Nashville Christmas Market 2026: Shopping for Charity

Think of the Nashville Christmas Market as a giant indoor gift fair, not a square of wooden huts. More than 250 sellers from across the South and beyond fill the exhibition halls for one long weekend. Give yourself a few hours, because the aisles of pottery, children’s clothes and jars of pimento cheese go on and on. Every ticket also helps fund hearing and speech care at one of the city’s hospitals.

Nashville Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Nashville dates: 13th to 15th November 2026
Last checked: October 2026

Update: Dates were announced in January. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Christmas Village.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: The Fairgrounds Nashville
Opening times:
Friday: 9am to 9pm
Saturday: 9am to 6pm
Sunday: 12pm to 6pm
Christmas Day: Closed

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended tour: This double-decker city tour is great for first-time visitors.
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion. Parking is free at the Fairgrounds.
Where to stay: Cambria Hotel is an 8-minute drive from the event.

Amenities and Attractions

Tickets: $15. Book online
Children under 10: free

Santa: Yes. Bring your own camera.
Photos with Santa times:
Thursday: 4pm to 9pm
Friday: 9am to 9pm
Saturday: 9am to 6pm
Sunday: 12pm to 6pm

Ice skating: No
Reason to visit: More than 250 merchants under one roof; Southern pottery, crafts and pantry foods; a volunteer-run tradition that supports local charities.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Yes, plenty of options.
Vegan: Yes, plenty of options.
Gluten-free: Yes, but limited.
Food specialities: Pimento cheese; cheese straws; pecans; small-batch hot sauce.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: No, service animals only.

Nearby Hotels

Downtown is the easiest base, a short drive from the Fairgrounds, and it means the honky-tonks on Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium are a walk away once the shopping’s done. I highly recommend the Cambria Hotel in this area.

Interesting Tours

I suggest taking a city tour of Nashville, which covers many of the city’s key sights in one go.

If you’d rather eat your way around, this Nashville donut tour is a popular choice.

Event Location

What to Expect

Row after row of booths fills the Fairgrounds’ exhibition halls, selling pottery, jewellery, home decor, children’s clothing, Christmas decorations and food to take home. It’s busy and cheerful, with sellers demonstrating gadgets and handing out samples of dips and sauces as you pass. Being indoors, it’s the same whatever the November weather is doing.

The whole thing is run by volunteers from the Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club, who started it in 1961 as a fundraiser for what’s now the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center. Proceeds still go to the centre’s hearing and speech programmes, to brain injury rehabilitation at Vanderbilt, and to scholarships at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg. More than $16 million has been raised so far.

For many local families it’s a reunion as much as a shopping trip. You’ll see groups of friends in matching shirts or Santa hats who’ve come together for decades, and children queuing for photos with Santa. If one day isn’t enough to get round, buy a return ticket at the information booth before you leave.

Regional Specialties

Most of the food here is the kind you take home. Small Southern producers bring jars, tins and bags of:

• Pimento cheese: The South’s cheddar and roasted pepper spread, sold in tubs for crackers and sandwiches.
• Cheese straws: Crisp, buttery cheddar crackers that turn up at every Southern party.
• Pecans: Georgia growers sell them roasted, candied and by the bag.
• Hot sauce: Small-batch bottles from Tennessee makers, often with tasters out on the counter.
• Peanut brittle and fudge: Old-fashioned sweets from candy makers around Middle Tennessee and beyond.

At the Food Stalls

For lunch, the Fairgrounds food court has stuck to Southern fair food in past years:

• Fried pickles: Battered pickle slices with a dipping sauce, a Southern bar snack that’s better than it sounds.
• Fried okra: Bite-sized pieces in a crunchy cornmeal coating.
• Kettle corn: Sweet and salty popcorn that’s easy to snack on between halls.
• Hot dogs, burgers and nachos: For something more filling before the next round of shopping.

What to Buy

• Pottery: Handmade mugs, bowls and serving pieces from potters across the region.
• Tennessee ornaments: Decorations shaped like the state or themed on Nashville, an easy souvenir to pack.
• Leather goods: Belts, wallets and bags from Southern leatherworkers.
• Local honey: Jars from Middle Tennessee beekeepers.
• Children’s clothing and toys: One of the biggest categories, and handy for anyone shopping for grandchildren.
• Pet gifts: Sweaters, treats and toys, so the dog doesn’t miss out.
• Handmade soaps: Bars and bath products made with natural ingredients.