Dreamwood is the only Music City Magnolia rental in Donelson / Music Valley, and it sits inside one of the smartest moves in Nashville: the WeGo Star commuter train. For Ryman shows, Bridgestone Arena dates, Nissan Stadium concerts, daytime honky tonk crawls down Broadway, and Alan Jackson’s Last Call finale, this is the most stress-free way to do it. No surge fares. No $60 event parking. No DUI risk on the drive back. Park free at Edley’s, ride in, ride home, drive (or a ~$5 local rideshare) back to Dreamwood — zero downtown surge.
WeGo Star — the must-knows
- Runs weekdays only (no Saturday/Sunday regular service), morning + afternoon commuter windows
- 3 inbound trips to downtown in the AM · 3 outbound to Donelson in the PM (last regular outbound leaves Riverfront ~5:05 PM)
- Donelson is the last stop before downtown — about 15 minutes to Riverfront Station (108 1st Ave S, foot of Broadway)
- Fare: $5 weekday one-way · $15 special-event train
- Special event trains for CMA Fest 2026 (Sat 6/6) and select stadium shows — check wegotransit.com/events
- Buy tickets in the QuickTicket by WeGo app, at the platform vending machine, or on-board ($5.25 cash)
View live WeGo schedule →
Book Dreamwood →
Why the Train Is the Perfect Local Move
Weekday-only operation sounds like a downside until you flip it around. The Star turns into a local-secret daytime weapon: ride in mid-morning, do Broadway at noon with no lines and great pickers, hit the Hall of Fame, lunch at Acme Feed & Seed or Assembly Food Hall, and ride home before the after-work crowd arrives. The bands on Broadway at 1 PM are the same caliber as 10 PM — sometimes better. The train always has a seat in those windows. Want a full day mapped out? See our 3 Days in Nashville live-music itinerary for what to pair with a daytime train ride.
What the train is for
The Star is built for downtown — Lower Broadway, the Ryman, Bridgestone Arena, and the East Bank stadium district. It runs morning and afternoon commuter windows on weekdays, so for evening Broadway or stadium concerts you’ll either catch a special event train, take the surge-free drive in (see the Batter’s Box section below), or rideshare. For Opry nights, it’s a 3-minute drive from Dreamwood — the closest MCM rental to the Opry House. (Need parking notes for the whole city? Our Nashville parking guide covers garages, free lots, and event-day surge tips.)
The WeGo Star Schedule (Weekdays — Donelson Stop)
| Direction | Departure 1 | Departure 2 | Departure 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound · Donelson → Riverfront | 6:16 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:00 AM |
| Outbound · Riverfront → Donelson | 3:20 PM (arr 3:56) | 3:55 PM (arr 4:35) | 5:05 PM (arr 5:25) |
Source: WeGo Star schedule. Special event trains run on top of this — published per event.
Stay at Dreamwood. Drive 5 Minutes to Edley’s. Ride the Train.
The full playbook in one line: stay at Dreamwood, drive five minutes to Edley’s Donelson, eat, park free in their lot, walk two doors to the platform, and ride the train in. When the train doesn’t run (weekends, evenings), it’s a 12-minute straight shot down Lebanon Rd / Hermitage Ave (1st Ave) to The Batter’s Box — park there, walk into Ascend Amphitheater or across the pedestrian bridge to Nissan Stadium. For more East-Bank stadium-walkable options, see our walk-to-Nissan rentals guide.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que Donelson — Two Doors From the Platform
The pre-train ritual. Edley’s Donelson opened in spring 2026 right next to Donelson Station and immediately became the locals’ move. Order the Tuck Special (smoked pork sandwich with fried egg, slaw, and red sauce), the brisket plate, or a pile of smoked wings. Pair it with their house Edley’s IPA (a Yazoo collab — Nashville-local, lemony, easy). Free lot, full bar, and your car is fine there all night while you ride.
Want the inside-the-house tour of Dreamwood before you go? Read So You’re Staying at Dreamwood for the layout, walkability radius, and host notes.
★ Edley’s Happy Hour — Daily 2 PM – 6 PM
- $4 Montucky Cold Snacks
- $3 Heros Vodka
- $5 select wells & wines
Pro tipOrder a Bushwacker. Frozen, boozy, rum & cream & chocolate — yes, with BBQ. If you’ve never had one, get a half-wacker (the half pour) first. You’ll thank us.
View Edley’s full menu →
Hours & location →
Red Door Saloon Donelson — The Nightcap
Brand-new Donelson outpost of Nashville’s beloved Midtown and East Nashville dive. When the event train rolls back into Donelson Station after a Bridgestone show or a stadium night, Red Door is two doors down, open until 3 AM. The kitchen is late, the cocktails are honest, and there’s no cover. Most importantly: they’re famous for the Red Door Root Beer Shot — a Tootsie-Roll-flavored sleeper that absolutely does not taste like the 90-proof it is. Order two. Your car’s right next door at Edley’s, or grab the ~$5 local rideshare back to Dreamwood — still none of the downtown surge pricing.
