It's Labor Day weekend in Nashville and you know what that means.
Dodging the heat as much as possible.
Labor Day weekend is a big holiday for regional roadtrips, but last year more than 400,000 people required roadside assistance, according to AAA.
Do you really want to take that risk? You might as well make a staycation out of the weekend instead.
Nashville is full of opportunities this weekend to be a tourist in your own city. Here's what's happening around Music City.
Music City provides the music
Nashville's free, outdoor concert series Musicians Corner returned to Centennial Park for the fall season on Aug. 28. Typically each Friday through September, the series expands into Free Fest for the entire Labor Day weekend.
Sept. 4 through Sept. 6, more than a dozen artists will
take the stage over the long weekend. Shows are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night.
Bring your own lawnchair or blanket to enjoy the music.
Sport and music pair nicely. The city will host the Music City Kickoff Concert Sept. 5 at Ascend Amphitheater to celebrate the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff between Ole Miss and Louisville Sept. 6 at Nissan Stadium.
The concert will feature Lee Brice, Gabby Barrett and Payton Smith. Tickets range from $42 to $95.
Football and fútball in Nashville
Speaking of football, what's more traditional than catching a college football game on Labor Day Weekend?
Our hometown SEC team Vanderbilt University will face Austin Peay in the first game of the season at home Sept. 5. The Commodores went 10-3 last season and were undefeated at home in FirstBank Stadium beating LSU, Auburn and Kentucky. They also beat Tennessee in Knoxville.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Tickets are still available through the university for$25 to $45.
Nashville is hosting the inaugural Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff at Nissan Stadium Sept. 6. The parking lot will open at 2:30 p.m. for tailgating, gates open at 4:30 p.m. with kickoff two hours later.
Tickets are still available from $67 to $295 onSeat Geek.
If football isn't your speed, and the World Cup captured your attention, Vanderbilt University's soccer team also has a home match against Xavier at 6 p.m. Sept. 6. The women's soccer team is currently ranked second.
Single-match tickets are $10.
Beat the heat in Nashville
If you'd prefer to not to sweat profusely this weekend, there are plenty of indoor, air-conditioned options for Labor Day fun.
If you'd like to slow things down, the Frist Art Museum has two exhibits and an architecture tour planned for this weekend.
An Indigenous Present, a thematic exhibition celebrating modern and contemporary Indigenous art, is entering it's last month at the museum. It features artwork by 15 artists that "build upon cultural and aesthetic traditions," their website said.
The museum is also featuring an exhibition of young Tennessee artists. That kicked off Aug. 28.
"The 11th biennial Young Tennessee Artists exhibition showcases some of the finest two-dimensional artwork by high school students from across the state," the webiste said.
Students from last school year submitted nearly 600 pieces. A committee selected 33 artists to feature.
Tickets can be purchased online or in person for $20 per adult.
If you're in the mood to kick off the fall season, spooky-adjacent themed events are rolling out across the city.
The Noelle, a Nashville hotel, is brewing up midnight margaritas in honor of "Practical Magic 2."
"Gather your coven and step inside the enchanting Owens family home, where witching hours unfold through whispered spells, bubbling potions, curious concoctions and a touch of something sweet," the website said.
The pop-up will be open through Halloween.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: A staycation in Nashville? What to do this Labor Day weekend
