A football players readies himself to throw a football during the  Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Photo Credit: Music City Bowl

How to Spend A Nashville Weekend During the TransPerfect Music City Bowl

Where to stay, eat and play while in Nashville for the weekend during the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN.

Start your New Year’s celebrations early by getting tickets to the TransPerfect Music City Bowl held at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Extend your stay for a full weekend or longer, experiencing everything Nashville has to offer.

Where to Stay in Nashville

Union Station Hotel

With 125 newly-updated guest rooms, including 17 deluxe suites, the Union Station Hotel is a beautiful boutique hotel, boasting 19th-century history as it was once a railroad station. Beautiful 65-foot vaulted ceilings and 100-year-old, Tiffany-styled stained glass meet you in the lobby along with the new bar and restaurant. Whisk your bags to your room to enjoy the large windows, sitting area, unique design elements and more. 

The Bobby Hotel

Large guest rooms with rainfall shower heads and luxurious bath amenities, 24-hour room service and amazing city views. The Bobby Hotel will quickly become your favorite stay. Artwork and items creatively curated makes this hotel quickly feel like a cozy home. With several dine-in options and rooftop access that features a cool Airstream for the perfect photo op, you'll want to come back again and again.

Germantown Inn

Deep history with a look to the future of modern design, the Germantown Inn is an intimate hotel with only 10 rooms all named and designed with inspiration from former U.S. presidents Jackson, Polk, Monroe, Jefferson, Madison and Buchanan. The Carriage House celebrates famous women like Abigail Adams, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony. You'll love the luxury amenities, a spacious courtyard and beautifully-designed common rooms.

Where to Eat in Nashville

Biscuit Love

Grab a bite at Biscuit Love where the lovable southern staple is topped with to-die-for ingredients. Order the Southern Benny for a fluffy biscuit topped with shaved country ham, two fried eggs and sausage gravy. Don’t forget to order the Bonuts – fried biscuit dough with lemon mascarpone and blueberry compote. They’re so good, you’ll be licking the bowl!

Butcher & Bee

Have a mezze lunch, dinner or brunch.
Photo Credit: Josh Ness

Serving up brunch, lunch and dinner, at Butcher & Bee whatever's fresh is what's on the menu. Stuffed French toast, bacon-wrapped dates, fried chicken sandwiches, avocado crispy rice, Bear Creek meatballs with salsa verde tomato & eggplant sugo sprinkled with lemon and Parmesan breadcrumbs, chicken fried cauliflower with charred radicchio, creme fraiche and sweet pea cavatelli and grilled market fish paired with roasted vegetables and chimichurri are all waiting for you to enjoy. 

Mas Tacos

Savor tacos, salads and life-changing churros.
Photo Credit: Josh Ness

For amazing tacos, bowls, chopped salads and satisfying margaritas, head to Mas Tacos. Start your meal off with the classic guacamole & chips or tostones - slow braised beef short rib, onions, cilantro and cotija cheese. Choose a variety of tacos from pork al pastor to chicken chorizo, beer batter fish, roasted cauliflower, pork belly and lots more. Go green with a chopped salad topped with black beans, red peppers, onions, cotija cheese, jicama and drizzled with a sherry vinaigrette. You can top your salad with one of the taco proteins available. Whatever you do, make sure to order the life-changing churros for dessert. 

Chauhan Ale & Masala House

Food Network star and acclaimed chef Maneet Chauhan throws passion and Indian zest into each dish at Chauhan Ale & Masala House. Indian influenced with a Southern twist dishes include tandoori skirt steak, tamarind lamb chops, chili paneer bhurjee relleno, basmati rice, tandoori roti, garlic parmesan naan and so much more. 

Goo Goo Shop and Dessert Bar

Pop into the flagship Goo Goo Shop and Dessert Bar where you’ll find Goo Goo Clusters, retro candies, a walk through history, and The Dessert Bar where you can silence your sweet tooth with The Honky Tonk Blonde Sundae – brown butter blondie with Goo Goo Supremes baked inside, sprinkled with sea salt, topped with a scoop of ice cream, caramel, whipped cream and a cherry.

Yeehaw + Ole Smoky Distillery

Please your travel buddies with a visit to 6th & Peabody, a 30,000 square-foot complex of retail, live music, brewery tours and tastings provided by Yee-Haw Brewing Co. and moonshine tastings and tours by Ole Smoky Moonshine. A large green and patio space with cornhole and other games is the perfect place to lounge, play and soak in the sun. White Duck Taco Shop and Prince's Hot Chicken provide the eats.

Jackalope Brewing Company

Take a tour of Jackalope Brewing Company to learn how the brewery was founded, see the process of creating exceptional craft brews and taste some of the year-round brews. Tours are $10 a person and last 45 minutes. Tours are 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays.

What to do in Nashville

Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame

Step inside the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, located inside Bridgestone Arena at 501 Broadway in downtown Nashville, to see exhibits on Tennessee’s famous athletes, teams, coaches, sports writers and more who have made an impact in the sports world. More than 500 honorees and inductees are part of the Hall of Fame. See the Pat Summitt exhibition and others that celebrate Peyton Manning, Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Now that you’ve had a taste of Tennessee’s sports history, it’s time for a music trip through time. Nashville is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which houses more than 350,000 square feet of galleries and 2.5 million artifacts. See awards, costumes, early life items and more of some of your favorite country artists and legends.

Ryman Auditorium

Tour the iconic and historic Ryman Auditorium. Begin the tour with the immersive Soul of Nashville presentation featuring holograms, special effects, archival imagery and more that bring the Ryman’s story to life. Then, take a guided backstage tour where you’ll see the dressing rooms musicians use to prep before gracing the famous stage. See rare, vintage photos, local art and more.

Transperfect Music City Bowl

The TransPerfect Music City Bowl is nonstop college football action featuring the Tennessee Volunteers vs. the Purdue Boilermakers at 2 p.m. Dec. 30, 2021 at Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN. Before the game, enjoy the Fan Zone with premium experiences including interactive exhibits, music, food and drinks. After the game, you can head to Lower Broadway. Dance the night away either celebrating the win or nursing the losing wounds. Either way, you’ll have fun popping into the honky tonks that line Nashville’s downtown area.

Johnny Cash Museum

Step inside the Johnny Cash Museum for a behind-the-scenes look at the Man in Black – his career, military service, early life and accomplishments. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Tickets are $18.95 for general admission and $14.95 for children’s tickets ages 6-15 years old. 

Patsy Cline Museum

Upstairs is the Patsy Cline Museum, homage to the music legend and her wealth of accomplishment within her few years in the music industry. Hundreds of never-before-seen artifacts, personal belongings, videos and more can be found here. 

Places in this article

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