Looking for free/low cost events this summer for the whole family? Ms. Cheap shares some of her favorites!
*The free Musicians Corner lawn party concert series takes place on weekends through June 13, in the Musicians Corner area at 27th Avenue North at West End at the southwest side of Centennial Park.
Since 2010, Musicians Corner has provided free public access to live music in the heart of Music City. Located in beautiful Centennial Park, more than 2,000 artists have been showcased on the Musicians Corner stage, including legendary artists Emmylou Harris, Chris Stapleton, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Vince Gill, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Musicians Corner is a program of Centennial Park Conservancy [centennialparkconservancy.com], a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to preserve, enhance, and share the Parthenon and Centennial Park.
Details: Musicianscorner.com
**The Summer Concert Series at Crockett Park is an annual treat in Brentwood. This is the 37th annual series of free concerts that take place at the Eddy Arnold Amphitheatre at 1500 Volunteer Parkway in Crockett Park in Brentwood. The lineup this summer includes:
The Wannabeatles “In the Golden Era of British Invasion” from 6-8 p.m. on May 31;
The Eaglemaniacs “in the Classic Rock Tribute Era” from 6-8 p.m. on June 14;
Rubiks Groove & Cruzin’ Keys “In the Pop and Rock Era at Brentfest from 6-9 p.m. on June 27.
The Downtown Band “In the Contemporary Era at Red, White and Boom” from 7-10 p.m. on July 4.“String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry” This 75 minute puppet show, which uses marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow animation, chronicles the history of country music and takes place in the Ford Theater of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
There will be food trucks, an hour before each concert.
Details: 615-371-0060
*Free Movies in the Park take place on Thursday nights in June at Elmington Park on West End. All ages, as well as dogs, are welcome and there are games and food trucks on site before the outdoor movies kick off. The lineup includes: “A Cinderella Story” on June 4, “Hannah Montana” on June 11; Zootopia on June 18; and “Back to the Future” on June 25. Details: Nashvillemoviesinthepark.com
**Big Band Dances: Metro Parks offers its popular free Big Band Dances in Centennial Park on most Saturday nights this summer. You can dance and listen to more than a dozen local swing and big band dance bands. Times are 7-10 p.m. June 13- August 15. Dance Lessons start at 7 p.m. and music at 7:30 p.m. Here is the lineup:
June 13: South Jackson Street Band on the Parthenon Ellipse
June 20: Nashville African American Wind Symphony on the Parthenon Ellipse
June 27: Rory Partin and his Allstar Big Band at the Centennial Arts Center parking lot
July 11: Music City Latin Orchestra on the Parthenon Ellipse
July 18: Lynn Beal Big Band at the Centennial Arts Center parking lot
July 25: The Jazz Alliance on the Parthenon Ellipse
August 1: The Establishment Big Band at Centennial Arts Center Parking lot
August 8: Five Point Swing on the Parthenon Ellipse
August 15: Moonlighters Big Band on the Parthenon Ellipse
Details and potential weather cancellations: call 615-862-8440
**CMA FEST is June 4-7 in downtown Nashville. The night concerts, which attract thousands of locals and tourists for the various concerts, can be kind of pricey but are free daytime concerts on five stages that are located throughout downtown. Just show up. All outdoor daytime stages are FREE and open to the public! Details: cmafest.org [cmafest.org]
**Nashville Symphony Community Concerts: These popular free outdoor community live concerts with conductor Nathan Aspinall, take place in area parks and other venues between June 3 and June13.
The program will feature American classics including John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars an Stripes Forever” and selections from John Williams’ scores from “Far and Away” and “Star Wars.”
Dates and locations include: Historic Rock Castle, 139 Rockcastle Lane in Hendersonville at 7:30 p.m. on June 3; Downtown Commons Pavilion, 215 Legion St. in Clarksville, at 7:30 p.m. June 4; Musicians Corner Stage in Centennial Park, 2500 West End Ave. at 8 p.m. June 5; Two Rivers Mansion, 3130 McGavock Pike at 7:30 p.m. on June 6; ; Cumberland University Memorial Law at 1 Cumberland Square in Lebanon, at 7:30 p.m. June 13.
There will also be a one night only program with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, with Tucker Biddlecombe conducting that will take place at the Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Road, at 7 p.m. on June 7.
Several concert locations will offer family friendly preconcert activities and patrons should bring chairs of blankets to sit on.
Details: Nashvillesymphony.org/communityconcerts or call 615-687-6500
**National Trails Day is always the first Saturday in June (June 6, this year). Every Tennessee state park will have guided hikes, cleanups and/or free programs. Plus lots of local parks will have special programs. Check with your local park systems or with tnstateparks.com [tnstateparks.com] or see americanhiking.org [americanhiking.org] for more information.
**String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry. This all age puppet show that was created and presented by the Nashville Public Library’s resident puppet troupe, Wishing Chair Productions and the Country Music Hall of Fame is back for two daily performances (10 and 11:30 a.m.) each day from June 22-27 in the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 John Lewis Way South.
The super entertaining show, which was created in 2013 thanks to a special gift from Judy and Steve Turner to the Nashville Library Foundation, features almost 100 puppets – marionettes, rod puppets, hand puppets and shadow puppets, and a few life size puppets, that depict country music legends like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Taylor Swift and Tammy Wynette. It really is fun. No reservations are needed. See www.countrymusichalloffame.org [countrymusichalloffame.org] for more information.
**The 2026 Fourth of July celebration this year is being touted as the largest Fourth of July celebration in Nashville history. The “Let Freedom Sing Music City July 4” will be a two day (July 3-4) event “bigger and bolder than ever” celebrating America’s 250th birthday.
A “Prelude to the Fourth” on July 3 will feature three stages of music, plus lots of family friendly fun in Walk of Fame Park. On July 4, there will be five stages of music featuring an all star lineup of Nashville based artists, as well fireworks and a thousand drone show, and a live music performance by the Nashville Symphony. Details: visitmusiccity.com [visitmusiccity.com]
**Shakespeare in the Park, which has taken place annually since 1988, will be back at the Centennial Park Band Shell – presenting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” August 20 – September 20. Thursdays – Sundays and Labor Day Monday Sept. 7. The cost is technically free but is set up as “pay what you want” with a suggested $20 donation per person.
Gates open at 5:15 p.m. and there is a preshow lecture and concert series with the performances starting at 7 p.m. The website says “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: is Shakespeare at his most playful. This production is sure to delight audiences of all ages.” There is bleacher seating but you can also bring chairs and blankets. There are food vendors but you can bring your own food. Oh, and dogs on leashes are welcome. Details: nashvilleshakes.org [nashvilleshakes.org] or call 615-255-2273
Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on Talk of the Town on NewsChannel5. Reach her at mscheap@mainstreetmediatn.com and follow her on Facebook as Facebook.com/mscheap
