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Two people in winter jackets stand smiling in front of a Nashville pond with trees decorated with colorful, illuminated lights at night.

A Magical Nashville Night: Christmas Lights, Friends, and Festive Vibes

Abigail Toy

I’m so excited to share with you our enchanting night trip to Nashville. It was seriously one for the books filled with twinkling lights, amazing food, and the best company. Let me take you through our festive journey!

Two people in winter jackets stand smiling in front of a Nashville pond with trees decorated with colorful, illuminated lights at night.

Kicking Off the Night at Emmy Squared

We started our evening at Emmy Squared, and let me tell you, it was such a vibe! Imagine a heated patio, strings of lights overhead, and the most mouthwatering Detroit-style pizza you can imagine. We shared some cheesy garlic sticks too, because why not? It was the perfect way to fuel up for our night of adventure with friends.

Close-up of a rectangular, Detroit-style pizza with a crispy, caramelized cheese edge, tomato sauce, pepperoni, and melted cheese on a cooling rack—bringing a taste of Detroit to Nashville.
A plate of cheesy breadsticks topped with pesto, served with a side of marinara sauce, sits on an outdoor Nashville restaurant table alongside a glass of water and a rolled napkin.
A smiling couple poses for a selfie outdoors in front of a building with a sign that reads "FAMILY SQUARED" during their visit to Nashville.
Outdoor restaurant patio in Nashville with empty tables, chairs, red umbrellas, string lights, and neatly set place settings on a wooden table during the daytime.
Two people wearing grey face masks pose for a selfie outdoors in front of a Nashville building with red umbrellas and a restaurant sign reading "EMMY SQUARED.
A man and woman smiling outdoors in a Nashville parking lot, with cars and storefronts visible in the background on a sunny day.

Cozying Up at RH Courtyard Restaurant

After dinner, we headed to the RH Courtyard Restaurant for some post-dinner lattes and tea. This place is seriously Instagram-worthy! We had the best conversations while soaking in the luxe atmosphere. Of course, we couldn’t resist exploring the RH store and snapping a few (okay, maybe more than a few) photos amidst all that sleek design. It felt like we were living in a magazine spread!

Two people wearing masks and winter jackets take a mirror selfie indoors in Nashville. The man holds a phone, and the woman carries a light blue handbag. The room features decorative lighting and stylish furnishings.
Two people wearing jackets and face masks take a mirror selfie in a room with upholstered chairs, a lamp, and neutral-colored decor.
A woman with long hair and a scarf smiles while sitting at a table, presenting a cup of coffee with heart-shaped latte art.

The Main Event: Cheekwood Holiday Lights

Finally, it was time to see Cheekwood’s Holiday Lights! Guys, it was a Christmas wonderland come to life. We strolled along this stunning path adorned with over a million lights. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was absolutely stunning. The displays paired with the gorgeous atmosphere? Phenomenal doesn’t even begin to cover it.

And get this, they had S’mores stations! We grabbed some seasonal beverages (because ’tis the season, right?) and wandered through the gardens, warm drinks in hand. It was like something out of a Hallmark movie, I swear.

Oh, and we can’t forget the Holiday Marketplace in the Learning Center Great Hall. Talk about festive! It was the perfect spot to pick up some unique gifts and keepsakes. I may have gone a little overboard, but can you blame me?

