Everything Fun to Do in Nashville This March, from St. Patrick’s Day Parties to Elvis Fest

These are the must-hit festivals, openings, concerts, events, and other things to do this weekend in Nashville.

With a name like “Music City USA,” Nashville leaves no doubt about the quality of its concert venues, and even the singers at local karaoke bars could probably win any talent contest in less musical cities. That abundance of talent is matched by the staff and select at the city’s iconic dive bars to upscale cocktail lounges and crafty breweries, thrift shops filled with vintage clothing and instruments, fabulous coffee shops, and indie bookstores.

The culinary scene in Nashville is equally outrageous, with the must-get food that starts before visitors even leave the airport. The city’s most famous dish, Nashville hot chicken, is just a starting point, because the city has fantastic barbecue, burgers, pizza, biscuits, and even some pretty respectable seafood for a landlocked state. Whether you’re looking for a quintessential Nashville dining experience or the hottest restaurants new and old, you’re in luck.

And when it’s time to get out and about, Nashville has a plethora of options: go to a museum, have a drink on a rooftop, go jump in a lake, bust out of an escape room. Or you could just check out our March 2024 calendar for a little inspiration. Whatever you’re in the mood for, Nashville has you covered.

Tennessee Brew Works Cajun Shrimp Boil
Tennessee Brew Works Cajun Shrimp Boil | Photo courtesy of Tennessee Brew Works

Food & Drink Events in Nashville

March 2 and March 3
Pietown, Free
If you haven’t heard the news, there’s been a bit of a crawfish shortage in Louisiana thanks to severe drought conditions. Rather than pay much higher prices for mudbugs and put further stress on the population, Tennessee Brew Works has opted to convert its annual block party into a Cajun shrimp boil. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to purchase baskets of spicy shrimp with all the accouterments like corn, potatoes, and sausage, and there will again be two full days and nights of bands and beers.

March 3
East Nashville, $27.37
Dozens of Nashville’s favorite restaurants will gather in the Stadium Club at Nissan Stadium to ladle out samples of their best soups for a large crowd of hungry slurpers. A panel of celebrities and culinary experts will pick the winners along with a coveted People’s Choice award decided by attendees’ votes. The chefs get really competitive about this event, so expect them to bring their best bowls.

March 9
Franklin, $64.72 and up
Finally, a festival that addresses all of the major food groups. From boozy milkshakes to s’mores and anything you can think of to dip in chocolate, sweet tooths will be satisfied at this food and drink at The Factory at Franklin. Wine lovers can pick from bubbly sparklers and rosés along with craft beer and ciders for the non-oenophiles out there. An impressive array of American and international whiskeys will be on offer to pair with the chocolate treats, and gin and tequila also offer interesting complements to sweets.

March 16
Germantown, $25
In Nashville, Germantown seems like a surprising place to be Irish or at least pretend you’re Irish on St. Patrick’s. Von Elrod’s Beer Hall & Kitchen goes green for St. Paddy’s with emerald-dyed beers, drink specials, and music from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and aughts tribute party band Rubiks Groove. The party runs all day from 11 am until 8 pm, but you’ll need to buy tickets in advance or else you’ll find nothing at the end of the rainbow.

Nashville Symphony
Photo courtesy of Nashville Symphony

Arts & Entertainment Events in Nashville

March 8
East Nashville, $25
Bring some singles to tip the performers at this celebration of circus and burlesque acts. It will be a true variety show with burlesquers sexily teasing, pole dancers showing off their flexibility, and aerialists performing death-defying acts above the crowd. You can bet there will be fire and sword-swallowing involved, too, so maybe give it a miss if you’re timid or squeamish.

March 10
The Nations, Free
Celebrate International Women’s Day in the parking lot of Southern Grist as the brewery stages its third annual Women’s Day Market. More than 40 artisans and crafters will showcase their wares along with pop-up vintage boutiques and gift shops. Southern Grist plans some special beer releases to commemorate the occasion, and food will be available from their L by Lauter restaurant.

March 16
Germantown, Free
100 Taylor offers the chance for independent artists without a wide following to show off their talents alongside other local craftspeople to help develop a clientele. The space is more of a community than just a gallery with artists supporting one another and exhibiting side-by-side in displays all around the large gallery space. At March’s Arts Market, shoppers can also enjoy food trucks, free drinks, and live music as they browse the merch from 4 pm until 9 pm.

March 16
East Nashville, Free
As one of the newest chapters of the Irish Network USA, the Nashville branch is eager to share their love of all things Erse with the community. Mayor Freddie O’Connell will serve as the Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade as it winds its way around the Five Points neighborhood, and Celtic bands will be on hand to keep the mood merry.

March 16 and March 17
Demonbreun/Music Row, Free
Whenever St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday, there’s always a question about how hard you should party on the Lord’s day, not to mention the small detail of having to show up for work on Monday morning. Tin Roof on Demonbreun addresses that conundrum by stretching the holiday over Saturday and Sunday with a two-day party featuring seven DJs and three live bands on stage. If you’re worried about your favorite hoops teams, a huge outdoor screen will broadcast the final games of the SEC basketball tournament taking place a few blocks away at Bridgestone Arena, and there will be drink specials all weekend long. Problems solved.

March 16 and March 17
SoBro, $115 and up
What better way to celebrate St. Paddy’s than by watching a movie about a magical Colombian family and definitely not talking about Bruno? You’ll forget the date as Encanto rolls on a massive screen at Schermerhorn Symphony Hall behind the Nashville Symphony Orchestra as they perform the movie’s score under the baton of conductor Anthony Parnther.