Featured Property — Where You’ll Stay
Dreamwood
3 BR · 2 full baths · sleeps up to 10 · the only MCM rental in Donelson and the closest to the Grand Ole Opry.
12 min to Lower Broadway
5 min to Donelson Station
5 min to BNA airport
Sleeps 10
Why guests pick it: easy access to both downtown (via train or a straight shot down Hermitage Ave) and the Opry, with a quiet residential street to come home to after the show. Compare Dreamwood against our other non-downtown Nashville neighborhoods if you’re still picking a base.
The Alan Jackson Finale — Saturday, June 27, 2026
Alan Jackson: Last Call – The Finale
The final show of Alan Jackson’s farewell tour — country royalty, friends, and an arena built for the moment. Watch wegotransit.com/events for a dedicated WeGo Star event train. In town that same week? Pair it with CMA Fest 2026 schedule and the CMA Fest 2026 lineup guide.
How to do the finale from Dreamwood
Two clean options. If a WeGo event train is announced: drive 5 min to Edley’s Donelson, park free, walk to the platform, ride to Riverfront (~15 min), walk across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge straight into Nissan Stadium. After the show, hop the late train back, nightcap at Red Door’s root beer shots, then grab your car from Edley’s (or a ~$5 local rideshare) back to Dreamwood. If no event train is announced: drive 12 min down Lebanon Rd onto Hermitage Ave / 1st Ave to The Batter’s Box, park in their area, walk to Nissan or straight into Ascend Amphitheater from there. No bridge crossing needed when you come in from the south side. (Full event-day parking breakdown in our Nashville parking guide.)
The Sample Concert Night (No-Stress Version)
Friday or Saturday — Show Night Itinerary
- 3:45 PM — Leave Dreamwood. Drive 5 min to Edley’s Donelson.
- 4:00 PM — Park free in Edley’s lot. Happy hour kicks off at 2; you’re catching the tail end.
- 4:15 PM — Brisket, Tuck Special, half-wacker. Easy.
- 5:00 PM — Walk two doors to Donelson Station platform (event-train day) — or drive to the Batter’s Box if no train.
- 5:30 PM — Arrive Riverfront Station / pedestrian bridge / Nissan or Bridgestone — all within a 5-minute walk of each other.
- Showtime → no parking stress, no surge anxiety.
- Post-show — Late event train back to Donelson (or a downtown rideshare to Donelson if you stayed late — still skips the $60+ surge to Music Valley from downtown).
- ~11:30 PM — Red Door Donelson. Order the famous root beer shot. Car’s at Edley’s next door — drive back if you’re good, or grab the ~$5 local rideshare. No downtown surge.
Related Music City Magnolia Reads
FAQs
What is the WeGo Star and how often does it run?
The WeGo Star is Nashville’s commuter rail line between Lebanon, TN and downtown’s Riverfront Station. It runs weekday mornings and afternoons only — three inbound trips in the morning, three outbound in the afternoon (last regular outbound leaves Riverfront around 5:05 PM). No regular weekend service. Special event trains run on top of the regular schedule.
How long does it take from Donelson Station to downtown Nashville?
About 15 minutes. Donelson is the last stop before Riverfront Station (108 1st Ave S), which is at the foot of Lower Broadway — a 5-minute walk to the Ryman Auditorium and Bridgestone Arena, and across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge to Nissan Stadium.
Can I take the train to Nissan Stadium for a concert?
For special event days, yes. WeGo runs Star Express event trains for CMA Fest and select stadium shows. From Riverfront Station it’s a 5-minute walk across the pedestrian bridge into the stadium. If no event train runs that night, drive 12 minutes down Hermitage Ave to The Batter’s Box and walk in from the south side — no bridge required.
How much does the train cost?
$5 weekday one-way, $15 for special-event trains. Buy tickets in the QuickTicket by WeGo app, at the Donelson Station vending machine, or on the train ($5.25 cash). Kids 4 and under ride free.
Is Dreamwood walking distance to Donelson Station?
Not really walkable, but very close — about a 5-minute drive. Most guests drive to Edley’s Bar-B-Que (2719 Lebanon Pike), park free in Edley’s lot for the night, and walk two doors to the platform. The point isn’t walking from the rental — it’s avoiding $30–$60 in event parking downtown and the surge rideshare home after the show.
Where do I park for the train?
Donelson Station has its own free park-and-ride lot. Locally, we prefer parking at Edley’s Bar-B-Que Donelson two doors down — you grab dinner first, the lot is free for customers, and you walk to the platform with a Bushwacker in hand.
What if the train isn’t running and I need to get downtown?
From Dreamwood it’s a 12-minute straight shot down Lebanon Rd onto Hermitage Ave (which becomes 1st Ave) to The Batter’s Box near Nissan Stadium. You can walk into Ascend Amphitheater or Nissan Stadium from there. For Broadway, continue another 5 minutes across the bridge or rideshare from the Batter’s Box area.
How close is Dreamwood to BNA airport?
About 5 minutes. Dreamwood is in Donelson next to the airport corridor, the WeGo Star, and the Opry — and 12 minutes from Lower Broadway. It’s our most flexible base for music fans who want to do both downtown and Music Valley.
What’s the famous shot at Red Door Donelson?
The Red Door Root Beer Shot — a layered cordial-and-vodka shot that tastes like a Tootsie Roll. It’s the bar’s signature. The Donelson location opened with it on the menu day one.