Out, About: Christmas celebrations for elves of all ages

This is an excerpt from the NashVillager newsletter, your human-powered daily guide to Nashville. Click here to subscribe.

The Instagram DMs between WNXP’s Marquis Munson and I are a sight to behold right now. Basically since Nov. 1, we’ve been exclusively sending each other every single holiday pop-up we spot (well, except for the pause to discuss Kendrick Lamar’s surprise album drop). We started a tradition last year of trying as wide a variety of the pop-ups as we could and reporting back in What Where When-sday.

While our annual list is still on the way (patience, people!), it did get me thinking about how much the Christmas cheer is devoted to drinking with your 20-and-30-something friends in this city. So, here’s some options for the whole fam:

Ice skating

• The Rink Above Broadway has returned to the Grand Hyatt Nashville this year. This rooftop skating experience features views of downtown during your skate, plus hot chocolate (including spiked options for the grownups) and other holiday treats. Tickets start at $10 a person ($15 on weekends), and reservations are strongly encouraged. You can make one here.
• The Nashville Predators’ Ford Ice Centers in both Antioch and Bellevue are offering holiday-themed public skates every day this month leading up to Christmas. (You can find the full calendar here.) Prices range from $5 to $14, depending on the day, time and location, and include complimentary hot chocolate. Plus, if you’ve got some skills to show off already, the Clarksville center is hosting the Elfin’ Awesome Ice Jam, a 3v3 cross ice tournament, on Dec. 20 — with both adult and youth sessions. (Find out more and register your team here.)
• While the Gaylord Opryland Resort gets a lot of attention for the lights inside, out back has a whole host of outdoor ice activities, including skating. The rink is open daily all month, from morning until at least 9 p.m. (You can see the day-specific times here, and make your reservation, for $24 per person.)

Pictures with Santa (and others)

• Bass Pro Shops may not be your first thought for your Christmas card photos, but if you’re going to wait in those long lines for Santa anyway, it’s a real plus that the cost at the end of this one is nothing. And as someone who has taken my nieces over the years, I will say Bass Pro Shops’ offerings are also a more fun distraction for toddlers and kids during the wait. (No offense to the velvet roped lines at the center of the mall.) You can make your free reservation here.
• Speaking of malls, basically all of ours have pictures with Santa: Opry Mills Mall, The Mall at Green Hills, Cool Springs Galleria, Governor’s Square Mall. Most photo packages are in the $35+ range.
• Maybe you’re more of a Krampus household. (Hello, Addams family, I’m honored you read the NashVillager!) In that case, this one-time photos with Krampus opportunity is for you. Honey Tree Meadery in East is hosting the event tomorrow from 12 to 5 p.m. ahead of The Nashville Krampus‘ 3rd annual Krampuslauf of East Nashville. Photos are $15 “per human.”

Lights

• What’s a lights list without a mention of Opryland? As I wrote in last year’s lights-specific NashVillager: “The Nashville resort is filled with literally millions of lights … It’s free to walk around inside, though you may need to purchase a ticket to an event (like the annual ICE! exhibit of holiday ice sculptures) for entry on some of the more packed days.” So, it’s free technically, but maybe, like, practice walking with confidence before arrival.
• Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is near the top of most local lights list for a reason. The grounds are especially gorgeous all lit up for the holidays. Plus, keeping warm with a seasonal, spiked beverage is always a nice touch. Tickets are typically at $20 for kids over the age of 2, and $26 for adults, but the late night lights option can save you a few bucks (and is a great way to pre-game those pop-up bars for the grownups).
• Zoolumination at the Nashville Zoo is one of the more unique options in the region. The “lights” are really more than 1,000 lit lanterns — all in different shapes, from dragons to cowboy boots. Tickets start at $21 for kids, $25 for adults, but there is an option (less than double the cost) for a pass that gets you in an unlimited number of times through the entirety of the lights, which end Feb. 9.
• There are also residential options galore — like 100+ more. You can check out my map from a few years ago for a loose guide. (Just please don’t rely on the times that were accurate at the time of creation.)