Nashville is an incredible destination for any traveler looking for adventure, fun, and unforgettable experiences. This applies to every month of the year, however, if you’ve considered visiting Nashville for a while, and you’re not sure what time of year would be best, June might be the time to buy your tickets.

There are endless opportunities for events, and activities that you likely wouldn’t be able to experience during another time of year, or a different period of summer.

Below are our top five favorite events and activities coming up for the month of June.

Our Top 5 Picks

1. Take a ride on the General Jackson Showboat. Take the boat tour of a lifetime on a showboat booked with Nashville’s most popular artists where you’ll be served delectable meals as you traverse the Cumberland River. The General Jackson Showboat operates from early spring to late fall, making June their peak season.

2. See your favorite bands at the 2023 CMA Music Festival. The CMA Music Festival is happening from June 8th to 11th at Nissan Stadium. See all of your favorite country artists and bands!

3. See Matchbox Twenty at the Bridgestone Arena. Matchbox Twenty is coming to Bridge Stone arena on June 25th!

4. Walk through Cheekwood Estate and Gardens. Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in Nashville, where you’ll find botanical gardens, beautiful landscaping, sculpture gardens, and historic landmarks all in one place. It’s open year-round but June is a fantastic time to fully enjoy all there is to see.

5. Get your splash on at Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort. Nashville’s waterpark is a great way to cool off during the scorching days of June.

Other Great June Activities To Do In Nashville

Go on a kayak river tour

For the adventurous at heart, kayaking the Cumberland River could be an exciting activity for June. For more experienced kayakers, going alone might be more ideal, but for those who have less than expert kayaking skills, there are guides available.

One frequently recommended guide is River Queen Voyages, which offer a variety of different packages, including guided tours, scavenger hunts, and kayak rentals. River Queen Voyages operates between March and November.

Visit Arrington Vineyards

Arrington Vineyards is a fantastic way to spend a summer afternoon in June. There are beautifully manicured outdoor seating options for you and your friends and family to sit and enjoy a glass of locally crafted wine, or participate in a tasting, no reservations needed!

There are different packages available for unique experiences, including a group tasting, and a food and wine pairing session, both led by an experienced sommelier.

See a show at Blackberry Jam

Boyd Mill Farm, which is located just outside of Nashville, puts on a music festival in June every year called Blackberry Jam. They feature some of the area's most talented and well-known local musicians and tend to draw sizeable crowds.

An added bonus? Boyd Mill Farm is a blackberry farm that allows pick-your-own sales. So you can go see your favorite local band play and also come home with your own stash of blackberries, or snack on them there as you enjoy the music.

Tour Fort Negely

Fort Negely is a historic site from the Civil War era that now serves as an educational resource for Nashville’s local residents and visitors. Here you can learn about the Union army’s stronghold in Nashville that held off the Confederate army from progressing into their territory.

Additionally, there is a beautifully landscaped park surrounding the stoic stone fort itself, so you can fully take advantage of the warm June weather and throw the frisbee around or take your dog for a nice long walk.

Attend O-Festival

O-Festival is a grassroots music festival that features Alternative Rock, Rap, Hip Hop, and EDM, and takes place at Further Farm, right outside of downtown Nashville.

Tickets are typically in the $100 range, but the shows will last all day for three days, starting June 30th. In addition to music, there are also food and gift vendors available, as well as a variety of unique performance artists including contortionists, fire-breathers, bellydancers, jugglers, and many more.

LCD Soundsystem at the Great Lawn

Indie-synth rock band, LCD Soundsystem is headlining what is likely to be one of the most exciting concerts of the year at the Great Lawn.

The show starts at 4:00 pm on June 23rd at the Great Lawn, located right next to Centennial Park. Openers include Jamie xx, IDLES, and L’Rain. For ticketing and more information, visit the website.

Go camping or backpacking

June is the perfect time to enjoy one of the Nashville area’s many breathtaking camping and backpacking areas; the weather is warm, but not too warm, and the trails have gone through the necessary maintenance needed to foster an enjoyable experience for campers and thru-hikers.

There are many beautiful places to choose from for your camping or backpacking adventure. One popular suggestion is Fall Creek Falls, a state park featuring a stunning waterfall, and a plethora of campsites.

Summer Solstice Sound Bath at Bluestem Wellness

For those who are into alternative medicine, or those who may be curious, Bluestem Wellness coordinates several sound baths every year. The summer solstice sound bath, which falls on June 24th this year, is one of the more popular sound bath events of the year and is worth checking out.

