By Claudia Villeda
The start of autumn offers more than an extra hour of sleep and sweater weather, especially in Nashville.
Students looking to explore Nashville have several options off campus and many of those events are outside, which remains a safer gathering option during Covid-19, according to the CDC.
Trevecca clubs and SGA offer several on-campus events, but campus leaders also encourage students to experience Nashville this time of year.
“We try to incorporate off-campus trips. So we have one to Fifth and Broadway coming up. That will be our next one. It’s in November, but that’s easy and it’s safe because you already have a group of friends and a lot of times Trevecca will provide transportation. So I would say look for those off-campus events. And then also, when I have friends coming to town, I love just having them look on Trip Advisor and my friends love things like that,” said Maci Weeks, SGA social life director.
Many places in Nashville offer discounts for college students. Just make sure to show a university ID. Social media is also a popular way for students to find things to do.
“I love to find things to eat. It’s my favorite thing to do with friends. There are a lot of TikTok accounts like one called @weeatnashville. Honestly if just type in like ‘things to do in Nashville’, ‘places to eat in Nashville’ or ‘wall murals in Nashville’ on TikTok a ton of stuff comes up and so I think that’s helpful and that’s a more realistic look at things that aren’t just museums and things like that,” said Weeks.
Below are events and activities around Nashville that students can explore.
- Pumpkin patch visits
Visiting a pumpkin patch is most people’s go-to autumn activity. This activity offers fun for all ages. Weeks recommends Flying Ghost Pumpkin Patch on White Bridge Road just 9 miles from campus.
Flying Ghost Pumpkin Patch has no entry fee. They are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cheekwood Botanical Garden offers an all-day trip for students. Cheekwood is a 30 minute drive from Trevecca. During the fall season, Cheekwood holds the Cheekwood Harvest Festival, perfect for the autumn mood.
College students with ID get discounted tickets at $16.
More information: https://cheekwood.org/calendar/cheekwood-harvest/
- Drive-in theater
Stardust Drive-in Theatre in Watertown, TN is about a 40 minute drive from Trevecca. Offering a double-feature on two big screens, Stardust showings happen every weekend starting Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Stardust Drive-in shows the latest movies found at any other movie theatre, but can be viewed from the safety of a car. This activity allows students to practice social distancing and offers an outdoor experience as recommended by the CDC.
Box office opens at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Stardust website strongly recommends to arrive as soon as the box office opens to get the best parking spaces possible.
Tickets start at $9 per person.
More information: https://www.stardustdrivein.com
- Frist Art Museum exhibitions
Located two miles from campus, the Frist Art Museum is one of Nashville’s most well-known museums. Constructed in the 30s, the building was originally Nashville’s main post office. The Frist now offers different world-class exhibits year round. This fall the Frist presents the American Art Deco exhibition and Blue Purple Red by Johannesburg artist Mary Sibande, which addresses “inequities of race, gender, politics, and economics in postcolonial South Africa”, according to the museum website. An exhibit on medieval art of Bologna, Italy begins on Nov. 5.
Masks are required at the Frist. The Frist Art Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
College students with ID get discounted tickets at $10. Discount is only available when buying tickets on-site.
More information: https://fristartmuseum.org
