From brand-spankin’ new happenings to updates at tried-and-true faves, mark your calendars for these new family fun happenings to ensure an awesome autumn! Pictured above — The Glow: A Jack O’Lantern Experience is one of this year’s brand-new attractions in Middle Tennessee.
DAVIDSON COUNTY
BOO AT THE ZOO
New ticket prices for Nashville Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo taking place Oct. 13 – 15, 20 – 22 and 26 – 29 this year: Admission is $13 members, $16 non-members for any night except Saturdays — those nights are $1 more. Visit nashvillezoo.org.
BOOVILLE NASHVILLE
BooVille Nashville returns to Nashville Shores every Saturday and Sunday this month. It’s friendly for all ages. New this year are costume contests taking place at 2 p.m. each day. The winner gets two 2018 Nashville Shores season passes! Other new features include the Scarecrow Alley Hayride, Human Hamster Wheel, Tangled Up Spider Climb and more. Visit boovillenashville.com.
CELEBRATE NASHVILLE CULTURAL FESTIVAL
New activities for kids this year at the Celebrate Nashville Culutral Festival include Tennessee symbol craft making with Kidsville. Children can also have fun dressing up in costumes from the Metro Parks Theater Department. Visit celebratenashville.org.
CHEEKWOOD HARVEST
Check out the Mum Tree at Cheekwood (1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville) during Cheekwood Harvest, running through Sunday, Oct. 29. The 15-foot-tall tree frame is bursting with orange chrysanthemums surrounded by purple blooms. Visit cheekwood.org.
BELLE MEADE PLANTATION
The Community Trick-or-Treat at Belle Meade Plantation on Sunday, Oct. 22 includes games and a costume contest for prizes this season. Visit bellemeadeplantation.com.
THE GLOW: A JACK O’LANTERN EXPERIENCE
Nashville’s newest fall attraction is at Fontanel Oct. 12 – 29. The Glow: A Jack O’Lantern Experience features more than 5,000 professionally carved pumpkins creating illuminated landscapes and figures, even at 16-foot-tall dinosaur! Get your advance tickets at theglowjackolantern.com.
HAUNTED MUSEUM
Haunted Museum at the Tennessee State Museum on Saturday, Oct. 21 includes a new feature along the “ghost trail” this year: a re-enactor as Nashville’s co-founder James Robertson will practice medicine as it was in frontier times. Visit tnmuseum.org.
KIDSVILLE FAMILY FESTIVAL
Head over to Centennial Park on Saturday, Oct. 14 for the inaugural Kidsville Family Festival from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. It features live music, tons of hands-on kids’ activities, local vendors and more, including Blooma Nashville’s Bellyrama activities. Visit kidsvilleonline.org.
OKTOBERFEST
The 38th Annual Oktoberfest runs four days this year, Oct. 5 – 8.New in the kids’ zone is Germantown’s first Ferris wheel. Visit thenashvilleoktoberfest.com.
MAURY COUNTY
MILLERS THRILLERS celebrates 10 years this season! The all-ages Zombie Paintball Hayride trailers feature new sounds and lights for a party atmosphere, and there are new scenes along the course. The Haunted Woods (for big kids only) features more trails with new monsters plus an expansion to the creepy Clown Town 3D Maze. Visit millersthrillers.net.
ROBERTSON COUNTY
This year’s Country Music Corn Maze at HONEYSUCKLE HILL FARM in Springfield features Charles Esten from TV’s Nashville. Visit honeysucklehillfarm.com.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY
GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
This year’s Great Pumpkin Festival at the Discovery Center (502 S.E. Broad St., Murfreesboro) on Thursday, Oct. 26 celebrates The LEGO Movie with hands-on activities and costume contests. Visit explorethedc.org.
LUCKY LADD FARMS
The Lucky Ladd Farms corn maze boasts a Nashville Predators theme this year. Visit luckyladdfarms.com.
RUTHERFORD PARENT’S FALL KIDS FEST
The P.A.W.S. Adoption Wagon will be at Rutherford Parent’s Fall Kids Fest on Saturday, Oct. 21. Also, new on the stage this year is a preview performance of Cirque Dreams Holidaze that’s part of Gaylord Opryland’s “A Country Christmas” celebration. While there, kids can submit their creations to the Cirque Dreams Costume Contest. For more info on Fall Kids Fest, click HERE.
SMYRNA OUTDOOR ADVENTURE CENTER
Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center hosts Fright Nights Oct. 13 – 14 from 6 – 10 p.m. Games, haunted tours and other spooky fun are sure to be a hoot. From 6 – 8 p.m. it’s tame for little ones, but gets scary for older kids from 8 – 10 p.m. Visit townofsmyrna.org.
SUMNER COUNTY
HALLOWEEN IN THE PARK
Goodlettsville’s Halloween in the Park is Saturday, Oct. 28 at Moss-Wright Park (745 Caldwell Drive). Clown costumes are prohibited this year except on very young children. Also new this year is storytelling. Visit goodlettsvilleparks.com.
JACK O’LANTERN JUBILEE
RiverGate Mall has a new Halloween event this year: Jack O’Lantern Jubilee. It’s Sunday, Oct. 22 and features games, pumpkin decorating (first 250 kids), live animals, face painting, character meet and greets and more. Visit rivergate-mall.com.
PUMPKIN PATCH FESTIVAL
Aside from all the kid fun at the Pumpkin Patch Festival at The Streets of Indian Lake on Saturday, Oct. 14, you can also purchase a variety of fall produce this year. Visit streetsofindianlake.com.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY
COUNTRY HAM FESTIVAL
Take a ride in a Monster Truck at the Country Ham Festival in Spring Hill on Saturday, Oct. 7. The fest is free, but the truck rides are $5 per person. Visit countryhamfest.com.
EBPC FALL FEST
East Brentwood Presbyterian Church’s Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 28 features a friendly haunted barn tour this year, along with lots of other free activities. Visit eastbrentwoodpc.com.
ENCHANTED FOREST
Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary retools its Enchanted Forest outing this year on Saturday, Oct. 28. There are four Enchanted Forest Adventure Times (10:15 & 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 & 1:15 p.m.). They include guided walks with animal encounters, hayrides, face painting and more. Visit owlshill.org.
GRASSLAND GALLOP
The Kids’ Zone expands at this year’s Grassland Gallop at Grassland Middle School in Franklin on Saturday, Oct. 21. After the race, children can enjoy free face painting, costume contests, Halloween goodie bags and pumpkin painting. Visit raceroster.com/events/ 2017/13673/grassland-gallop.
HALLOWEEN NIGHT HIKE AT BOWIE PARK
Bowie Nature Park offers a trick-or-treating alternative this year. Its Halloween Night Hike on Tuesday, Oct. 31 takes place from 6:30 – 8 p.m. All ages can play games and participate in activities with spider, owl and bat themes. It’s free, but you need to register. Visit bowiepark.org.
WILSON COUNTY
There’s a new Scarecrow Contest at this year’s HALLOWEEN IN THE PARK in Mt. Juliet on Saturday, Oct. 21. The contest is open to individuals, groups, organizations and businesses. There will be first- and second-place prizes. Registration deadline is Saturday, Oct. 14. Visit mjparksandrec.org.
