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Artober

October is National Arts & Humanities Month! Join ABC in celebrating Nashville's vibrant arts + cultural landscape through Artober Nashville.

artober

Nashville's celebration of National arts & humanities month

This Artober, we’re celebrating the arts—and the impact they make across Nashville and Tennessee.

From supporting local jobs and businesses to expanding opportunities for students, arts and culture help our communities thrive. Sustaining that impact takes all of us: elected leaders, businesses, foundations, and individuals. Nashville’s arts ecosystem needs to be seen, supported, and invested in to keep creativity at the heart of our city.

As the Arts + Business Council celebrates 20 years, this Artober we're highlighting why the arts deserve our attention, investment, and participation.

Explore the facts in our latest blog post, then consider how you can help sustain the creativity that makes Nashville special.

‍Help shape the future of the arts in Nashville!

‍Tell local civic and business leaders why arts and culture matter to you, keep arts and culture in mind at the ballot box, and show your support by attending a local arts event (Check out the list below! And we hope you’ll join us at Big Night for the Arts!)

Artober Events

Date
Event
Hosting Organization
Description
October 1, 2026
International Black Film Festival
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International Black Film Festival
September 30 - October 4, 2026. International Black Film Festival (IBFF) is Tennessee’s only African American-established film festival. IBFF showcases independent films from around the world, elevates underserved voices, connects filmmakers with industry leaders, and offers workshops, panels, and networking opportunities. The festival fosters education, creativity, economic growth, and community engagement through diverse, family-friendly programming.
October 2, 2026
Giselle
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Nashville Ballet
Artistic Director and CEO Nick Mullikin presents his first full-length ballet with his own unique interpretation of the hauntingly beautiful tale of Giselle. Complete with reinvigorated sets and costumes, new choreography, and live accompaniment by the Nashville Symphony, witness this tragic love story on our main stage for the first time since 2009. Find yourself caught in the moonlit shadows with the veiled Wilis’ dark desire for revenge...but this time, redemption is not so certain. October 2-4.
October 3, 2026
My Diary by Atlanta-based artist Jackson Markovic
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Neue Welt
Neue Welt is pleased to present My Diary by Atlanta-based artist Jackson Markovic. Opening Saturday, October 3rd from 5-8 PM, this free exhibition is about consumption and growing up in the seven years from 19 to 26 where nothing really extraordinary happens.
October 8, 2026
Nashville Opera
Experience the raw intensity of Puccini’s most cinematic masterpiece. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of 1800s Rome, TOSCA is a classic opera about a high-stakes race against time where passion and politics collide. Performances are at TPAC's Jackson Hall on October 8 and 10 at 7:30 PM.
October 9, 2026
48th Annual Fall Tennessee Craft Fair
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Tennessee Craft
The 48th Annual Fall Tennessee Craft Fair 2026 is open for free to the public Oct. 9, 10, & 11, 2026, outdoors in the heart of Nashville at beautiful Centennial Park, adjacent to the iconic Parthenon. The show is ranked in the top 25 of premier craft art fairs in the country. Attracting approximately 45,000 visitors annually, an opportunity for artists to directly meet and engage patrons, collectors, and the public. This juried art show presents traditional and contemporary fine craft, handmade by ~200 individual artists.
October 9, 2026
Silence! The Musical
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Street Theatre Company
Silence! The Musical is a raucous parody of The Silence of the Lambs. F.B.I. trainee Clarice Starling uses her relationship with Dr. Hannibal Lecter to hunt serial killer Buffalo Bill. The film is transformed into a full-scale musical, complete with singing serial killers & a chorus of tap-dancing lambs. October 9-24, 2026. 18+ only
October 16, 2026
Death Drop: A Drag Murder Mystery
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Woven Theatre Company
October 16-31: Death Drop! is back at Play Dance Bar, and she’s out for blood! Whether you survived last time or you’re stepping into the crime scene for the very first time, this year’s whodunit is serving fresh chaos, deadlier drama, and killer lip syncs. Welcome to the Miss Evening Delight Serve Off, where Nashville's fiercest queens compete for the crown. But when the lights go out, one diva drops dead—and the doors are locked. Think you know who did it? Think again.
October 19, 2026
2027 Porch Year Fiction Cohort Info Session
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The Porch
Join this free, virtual info session to learn about the 2027 Fiction Porch Year Cohort, meet the Teaching Mentor, and ask questions to see if your fiction project is a good fit. Free to attend! This event will be recorded and posted online afterwards.
October 23, 2026
Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories
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PYDANCE and Bubblegum Theater
