This is an excerpt from the NashVillager newsletter, your human-powered daily guide to Nashville. Click here to subscribe.
Halloween is on a Thursday this year — boo (and not the fun kind)!
But that means many of us are planning to get all dressed up this weekend. Here in Nashville, the ways to celebrate pretty much fall into three buckets:
Those who love the horror.
The Nashville Horror Film Festival is happening this weekend. If this is your speed, go out and support this first annual — for free! — at New Heights Brewing this Saturday night.
In addition to the horror movies, there will be vendors, food trucks, and a costume contest. And your hosts are the folks behind “True Horror with Wolf and A Mummy,” a bi-weekly podcast covering horror and true crime.
In a similar vein, there are at least two ways to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show this season. In Clarksville, the Roxy Regional Theatre is once again hosting it on many nights this month. And in Nashville, The Belcourt Theatre has four showings next week — the one on Halloween night is already sold out. But if you miss your chance there, the theater is also doing its whole Shocktober series of scary movies this month.
Those whose choice treat is a cocktail.
If you just want to drink while dressed up, there are many pop-up bars.
There’s the Sandworm (a la Beetlejuice) at Hidden Bar in the Noelle downtown. The Bode has once again transformed to Apotheca that, like an apothecary, is all about potions and elixirs. The Raven’s Nest is a pretty goth option at Bar TENN in Holston House, including a tarot card reader. Schulman’s in East is doing an immersive takeover themed around the movie, Halloween. And Queer Dance Party’s back at Basement East Halloween night with Boo!DP.
Meanwhile, for the wholesome side of the holiday, Dream in downtown has gone with a “It’s fall, y’all” theme, where you can expect hay bales, pumpkins and flannel blankets. And Honey Tree Meadery is doing a Studio Ghibli takeover, which is big news for others like me who watched Kiki’s Delivery Service every night of October growing up.
Those who want family-friendly festivities.
My top rec for those with little ones is Cheekwood. In addition to the usual Cheekwood Harvest (aka the pumpkin houses!), there is a Halloween Pooch Party this weekend. So bring your dressed-up dog for the costume contest.
And next week, there are Día de Los Muertos festivities — which are not exactly Halloween, but they are related!
And it’s not a Nashville Halloween if I don’t mention the annual block party, All Hollows East. It returns to Five Points tomorrow with trick or treating from 2 to 6 p.m.
Another family-friendly option is on the calendar next week, when the Nashville Symphony is doing a concert of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
You can hear all our Halloween recommendations in this week’s What Where When-sday here.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM