SUMMARY. Overall, the experience was a good one. The event is centered at 5th and Jefferson in the…read moreheart of Germantown, right next to the Sounds stadium, Neighbors, Von Elrod's, etc. There were a ton of people, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively. We sat outside drinking great beer all day in beautiful weather. I would recommend going at least once if you live in Nashville. It is also a great activity for tourists, as well. AMBIENCE. The ambience was very uplifting. Droves of fun-loving people flocked to what is my favorite part of Nashville (Germantown) to enjoy great beer in beautiful weather. It was just the kind of atmosphere you'd expect from a street fair or carnival. VENUE. The venue itself was a block party centralized at 5th and Jefferson. There were several food trucks, and two large tents to procure beer from. The local establishments were also hopping, as you can imagine. Seating seemed sparse to the naked eye, but so many people wanted to stand or walk around that there didn't seem to be any issues with people finding a place to sit and enjoy the day. We had about 10 in our group and had no issues. QUALITY. I didn't indulge in the food truck offerings, so I can only comment on the beer. I stuck to two beers: Oktoberfest and Festbier, both of which were very good. Definitely was not disappointed. SERVICE. My only complaint was the lines, which were ridiculous. Beer was only sold at two tents, each of which subjected you to a line with a 30-minute (or greater) wait. By late afternoon, lines were closer to an hour. This was a drastic oversight by the venue's organizers, as they definitely left a lot of money on the table from people who would've otherwise spent much more. Our fix was to buy several beers each time we made it to the front of the line to minimize the frequency of tent trips. Still, this was not ideal, and I was very disappointed the lines were not better-managed. PRICE. While there was no entry fee, it was not cheap. Beers were $12 + tip. Still, this was a street festival, so lofty prices are to be expected. I would have been much happier to pay the price for beer if the lines had been more manageable. TAKEAWAYS. It is definitely worth checking out, but be wary of the long waits. Grabbing several beers at once partially ameliorated the wait time but was still not ideal. Happily, Clayton Cohn

I have been going here for five years now. It's a tradition among friends. We even have friends…read morethat fly in every year from out of town to do this. We are those people that dress up, show up early, leave late, and have a great time. We dance polka, we sing drinking songs, we drink our beer from steins, and we have a great time from start to finish. Though this is technically the Germantown Street Festival, we just call it Oktoberfest. It starts with a 5K and ends with a huge street festival that closes off all the roads in Germantown (be aware of that for parking, though local businesses will usually allow you to park for around $10). There are tons of local vendors selling their crafts as well as booths selling brats (there's a great one that sells an Oktoberfest meal - a brat with sauerkraut, baked beans and potato salad for $10). Bring cash! Its faster and easier and everyone takes it. Also, there are more places to get beer aside from the one directly at the entrance. Remember that. There are polka bands playing all afternoon and its fun to dance around. There are plenty of things for kids to do (if you want to bring your kids to a festival celebrating German-style drinking...well I guess) like playgrounds and face painting. There's plenty to do...and they have a pooch parade, so bring your pups if they're good with crowds and other dogs. As far as the crowds, coming earlier or later (on either side of lunchtime) is a safer bet, though really it depends on the weather and who's playing football that day as far as how packed it gets. Those are the specifics...for me its about sitting in the Beer Garden tent, drinking stein after stein with friends, possibly enjoying a pretzel, and definitely dancing. I look forward to this every year, with friends coming from all corners to enjoy (typically) great fall weather and Oktoberfest brews. If you don't like drinking, fun, good food, and celebrating one of Nashville's coolest communities, don't crowd up the streets on this annual celebratory day.