March 21–March 24
Franklin, $49 and up
Of course Elvis is most closely associated with Memphis, but the King actually recorded more than 200 songs at RCA’s Studio B in Nashville, a facility built especially for him after signing with the label so he wouldn't have to travel to California to record. That sort of connection with Music City is one of the big reasons that the Nashville Elvis Festival is so special. The four-day event features panel discussions, movie screenings, meet-n-greets, and live music all weekend including the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest.

Fall Out Boy live
Fall Out Boy live | C Flanigan/imageSPACE/Shutterstock

Live Music in Nashville

March 1
Elliston Place, $21.55
For more than a decade, Deep Fried Five has been bringing their brand of soul music to Music City, and when they pack the stage at the cozy and venerable Exit/In with horns, a pumpin’ rhythm section, and multiple vocalists, you know it’ll be a funky good time. Local hip hop all-star Remsteele will open the show.

March 15
SoBro, $21.41 and up
How good are the musicians in Music City? Sixwire is a band you may have never heard of unless you attend Nashville Predators hockey games where three members of the band entertain crowds between periods as the “Small Time Rock Stars,” but this group of long-time ace musicians has played on countless hit records and served as the house band at major sporting events like the Daytona 500, NFL Draft, NHL All-Star Game, and multiple Super Bowls. The chance to catch their virtuosity in an intimate venue like 3rd & Lindsley should be a treat.

March 30 and March 31
Germantown, $52.35
Lest you think Nashville stages only showcase country and rock and country/rock bands, let the weekend residency of dark cabaret legends Dresden Dolls disabuse you of that notion. It’s liable to get a little delightfully goth at these performances at Brooklyn Bowl where the percussive sound of dropping pins will act as a delightfully dissonant backdrop to the duo’s brand of introspective punk theatrics.

March 31
Downtown, $52 and up
Chicago-based pop/punk band Fall Out Boy brings their traveling show to the big stage at the Bridgestone Arena where tabloid fodder and bass player Pete Wentz will join frontman Patrick Stump to run through almost two decades of hits. Listen closely to Wentz’s lyrics to discover the wry sense of humor behind the power of the band’s groove. Jimmy Eat World is the main supporting act and might be worth the price of admission by themselves.

Nashville Soccer Club
Photo courtesy of Nashville Soccer Club

Sporting Events in Nashville

March 2
East Nashville, $60 and up
Because Nashville is a river city, it can be a tough place to go for a long run. Most of the main roads around downtown lead down to the river, so it’s a tough uphill slog back to your starting point. The Tom King Classic alleviates most of the elevation change by running the majority of the route on the retired Cornelia Fort airfield to ensure that the terrain is flat enough to land a plane on. If you’re in for the whole half marathon, you’ll have to venture a lot further, but luckily the extension runs alongside the river where it’s still pretty level.

March 3
Downtown, $225 and up
Since the Predators are in the middle of a homestand, the players will be able to join attendees at the tables as part of this fundraiser for the hockey team’s charitable foundation that supports many non-profits around the region. Play cards with the captain, throw dice with a defenseman, or gamble with a goalie while enjoying an open bar and food from local restaurants on top of the ice at Bridgestone Arena.

March 8 and March 9
East Nashville, $79.99 and up
The home of the Titans will be converted into a unique over-the-top golf course with elevated tee boxes set up in the upper deck of Nissan Stadium allowing for shots to temporary greens set up on the field far below. Fortunately, organizers have done the math to figure out the equivalent yardage so that you don’t have to cipher while you enjoy food and beverages as you swing away. Thanks to the elevation, you shouldn’t need any long irons, and definitely leave the woods at home unless you want to accidentally jack one into the Cumberland River.

March 10
Fairgrounds, $29.75 and up
There’s no doubting the talent of your local MLS soccer team, although the team has been struggling a little bit lately to figure out its identity. It’s been more than a year since the Boys in Gold have faced off against the LA Galaxy, but SC acquired former Galaxy forward Tyler Boyd to help lead the attack, so you can imagine emotions will be high. As a bonus, fans can ride WeGo public buses for free to this and every weekend home game this season.

March 13–March 17
Downtown, $23.05 and up
Fans of all fourteen men’s basketball teams in the Southeastern Conference will descend on downtown Nashville for the annual conference tournament. Even those whose teams lose early on will probably stick around to party on Lower Broad and watch the games in the honky tonks, and that just means that locals might be able to score cheap tickets to watch the semis and finals. Whether you’ve got a horse in the race or not, the atmosphere surrounding Bridgestone is always electric during Tourney Week.

March 23
Downtown, $120 and up
Twenty-five years ago when the Nashville Predators started out as an NHL expansion team, many local fans didn’t know the difference between a backcheck and a forecheck, and some still don’t. A big part of the initial audiences was made out of Detroit transplants who had moved to town to work in the local auto industry, and they were secret Red Wings fans that would pull their red jerseys out whenever the Motor City team visited Nashville. Some wags referred to them as “Pred Wings fans,” but now they’re just another team in the way to Nashville’s road to the playoffs. Wear your gold, cheer your head off, and help to send those Red Wings fans home unhappy.

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Chris Chamberlain is a food, drink, and travel writer based out of his hometown of Nashville. Find him on Twitter @CeeElCee