter Idyll at The Union Station Nashville Yards

You won’t find a better place to experience the varied joys of a Nashville winter than The Union Station Nashville Yards! Savor the best in Nashville Yards hospitality via one of our guest rooms or suites, settle in for primo on-site dining at our Stationairy restaurant or ERGO lobby lounge, and take advantage of our strategic location on Broadway within easy reach of Midtown, Music Row, The Gulch, and other top Music City districts. We’re also a great choice for winter weddings, meetings, and other special events!

Whether you’re joining us for part of the holiday stretch or looking to beat the midwinter blues with a luxury pampered getaway, book your Marriott Autograph Collection guest room or suite at The Union Station Nashville Yards today!