This festival was the reason why my sister and I came to Nashville. My sister has recently grown…read morefond of bourbon and after hearing about this festival, it was a must! It also happened to fall on our birthday weekend so why not make a trip out of it!? We paid for the VIP tickets which lets you into the festival two hours before the general public. It was definitely worth it because we were able to taste a lot of their high-end bourbons before they ran out. We mainly had bourbons and rye whiskeys (which I prefer) and only tried a couple beers. I was disappointed with the number of BBQ joints. I believe there was only a handful of them and the lines were super long. We had a good time meeting a lot of locals who showed us that Southern hospitality. I'd love to come back to the festival in Nashville or another city it is touring.

This past Saturday we headed downtown to the Municipal Auditorium for the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ…read morefestival. This festival tours around the nation, making stops in places like Manhattan, Richmond and Tampa besides Nashville. For a bourbon festival I was shocked to not see a stop in Kentucky on the list - those people know their bourbon! Anyway, we spent the day eating, drinking, talking to friends and having an all-around good time. I was pretty surprised by the BBQ portion of the festival. First of all, the BBQ was not included in the door price. With BBQ in the title, I was expecting the opportunity to sample different types of pulled pork from multiple vendors. Nope. Food was extra $$ and there were only three BBQ vendors (Low and Slow, Jim 'N Nicks, and Whitts). In a city that has a growing BBQ culture, they needed more BBQ vendors and more local (non-chain) shops. I was hoping for Edley's or Peg Leg Porker. We tasted a whole bunch of good stuff but my favorites were: 1. Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey 2. High West Rendezvous Rye 3. Leinenkugel Snowdrift Vanilla Porter 4. The spare ribs I purchased from the Jim N Nicks tent. There was a notable absence of local products. Favorites like Yazoo, Jackalope, Calfkiller, Black Abbey and Corsair were missing completely. Perhaps because this a touring festival and not a local one, they focused more on the national brands. I totally understand that, but I think next year they should have a tasting station dedicated to Tennessee beers and spirits. I recommend going with a bunch of friends and drinking yourself silly. Don't forget to bring some cash to spring for the BBQ!

I'm writing this from an artist's perspective. I participated in this show years ago, and at one…read moretime it was truly excellent. Local residents showed up in droves and genuinely valued -- and purchased -- handmade work. I made five to $7000 twenty years ago. Unfortunately, the show has changed significantly. It now draws large crowds, many of whom appear to be bused in from outside the area. While attendance is high, sales are not. The loyal local audience seems to have been pushed out by the increased congestion, and many no longer attend. Equally disappointing is the noticeable decline in handmade goods. Walking the show this year, I spoke with several talented artists who shared that they struggled to cover even their basic expenses and do not plan to return. It's a real shame that the show has declined like it has. It used to be a beautiful show and Franklin is a nice town.

I paid almost $500 for a booth at Main Street Festival. They put my booth location on 4th street…read more We had a fraction of the traffic on main and there were food trucks on the corner of main & 4th with lines that blocked entrance to our booths. The quality of booths on main looked like flea market vendors. What a waste of time and money

We went for a walk around Nashville and as time passed the streets filled with people. We finally…read morecalled it quits before sunset when bars, sidewalks, and streets were packed shoulder to shoulder with rowdy crowds. Definitely a party atmosphere around CMA.

We have been coming here for years for the concerts at Nissan Stadium. Granted we sit in a suite,…read moreyes they are sweet! The staff on the east side are amazing! They greet us by name and big a smile! Only suggestion, they need to sell merchandise on the suite area where the food is.

Take this review with a grain of salt. I'm an APIA female who has grown up on both sides of the…read moreMason-Dixon line. I have also lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong. I still have not gotten over the amount of rice farmer hats I see in the southern United States. This event, unfortunately, was no exception. A small-scale event in downtown, my friend and I biked in from opposing sides of town. Luckily, there was a fabulous free bike valet provided by Walk Bike Nashville. I was impressed by their professionalism and kindness during the event. However, they were in the decided minority. I spent the majority of the time walking around and trying not to be offended by the level of ignorance and misrepresentation of APIA culture. The event was reduced to face value, cultural "experiences" like petting a disgruntled and terrified Shiba Inu puppy or standing in a ridiculous line for a subpar bento. Unimpressive and just plain sad. That being said, there were a ton of white people columbusing and appropriating Japanese, Chinese, and Korean culture whether through dress or by the offensive words they chose to say. I'm quite tired of dealing with this level of indiscretion in Nashville. I do not think I will be returning to such an event due how people treat the APIA and international population. The only redeeming qualities here were the fantastic Taiko team from Houston, TX, the martial arts tent, and the Japanese traditional folk artist. Everything else seemed a bit in ill-taste.

