5 Things We’re Excited About in Nashville This Week (September 3 – 11, 2026)

This is our weekly edition of Nashville This Week — the running list your hosts at Music City Magnolia are already telling every guest about. Five picks this week: the immersive Pink Floyd planetarium show that’s every bit as good as it sounds, the brand-new Croquet Cafe in Centennial Park (and Dolly’s memorial bench a few steps away), the free three-day music fest that turns the park into one big lawn party, the tucked-away Germantown candle-and-perfumery bar, and the final weekend of the Opry Plaza’s free summer concert series. If you’re chasing a Labor Day stay, check dates direct — you’ll skip the OTA service fees when you book with us. The full What’s On in Nashville hub has the wider live-music, sports, and event calendar.

01Planetarium · Immersive

Wedgewood-Houston · Sudekum PlanetariumPink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon 360 at Adventure Science CenterOver one million people worldwide have now sat under a dome for this — and Adventure Science Center’s Sudekum Planetarium is one of the best rooms in the country to see it in. All ten tracks of The Dark Side of the Moon, wrapped fully around you in the 63-foot dome, the way the album was always meant to feel. It’s an evening ticketed program (third-party show, so it runs on its own schedule — grab tickets and check showtimes at the button below). Grab a rooftop pour at The Fairlane afterward and call it a night.Sudekum PlanetariumFulldome 360Ticketed eveningsSee showtimes

02Brand New · Centennial Park

Centennial Park · West EndCroquet Cafe Is Finally Open in Centennial ParkThe park’s first-ever permanent full-service cafe opened August 29 in the restored 1963 Croquet Clubhouse, from the team behind The Grilled Cheeserie. Southern picnic menu — paninis, salads, picnic boxes, locally roasted coffee, soft-serve — with indoor seating, a covered patio, and a shaded lawn beside it. Blue ceiling, big windows, honest food, and a proceeds-to-the-park model. Walk over from the party pads: Dolly’s memorial bench sits nearby on the newly revitalized north side of the park, right by the Sunken Garden — a quiet stop before or after your coffee. Open every day.M–F 10a–5pSat–Sun 10a–6pFree parking on siteSee the menu

03Free Live Music · Centennial Park

Centennial Park · West EndMusicians Corner Free Fest — All Labor Day WeekendThe best free thing on Nashville’s calendar takes over Centennial Park Friday through Sunday for Musicians Corner’s Free Fest, in partnership with Lightning 100. Three days of live music on the lawn — Rayland Baxter headlines Friday night, Nikki Lane closes Saturday, and Arlo Parks plays Sunday afternoon with Jake Bugg on the bill. Kidsville activities for the family, food trucks, artisan market, dog-friendly, blanket-and-picnic-basket weather. Free, no ticket, no reservation. The series continues every Friday through September 25 (including a Sept 18 partnership with AmericanaFest).Fri Sept 4 · 5pSat Sept 5 · 5pSun Sept 6 · 12pSee the lineup

04Date Night · Speakeasy

Germantown · Inside The Golden SlipperThe Alice — Candle & Perfumery BarTucked inside The Golden Slipper at The Square in Germantown is one of Nashville’s most quietly cool date-night moves: The Alice, a speakeasy-style candle-and-perfumery bar where you build your own scent at the counter. Amber glass apothecary bottles, moody green wallpaper, and a candle-pouring class that runs 35–45 minutes and sends you home with something you actually made. Perfect afternoon or early-evening detour if you’re in Germantown for dinner at Rolf & Daughters, Butcher & Bee, or City House. Walk-ins welcome, but classes fill up fast — book ahead.GermantownThe Square · 4th & MadisonBook a classVisit The Alice

05Last Weekend · Free Show

Music Valley · Opry PlazaLast Weekend of the Opry 100 Outdoor ConcertsThe Grand Ole Opry’s free summer concert series on the Opry Plaza wraps this weekend — the last chance until next May. Every Friday and Saturday all summer has meant local country talent on the plaza stage, food trucks, cold drinks, and 5:15 pm sets before the Opry doors open. Perfect no-ticket move if you’re up in Music Valley for a Nashville Palace night or just want the pre-show energy. Bring lawn chairs, arrive by 5. And if you want the full Opry experience: Fri Sept 4 and Sat Sept 5 both host Opry 100 shows inside — Oak Ridge Boys, Charles Esten, Tommy Emmanuel, and more.Fri Sept 4 · 5:15pSat Sept 5 · 5:15pFree · Opry PlazaSee what’s playing