Centennial Park

This sprawl of green—132 acres’ worth—is an oasis for urbanites. The park’s centerpiece, the Nashville Parthenon, is a full-scale replica of the Grecian structure and a physical testimony to Nashville’s “Athens of the South” nickname. The park’s bandshell hosts Shakespeare in the Park and occasionally serves as the site of the popular Movies in the Park, but because this is Nashville, a free live music series called Musicians Corner dominates the summer programming. On Saturday afternoons from May through September, music lovers, families, and pets gather to enjoy an impressive lineup of musicians, as well as local food trucks and a beer garden. Recent performers have included Preservation Hall Jazz Band and local favorites Rayland Baxter, Cale Tyson, and Langhorne Slim.

Chefs Carlos Davis (from Barbados) and B.J. Lofback (from Detroit) met at a charity event after the Nashville flood of 2010 and joined forces to take their food truck across the city, serving inventive tacos, burgers, and more sophisticated global fare. They also cater as Riffs Fine Street Food and have expanded into pop-up-restaurant concepts. (While you’ll often find them at Centennial Park for Musicians Corner as noted in the address above, it’s best to keep up with them through social media or on the Nashville Food Truck Association free app.)

Nashville has 108 parks and 19 greenways in its 12,000 acres of open space. One of the most beloved parks, called Centennial, is an urban park with 132 acres in the West End area of town. It’s home to a replica of the Parthenon, representing Nashville’s role as the “Athens of the South,” and many events such as Musicians Corner, a free live music series, and Shakespeare in the Park.