For a somewhat small-scaled cultural event, I think this festival offered a very good variety of…read moreactivities to give the participants some sense of semblance of Asian (Japanese in particular) culture. Cultural activities: Japanese tea ceremony was very elegant and informative; Country Western band from Nashville's sister city, Kamakura, in Japan was humorous; Mochituki (rice pounding into rice cake--mochi) was humorous and entertained the participants and audience alike; Aikido demonstration was just OK for me; Kaminari Taiko (Japanese drums) troops from Houston performed a very exciting presentation--perhaps the highlight of my experience of the day, etc. Food vendors/trucks offered good varieties, but I thought they were very pricey. There weren't too many I wanted to really try anyway. Merchandise vendors were plentiful selling anything from old kimonos to some pricey pottery. Sponsor tents were giving away some freebies. Some sponsors were receiving free customer information since you had to sign up for it to receive some free gifts. Cosplayers were numerous and made me laugh. Perhaps one of the funniest things around was the Sumo-suit matches, though. Free parking at Lot A of Nissan Stadium was great with free shuttle bus to the event. Since it wasn't too far to walk back (about 1/2 miles) on a nice sunny day, we walked back to the parking lot saving $1 per person for the ride back. I know it's very hard to predict when the cherry blossoms will be at peak, but this year it was well passed the peak and there were hardly any blossoms left on the trees. That probably was the most disappointing part of this festival since it's named Cherry Blossom Festival.

For 10 glorious years, Wine on the River has made grey teeth out of us locals, and to the…read moreorganizers of this event, I love you for that. This is hands down my favorite event of the year, and I will continue to make a fool out of myself on the Shelby Street Bridge annually by shamelessly trying to get bigger pours at the wine tents and making new "friends" with other wino attendees. Gotta make it count, right? A couple of tips that are MUSTS if you plan on attending the absolute joy that is Wine on the River: -Buy tickets early. They DO sell out and rather quickly. And nobody wants a DD ticket. -EAT something before you go. And I'm not talking fruit and yogurt ladies. You NEED substance. Bacon. Eggs. Breakfast Burrito. These are all acceptable items. -When the gates open at 3pm, the line on the downtown side is very busy. Go to the East Nashville entrance for quicker lines. While not all of the wines that are offered are my taste (death to Moscato!) this is a great time to try different varieties and step outside the box. And if you happen to be with people who don't like wine (I hate these people already) they DO offer some select liquors. They also have some food vendors around if you didn't take my advice about the food or just get the drunk munchies. Hey, it happens. I will be attending this year, so if you see me and want to say hi, I apologize in advance for my wino behavior.

WOR is always a fun time, but this year I was a little let down. It was about 50/50 wine and hard…read moreliquor. I was expecting more wine. Also, the event moved to river front and is no longer on the pedestrian bridge. We go every year but if it's a hard liquor event again next year, we'll pass going forward. The vibe is always good no matter what.

