Tennessee Events

Bonnaroo, held each June since 2002 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, is Tennessee's best-known music festival, drawing tens of thousands of visitors across genres from rock to hip-hop to bluegrass; the festival has occasionally taken planned years off, so confirm current-year dates before planning a trip. Nashville hosts CMA Fest each June, a major country-music gathering, and the Bristol Motor Speedway holds NASCAR race weekends that draw large crowds to the Tennessee-Virginia border.

Memphis's Beale Street Music Festival and citywide barbecue competitions each spring celebrate the city's musical and culinary heritage, and Chattanooga and Nashville both host numerous smaller festivals through the warmer months. Confirm exact dates with each event's organizer before travelling, as most shift year to year.