PYDANCE, in partnership with Bubblegum Theater, is proud to present Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories, an immersive murder mystery experience that invites audiences to uncover the ghostly secrets lurking within the DarkHorse Theater. An extension of PYDANCE's award-winning Murder of Crows series, Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories blends contemporary dance, physical theater, and immersive storytelling into a haunting theatrical experience.
October 23, 2026
Line Breaks Literary Reading Series: Back to Where It All Began
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Global Education Center
Line Breaks, one of Nashville's oldest community-based reading series, Is dedicated to fostering community by building bridges of understanding between people of diverse cultures and features many local, regional and national poets and storytellers. Poet and performer Thandiwe Shiphrah returns to the series she founded in 2002, join by poet/educator/book artist Kelly Falzone.
October 23, 2026
North Nashville Pre Crawl Mixer
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North Nashville Arts Coalition
Explore the illustrious galleries at Fisk University in a night as we prepare to celebrate 10 Years of Hisotry Making Art on Jefferson Street. Our program for the night consists of live music from the Fisk Band, curated tours of the Fisk art exhibits, theatrical performances in the Little theater and a screening of recently made documentaries regarding Fisk history & culture.
October 24, 2026
2026 William Edmondson Arts & Culture Fest
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Friends of the William Edmondson Homesite Park and Gardens
Celebrate Nashville's rich and diverse arts and culture scene with America's ONLY Art and Craft Fair that celebrates the legacy trailblazing Black artist William Edmondson! Live music and other performances, a Kids Zone full of activities for all ages, and live artist demos. Free admission and parking.This annual event celebrates self-taught sculptor William Edmondson, the first African American to receive a solo exhibit at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1937.
October 24, 2026
Mural Unveiling at Turnip Truck Natural Market’s Harvest Festival
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Urban Green Lab
A new mural coming to Turnip Truck Natural Market’s East location will celebrate the ways food brings us together and inspire our community to waste less of it. Nashville-based artist Acacia Barron has been selected to create the mural as part of Urban Green Lab’s Waste LessTM Mural Project, a partnership with the Arts + Business Council of Greater Nashville and Turnip Truck Natural Market. Join us for the mural unveiling at Turnip Truck's Harvest Festival on October 24th from 11am to 2pm.
October 24, 2026
Culture Crawl 2026: 10th Anniversary Edition
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North Nashville Arts Coalition
A decade of Black art, music and culture on Jefferson Street. Free gallery shows, live music & art making. October 24, 2026. Don't miss it.
October 24, 2026
Nashville Jazz Festival
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Nashville Jazz Workshop
October 24 + 25: The second annual Nashville Jazz Festival returns for two nights of jazz and improvisational music, following a sold-out debut in 2025. This year’s lineup brings together legends and rising voices across generations, including Kirk Whalum, Rod McGaha, Dara Starr Tucker, and Chester Thompson, alongside a special “Super Nova” performance featuring Bill Evans and Jeff Coffin with Keith Carlock. Presented by Nashville Jazz Workshop, the festival celebrates the depth and range of Nashville’s jazz community while raising funds for the organization’s year-round education programs — from first lessons to lifelong learning. Come hear where Music City’s jazz scene is headed next.
October 24, 2026
Before We Had Names - Artist Talk
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NNAC, Woodcuts Gallery
Before We Had Names group exhibition artist talk. Check out IG: Art by Marteja & Woodcuts Gallery for more information. In celebration of the 10th year anniversary of the NNAC Culture Crawl.
October 24, 2026
North Nashville Culture Crawl
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North Nashville Arts Coalition
The 10th Anniversary North Nashville Culture Crawl is our biggest milestone yet — a free, all-day celebration of 10 years of Black creative culture in 37208. Multiple curated art shows. Live music. Creative activations. Community programming. And the people who have made this corridor one of the most vibrant creative neighborhoods in the South.
October 28, 2026
Dia de los Muertos
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Nashville Ballet
Back by popular demand after completely selling out in 2024, this one-of-a-kind performance pulls inspiration from the paintings of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Choreographed by Maria A. Konrad, Día de los Muertos ignites imaginations across all ages through a performance that can only be described as sheer joy. Immerse yourself in an event that bridges tradition with Nashville's cultural landscape, promising an unforgettable journey into the heart of this beloved holiday. October 28 - November 1.
1900 Belmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212
615-460-8274
© 2026 Arts + Business Council of Greater Nashville, Inc. All rights reserved.