The vacation suitcases are packed away. The commute is just a little bit more crowded. The kids are decidedly more grumpy since they have to, you know, get up in the morning now.
School’s back in session (say it with us now…“It’s too early!”), so summer’s over, right?
Not so fast, fellow Tennesseans. While the days might be a little more programmed and the schedules less flexible, there’s still plenty of summer season activities to be pursued.
Any number of memes, along with a realistic look at the weather, tell us that summer in the Volunteer State extends well past the mid-September calendar expiration date.
So let’s come up with a few things to look forward to on the random afternoon and weekend opportunities in front of us in the summertime home stretch, shall we? Let’s call them Dog Days Destinations.
When the kiddie pool isn’t enough
Even though the weekdays are far more spoken for right now, there’s still the pull of splashing around water that calls to us as summer starts to cycle out.
Water parks and attractions start to operate primarily on the weekends starting now, as many rely on high school- and college-aged workforces that aren’t as available once the school year starts back up.
Still, places like Nashville Shores (nashvilleshores.com/waterpark) and Wave Country (www.nashville.gov/departments/parks/water-activities/wave-country) in Middle Tennessee, NOOGASplash (noogasplash.com) in Hixson or SOAKya Water Park (lakewinnie.com/chattanooga-water-park) near Chattanooga, and a plethora of indoor and outdoor options in the Smokies give families opportunities to cool off in the waning summer heat.
For those looking for a bit more of an upscale aquatic opportunity, SoundWaves at the Opryland Hotel offers a little bit of something for everyone with more than 100,000 square feet of water-based attractions and activities. The experience can get a little pricy, with an overnight stay the only way to guarantee access, but Tennessee residents can get a reduced rate package.
First down, a season to go…
For a good chunk of the Tennessee populace, a time will come, very soon, when crisp morning air will hit them in the face and they think, “Oh, yeah…football weather.”
And then the heat and humidity sweeps back in and they remember we’re still in the thick of summer.
But that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t look ahead to the return to the gridiron, all across the state. Entire weekends will be planned around watching the pigskin fly, be it on the high school, collegiate or professional levels.
It’s a period of transition for the two upper reaches of the football landscape, what with the realignment of the SEC (welcome to the big time, Texas and Oklahoma) and slow rise of the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium, which isn’t scheduled to open until the 2027 season (fingers crossed).
Site work has been underway since groundbreaking in February, but now is when we start to see how football season life functions with far more construction and far less parking around the current Nissan Stadium.
Reality kicks in starting this weekend with the first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers happening Saturday night, followed by next week’s outing versus the Seattle Seahawks. The regular season gets underway in Nashville on Sept. 15 against the New York Jets, then the Green Bay Packers come to town Sept. 22. The Titans have their first AFC South tilt when the Indianapolis Colts arrive Oct. 13.
Our suggestion, whether you’re a longtime Titans attendee or only make it to a game every few years? Patience. Nashville’s construction disruption will hit the stadium area hard for the next few years, so make alternative plans. Leave a little earlier, avail yourself of some ride-share options, or take a gander at WeGo’s public transit options
Game days are a whole lot more fun if you’re not missing kickoff sitting in traffic.
Fair done excellently
County and state fairs might seem like a relic, but they still serve a purpose, especially in agribusiness-focused states such as Tennessee.
The Tennessee State Fair has had its share of ups and downs over the years, starting its current iteration in 1906 and having success as a major cultural event for the state for decades until other entertainment options emerged in Nashville in the later part of the 20th century. The city’s growth squeezed the Fairgrounds into a lack of space for growing and maintaining the fair.
Meanwhile, the Wilson County Fair in Lebanon had exploded in popularity in the 2000s, so the fairs were merged in 2021 to create a 10-day event that celebrates the modern-day aspects of agriculture and community, competitions such as baking, horticulture and livestock showing, as well as midway rides and games. Plus, who doesn’t love a good tractor pull or monster truck show?
The combined fair runs Aug. 15-24, with general admission for adults $15, children ages 6-12 $6, and children 5 and under free. The fair opens Monday through Friday at 5 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Sunday at noon. Information/schedule
Outdoor music still abounds
June may get the lion’s share of national attention when it comes to Tennessee-based music festivals with the annual double-shot of Bonnaroo and CMA Music Festival, but summer closes out with a few musical gatherings worth planning a trip around.
Franklin’s Pilgrimage Music Festival technically takes place in the earliest days of fall, but late September can often feel like its smack dab in the thick of the summer. This year’s fest, the 10th anniversary of the gathering, features arena- and stadium-level headliners both nights: Dave Matthews Band and Hozier Saturday, Sept. 28 and Noah Kahan and NEEDTOBREATHE Sunday, Sept. 29.
Other notable acts include Trombone Shorty, Lukas Nelson and Band of Heathens Saturday night, and Coin, The Cadillac Three and big buzz newcomer Grace Bowers Sunday. One- and two-day tickets are still available.
Speaking of big buzz (and controlled echoes), Grundy County’s The Caverns has become a go-to destination for those in search of the combo platter of natural wonders and great live music. The Pelham location sits in a sweet spot of an hour from Chattanooga, 1.5 hours from Nashville and three hours (give or take) from Knoxville, so the mix of caves to explore and above- and below-ground music to experience makes for a natural trip plan.
The Caverns hosts two multiday music fests in the coming months: the Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival, Aug. 17-18, features a lineup including John McEuen & The Circle Band, Blue Highway, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and more inside the caves to beat the heat, and then the Americana-focused CaveFest, Oct. 11-13, with artists including Railroad Earth, The Travelin’ McCourys, Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn and more.
Camping add-ons are available for both events, and tickets for the festivals and The Caverns’ vibrant lineup of other single-night shows are available.
The road less traveled
Sometimes you want to get away for no real reason, no event tied to it, no set destination…just an exploration of the state or region you call home.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development recognized that more than a decade and a half ago, and set out identifying and grouping areas into cohesive themes. Thus, the Tennessee Trails & Byways program was born.
A total of 16 self-guided driving routes were established throughout the state’s 95 counties, giving site-seekers the opportunity to, as the program’s website puts it, “discover places you never knew you’ve always wanted to visit.”
Three of the trails carve their way specifically into the middle section of the state:
• The Jack Trail, noted for its Civil War sites, small towns that generated musical legends and its namesake, Lynchburg’s Jack Daniel Distillery
• The Pie In The Sky trail, bringing together great hiking, natural landmarks like Cumberland Caverns, and a litany of Chattanooga sites
• The Promised Land trail, using I-40 as a rough guide to small town sites such as Rock Island and Cedars of Lebanon state parks, Watertown and many other points heading east from Nashville.
Check out the entirety of the state’s 16 theme-within-a-theme trips at www.tntrailsandbyways.com.