You came for trailers. Stay for the parts of Tennessee that don’ t have a cover charge.
NATDATRAILER SHOW
Off the Show Floor: 4 Nashville Spots Worth the Detour
You came for trailers. Stay for the parts of Tennessee that don’ t have a cover charge.
A quick visit can be as simple as walking the shoreline, finding a quiet spot by the water, or watching the afternoon drift by. Before heading back downtown, be sure to stop into Homegrown Taproom in Donelson for scratch-made comfort food and a cold Tennessee craft beer.
Puckett’ s in Franklin
25 minutes south of downtown Franklin’ s Main Street has no shortage of places to eat, but Puckett’ s remains one of the town’ s best-known stops for a reason. Puckett’ s has been drawing hungry visitors to downtown Franklin for years with slowsmoked barbecue, Southern favorites, and live music. Step outside after dinner and you’ re already in the middle of one of Tennessee’ s best-preserved downtowns, where historic storefronts, local businesses, and a relaxed pace make it easy to linger awhile.
The show floor will keep you busy, but every trip to Nashville deserves a little time off the clock. Beyond the convention center, you’ ll find backroads, barbecue, live music, and a few local favorites that don’ t make every tourist checklist. If you have a free afternoon or an extra evening, start here.
Leiper’ s Fork
40 minutes south via the Natchez Trace Parkway The route to Leiper’ s Fork winds through horse country, past split-rail fences and stretches of the Natchez Trace Parkway that haven’ t changed much in decades. Once there, you’ ll find art galleries, local shops, and front porches where conversations tend to move at their own pace. Fox & Locke remains a favorite gathering spot, serving meat-and-three plates, biscuits, and live music inside a former country store. Pair it with a stop in nearby Franklin and you’ ve got a side of Middle Tennessee that’ s easy to miss from downtown.
Bluebird Cafe
15 minutes south in Green Hills Hidden inside an unassuming shopping center, the Bluebird Cafe has earned legendary status by keeping things simple. Songwriters sit in the round, trading songs and stories in a room small enough to hear every lyric. It’ s where many Nashville hits were first performed long before they reached the radio. Skip the Broadway crowds and book a seat here instead. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Percy Priest Lake
20 minutes east of downtown When you need a break from convention halls and hotel meeting rooms, Percy Priest Lake offers 14,000 acres of fresh air and open water.
Bonus Stop: Third Man Records
5 minutes from downtown in The Gulch Short on time? Third Man Records is an easy outing in Nashville. Founded by Jack White, the shop doubles as a record label, live venue, and vinyl pressing operation. You can watch records being made, browse exclusive releases, and experience a side of Nashville’ s music culture that goes far beyond the honky-tonks. Fair warning: Third Man Records can be touristy, and you’ re still in the downtown orbit. Make the Most of Your Nashville Visit The NATDA Trailer Show may be the reason you’ re in town, but Nashville has plenty to offer once the show floor closes. Grab a meal, catch a songwriter’ s set, explore a small town, or spend an afternoon outdoors. You might leave with new connections and a recommendation for the best spot to relax within 30 miles.
Consider this your official detour route. Follow the signs to the show floor, then follow the locals everywhere else. Plan your NATDA Trailer Show trip at natdatrailershow. com and see what else is happening in Nashville: visitmusiccity. com / client / natda-trailer-show
60 The Haul www. natda. org