The 10 Best Fall Adventures in Nashville's Big Back Yard

Enjoy Brilliant Fall Foliage Along The Historic Natchez Trace Parkway

LEIPER'S FORK, Tenn., Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nashville's Big Back Yard is a fall splendor, with more than 50 species of leaf-changing trees showcased along scenic vistas, rivers, parks and all throughout the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. NBBY is anchored by 100 miles of the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, with great fall adventures to explore around every turn.

Don't miss a ride down the Trace, one of America's oldest roads. The 444-mile-long National Park features beautiful scenery and historical sites from Nashville, TN, through the Big Back Yard, The Shoals of Alabama, all the way to Natchez, MS. Natchez Trace Parkway

Talk about not-to-be-missed events, The National Banana Pudding Festival takes place in Centerville, TN, Oct. 4-5. Enjoy great music, the NBP Cook-off, and "The Puddin' Path," where guests sample scrumptious banana pudding recipes. Visit National Banana Pudding Festival.

Shoals Fest, Jason Isbell's premiere music festival in Florence, Alabama's McFarland Park, is happening Oct. 11-12. Muscle Shoals music gets top billing this fall as the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum in Nashville opens its next major exhibit, Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising, on November 14.

BBQ and fall in Tennessee are synonymous, and the small town of Mt. Pleasant hosts the Mid-South Barbecue Festival starting at 10 a.m., Oct. 18 with music, art, costume contests and lots of delicious Q. Mid-South Barbecue Festival

Oak Grove Lavendar Farm in Hohenwald, TN, welcomes visitors to their Fall Festival, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Oct. 18, featuring artisan vendors, tasty seasonal eats, mini pumpkin patch and the fragrance of lavender wafting through the air. Oak Grove Lavendar Farm Fall Festival.

This fall, in the historic village of Leiper's Fork, Patina Home & Garden, Leiper's Creek Gallery, and David Arms present Ember, a harvest of art and antiques, happening from 5-8 p.m., CDT, Oct. 25. This year's Fork Fest features iconic singer-songwriter Pat McLaughlin at the Lawnchair Theatre, 3 p.m. CDT, Oct. 26.  Pickin' Leiper's Fork, the 9^th Annual Antiques and Vintage Show, is happening Nov. 14, 15, and 16 at PROPS.

Nestled in a rural corner of Waynesboro, TN, is the only known double-span natural bridge in the Northern Hemisphere. The Bridges set the stage for unforgettable experiences, from comfortable accommodations, to hiking, to delightful dining options.

Lodging options:
Fork And Field Cottages in Leiper's Fork, TN
GunRunner Hotel in Florence, AL
Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa in Florence, AL
The Commodore Hotel in Linden, TN
The Stricklin Hotel in Florence, AL
Woodland Parkview Motel in Lawrenceburg

Visit Nashville's Big Back Yard.

SOURCE Nashville’s Big Back Yard