The VIP experience wasn't quite as VIP as I would have expected for the price as the price had…read moresubstantially increased from past years. The Oktoberfest itself seemed to be a bit on the slow side for the Thursday and Friday I was able to enjoy it so hopefully it got way more busy on the other days that I missed. The footprint of the festival grounds is definitely one of the larger Oktoberfest events I've attended in the USA while it definitely isn't Munich. I didn't see a whole lot of German food at the various vending booths and the atmosphere seemed more carnival food rather than German food. The food in the VIP area also seemed much more German themed instead of many actual German recipes. Overall I would like to attend again on a Saturday to see if this event gets more energy and people out and about. My video review of Nashville Oktobefest is here: https://youtu.be/DqfwD_RGHwg

Charm of the old festival when it was in Germantown (not bicentennial) is gone. $15 per person to…read morebuy $12 beers. Been a tradition for years and doubt will go again. That disappointing. Have a dachshund and even the derby had about a quarter of the people.

GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!…read more The Dickens of a Christmas Festival is the largest Christmas Festival in Middle, TN. It is held during the second weekend in December in Franklin, TN and is now in its 33rd year. This festival is a recreation of the Charles Dickens era using historic downtown Franklin's Victorian architecture as the backdrop. You will see several Dickens characters, (Fagin, Scrooge, Oliver Twist, Bob and Tiny Tim Cratchit and many more), come to life and walk among the festival visitors. I really liked the Victorian Mr. and Mrs. Clause because they "slayed" in their Victorian garb. I loved seeing the various characters and appreciated their willingness to pose for photos. There was an endless number of vendors selling everything from holiday décor items to jewelry, food, clothing, unique gift items and more. The most impressive aspect of this festival was the phenomenal talent throughout. There was a main stage that featured dancers but throughout the festival, you would encounter other performers such violinists, a guitarist with his wife as soloist, a guy giving us a soulful perspective of Christmas and more that I just couldn't see because I couldn't be everywhere at once. Curses! The cloggers and Irish dancers were great, the young violinists were spot on and unbelievable but the most emotional and "heart felt" performance for me was by Radio Farm. They performed traditional Christmas music that really spoke to the true meaning of Christmas, (the birth of Jesus), and it was just beautifully done. I really love strings because they represent the purest form of music and they always take me to a place of peace and stillness. It was like listening to a renowned recording artist and reminded me of the woman with one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard: The late Karen Carpenter. It was a very cold day and I really appreciated the vendors, performers, city workers and volunteers who committed to making this a great festival. YES, THIS WAS A NICE FESTIVAL BUT: I would love to have been able to purchase a tee commemorating this year's event. They did have very nice mugs which I purchased but a long sleeve tee would have been great as well. Since it is predictable that visitors will be coming in very early and will want to eat breakfast, it would be nice to see a couple of "breakfast specific" food trucks added to the mix. There were only two breakfast restaurants and they were packed before the festival even started. The few food trucks that were open were selling fried foods and corndogs. No thanks. There is a historic theater in downtown Franklin and I think that it would be the perfect venue for hosting classic movies based on Dickens's stories the week of the festival. It would certainly get me in the mood! If you want to see Historic Downtown Franklin, this is not the time because all of those beautiful historic shops and buildings are blocked by tents and vendors. You also have the crazy crowds that make it impossible to get a real feel for the town. I have added an extra festival-free day to my itinerary so that I can freely explore the downtown area without being impeded. I was able to get a small glimpse of Franklin during the festival and it was enough to get me excited for a more thorough visit. This is a great family festival and a cool way to end the year. I am so glad that we decided to visit Franklin during this time.

We had just moved back to TN and decided to go see this for something to do. It was fantastic and…read moreI'm decidedly upset about missing this years. Ive now learned it's the second weekend in December...every year. There are all kinds of arts and crafts, the costumed performers and carolers were fantastic and had really nice, (expensive) costumes! The stage performer we saw was a lone singer and she was fabulous as well. We also arrived during lunch and inside at an Irish Pub, also fantastic if you didn't mind sharing the table. Franklin is a fairly small town and a lot of people come to see this event of ours. Seating is premium. Lots of good things to see- looms and old time metal working. Great way to spend an afternoon! Dogs welcome! Food trucks a plenty for meals and sweets! Kettle corn, yum!