Two people wearing face masks take a selfie outdoors at night in front of trees decorated with bright purple and white holiday lights.
Trees and shrubs outdoors in Nashville decorated with bright purple, yellow, and blue holiday lights, glowing vividly at night.
Trees and bushes are decorated with bright pink, blue, and white lights, illuminating a nighttime garden scene.
Two marshmallows on sticks are being roasted over a campfire with burning wooden logs in a metal fire pit, creating a cozy Nashville evening scene.
Close-up of a miniature railway track decorated with small lights, set against a blurred background of green foliage and blue lights at night.
Out-of-focus yellow lights create a blurred bokeh effect against a dark Nashville night background.
Strings of small white lights outline shapes in the dark, with a hint of green lights in the background.
Two people pose playfully back-to-back in a narrow, glass-block corridor with overhead beams and illuminated floor panels, capturing the vibrant energy of Nashville.
A large, sculpted creature resembling a crouching hare or rabbit is illuminated at night in a dark Nashville forest setting.
Museum plaque for "Crawling Lady Hare, 1997" by Sophie Ryder. Discover more about this artwork in Nashville by scanning the QR code for an audio guide. Please do not touch or climb on the sculpture.
Two people stand smiling together at night in a Nashville park decorated with large, geometric, glowing holiday light displays and illuminated trees.
Out-of-focus image of numerous green and blue circular lights against a dark background, creating a bokeh effect reminiscent of Nashville’s vibrant nightlife.
Out-of-focus image capturing green bokeh lights on the left and blue, teal, and white blurred light shapes in the background, evoking a dreamy Nashville nightscape against a dark setting.
Several cone-shaped structures in Nashville are illuminated at night, covered in green, white, blue, and purple lights against a dark background.
Two people stand outdoors at night in front of brightly lit trees and diamond-shaped light displays, with grass and bare trees visible in the background.
Colorful geometric light sculptures and a tree wrapped in blue lights illuminate a dark outdoor area, creating reflections on the ground.
A tree and nearby shapes in Nashville are decorated with blue, white, purple, and green holiday lights, glowing against a dark background.
A tree trunk wrapped in blue string lights stands in the foreground, with diamond-shaped light displays in green, white, purple, and pink visible in the background at night.
A tree wrapped in blue lights near a pond in Nashville. Three illuminated geometric sculptures, glowing purple, white, and pink, are reflected in the water, with leafless trees casting shadows in the background.
A nighttime outdoor scene in Nashville with trees and bushes illuminated by colorful lights, including purple, pink, yellow, and blue hues against a dark background.
Trees and ground are illuminated with blue, purple, and green lights at night in Nashville, with decorated conical structures and glowing bushes visible in the background.
A tree wrapped in white and blue lights stands in the foreground; illuminated, tree-shaped decorations glow in the background on a grassy area at night.
Two people stand close together outside at night in Nashville, smiling in front of trees decorated with blue and white holiday lights.
Two people wearing gray masks pose for a selfie in front of trees decorated with colorful holiday lights at night. #CHEEKWOODLIGHTS.
A building in Nashville is illuminated in the background with decorative lights on trees; a golf cart and a few people are visible in the dimly lit foreground.
A woman holding a marshmallow on a skewer stands outdoors at night in Nashville, with trees wrapped in yellow holiday lights glowing in the background.
A person smiling and holding a s'more at night in Nashville, with illuminated trees and lights glowing in the blurred background.
Close-up view of burning firewood with bright orange and yellow flames, capturing charred wood textures reminiscent of a cozy Nashville evening.
A person smiling and holding a dessert with marshmallow filling, with illuminated trees and Nashville holiday lights twinkling in the background.
A miniature train track decorated with string lights winds over a large tree stump, surrounded by lit evergreen trees and glowing balloons at night.
A toy train with a face moves along a track lined with small lights in a dimly lit, Nashville-inspired, forest-themed setting.
A wreath decorated with blue lights and a small house ornament is mounted on a tree trunk in Nashville, illuminated by blue lighting in a dark setting.
A model train passes by a Christmas tree with red lights, set against a blue-lit rocky backdrop inspired by Nashville, with string lights illuminating the path.
A blurry image of a model train on tracks, illuminated by small lights, with a teal and blue glowing background reminiscent of Nashville’s vibrant nightlife.
Rows of archways covered in small warm white string lights form a tunnel in the dark, with silhouettes of people walking through—capturing the magical night ambiance often found in Nashville.
A woman kisses a smiling man on the cheek at night in a Nashville park decorated with colorful holiday lights.
Illuminated geometric tree sculptures and a tree wrapped in blue lights create a striking nighttime display against the dark Nashville backdrop.
Leafless trees wrapped in yellow and white string lights line a paved path at night, with a sign and potted plants visible in the foreground.
Two people stand outside at night in Nashville, smiling at the camera, with trees and bushes decorated with colorful holiday lights in the background.

Cheekwood Mansion: A Festive Dream

The mansion itself was a whole other level of Christmas magic. Every room was decked out in holiday decor, and there was this huge poinsettia tree that literally took my breath away. It felt like we’d stepped into a royal Christmas celebration.

A large cluster of colorful, decorative glass spheres is suspended from the ceiling of a building with exposed beams.

Chihuly at Cheekwood After Dark: A Glowing Finale

As if the night couldn’t get any better, we got to see the Chihuly Exhibit all lit up. Those glass sculptures against the night sky? Absolutely mesmerizing. It was the perfect artistic touch to round out our holiday adventure.

Two people stand close together, smiling, in front of tall red and white glass sculptures in a wooded outdoor setting at night.
A sculpture made of sharp, elongated glass spikes in red, yellow, and orange tones arranged densely against a black background.
Colorful glass sculptures resembling organic shapes are displayed on a dark surface with bright lights, capturing the creative spirit of Nashville, as a person stands in the background.
A close-up of a spiky, tall yellow and red object, possibly a plant or a brush, set against a black background evokes the vibrant artistry found in Nashville.
A building and trees in Nashville are decorated with white and yellow holiday lights at night; two silhouetted people and a golf cart are visible in the foreground.
Close-up of a pointed, dark-edged object illuminated by red light, with other blurred red vertical shapes in the background against a black Nashville night backdrop.
Tall glass sculpture illuminated in red and yellow against a dark background, with small white lights visible in the distance—an iconic sight in Nashville.
A wooden canoe filled with colorful glass balls is illuminated by spotlights in a dark outdoor Nashville setting.
Tall, slender pink and blue glass sculptures are illuminated against a dark outdoor background in Nashville.
A large tree wrapped in yellow holiday lights and a blue spiky light sculpture are displayed at night, with additional string lights along the ground.
A large red and orange glass sculpture is illuminated at night in Nashville, with surrounding trees decorated with white string lights in the background.
Large, spiky orange and red glass sculpture is illuminated at night in Nashville, with several star-shaped lights and a lit archway visible in the dark background.
Large, intricate orange glass sculpture displayed outdoors at night in Nashville, illuminated by spotlights, with blue-lit trees and plants in the background.
A large, intricate glass sculpture with twisting orange and yellow tendrils is illuminated at night, standing on a pedestal in an outdoor garden.
A large, bright orange glass sculpture resembling a fiery tree is illuminated at night in a garden with other trees lit in blue and purple lights.

Wrapping Up Our Nashville Night

I can’t even begin to express how much joy this night brought us. From sharing pizza with friends to wandering through a sea of twinkling lights, every moment was pure magic. We created memories that’ll last a lifetime, and isn’t that what travel is all about?

If you’re ever in Nashville during the holiday season, do yourself a favor and check out Cheekwood’s Holiday Lights. Trust me, it’s an experience you won’t forget. Bring your friends, bring your camera, and prepare to be dazzled!

Until next time, keep exploring and spreading that holiday cheer!

A man and woman stand together under a canopy of hanging lights at night in Nashville, surrounded by bare, winding tree branches.

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