September

The Belle Meade Plantation (www.bellemeadeplantation.com) hosts its biggest fundraising event of the year, Fall Fest, every September. The two-day festival features antiques, arts and crafts, live music, and children’s activities.

Nashville’s annual Greek Festival (615/333-1047) is hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Nashville residents flock here for homemade Greek food and entertainment, which includes dancing and tours of the historic cathedral.

The John Merritt Classic (www.merrittclassic.com) held over Labor Day starts with fashion shows and concerts and culminates with a football contest between the Tennessee State University Tigers and another historically black collegiate football team. The annual showdown is named for legendary former TSU football coach John Ayers Merritt.

The Music City Jazz and Blues Festival (JAMS) (www.nbl4u.com) over Labor Day is a two-day festival featuring jazz, blues, soul, R&B, and reggae performers. It is held at Riverfront Park along the Cumberland.

October

The Southern Festival of Books is held during the second full weekend of October on Legislative Plaza in downtown Nashville. Featuring book readings, autograph sessions, and discussions, the festival is a must for book lovers. It has activities for children, too. The festival is organized by Humanities Tennessee (www.tn-humanities.org).

Oktoberfest (www.nashvilleoktoberfest.com) is a Nashville tradition. Held in historic Germantown north of the Bicentennial Mall, this weekend festival is enhanced by its setting in what was once Nashville’s German enclave. The events include a walk-run, church services, and a street fair with German music, food, and other entertainment. Oktoberfest usually takes place in mid-October.

Vanderbilt’s Scarritt-Bennett Center hosts the Celebration of Cultures (www.celebrationofcultures.org) every October in Centennial Park. This international festival features food and music from around the world.

November

Beginning in November and continuing through the new year, several Nashville institutions put up special holiday decorations. Belmont University, Travellers Rest Plantation and Belle Meade all celebrate the holiday season with special decorative flair.

© Susanna Henighan Potter from Moon Tennessee, 5th Edition