A sound bath includes the use of many different healing practices and equipment, including crystal work, gongs, and singing bowls. The benefits claimed by participants include relaxation and the lowering of blood pressure.

Attend Nashville Pride Festival

The largest Pride event in the state of Tennessee is the Nashville Pride Festival which takes place on June 24th and 25th at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall.

There will be a wide range of activities and events taking place including the Pride Parade, arts and crafts, food and beverage vendors, a dance party, and many more celebrating the community’s LGBT members and culture.

Go fishing

Is there any activity more reminiscent of the warm days of June than fishing? Nothing says Summer like a couple of lines out in the lake and a cold one in your hand.

The Nashville area has some fantastic fishing holes to cast off of, including Percy Priest Lake, a beautiful recreational area just outside of Nashville that is stocked with Largemouth Bass, crappies, catfish, trout, and sunfish. Bring the boat along, or cast off the dock!

Country Lax Fest

Country Lax Fest, the largest lacrosse event of the year takes place at Drake’s Creek Park in Nashville on June 3rd and 4th. Over 70 teams of all age groups, from all over the state, will compete for the championship.

For registration of your own team, ticketing, or other information, make sure to check out the website!

Go ziplining at The Adventure Park

Ziplining is a fantastic activity for both families and single adults. The Adventure Park offers a unique view of the Nashville area’s unique beauty by ziplining through lush canopies and wooded trails.

The summer schedule for ziplining at The Adventure Park starts on May 31st and ends on July 30th making June the perfect time for ziplining! Make sure to read all of the safety and booking information before reserving your spot.

Fisk Food and Music Festival

The Fisk Food and Music Festival is a free festival that takes place at Fisk University every year. This year the festival will take place on June 24th, and typically goes all day.

There is delicious food available and a wide assortment of jazz and blues artists to play for the local community. There is also a kids’ area so you can bring the whole family for some wholesome entertainment.

Go for a hike

Perhaps the simplest summer outdoor activity, but also one of the most rewarding! Hiking is great exercise, and you can easily experience the beauty of the local natural areas and parks.

There are many great places to choose from for hiking adventures, but one of the more popular options in the Nashville area is Radnor Lake State Park, which features well-kept trails, a beautiful lake, a breathtaking waterfall, and plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities.

Kid’s Construction Fun Festival

Nashville doesn’t always have the best reputation for having very many kid-friendly events  —  but there are plenty if you know where to look. One of the more unique kid-friendly events of the year, Kid’s Construction Fun Festival, takes place just outside of Nashville on June 3rd.

The main event of this festival is the opportunity for kids interested in construction to get up close and explore machines such as bulldozers, front loaders, and steamrollers.

Shania Twain at GEODIS Park

The best-selling female country artist of all time is coming to Nashville on June 7th, and performing at GEODIS Park as part of her Queen of Me Tour. Come see her perform all of her classic hits.

Tickets for this incredibly anticipated event will likely sell out fast, so be sure to book your tickets well in advance.

Go on a guided tour of Nashville

Guided city tours are a fun and interesting way to truly view a city up close. There are so many different guided tours to choose from including brewery hops, party busses, themed tours, walking tours  —  the list goes on. One of the most simple, yet popular tours, however, is the Old Town Trolley Tours Company.

There are several different packages and options to choose from, but whatever one you go with, you are guaranteed a stress-free, and informative way to experience Nashville.

Come see The Makeup Show

If you're into makeup, beauty trends, and the latest fashion, get ready for The Makeup Show, an intensive makeup event that takes place at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville on June 24th and 25th.

You’ll have access to exciting live makeup tutorials, a close look at upcoming products from makeup designers around the world, and get the opportunity to meet and interact with famous makeup artists. Tickets are sold for either day or both days, but a discount will be applied to both-day tickets.

Bike the greenway

What many people don’t know about Nashville is that there has been a great effort in creating an expansive network of greenways for cyclists and pedestrians.

You can get to most parts of the city through this network, and along the way, you’ll get to see some of the beautiful parks and natural areas that the city has to offer for recreation. Pack a lunch and a good book and stop for a break on your ride or walk.

See Styx at the Ryman Auditorium

One of classic rock’s most popular bands, Styx is coming to Nashville and playing at one of the most iconic venues of the city  —  the Ryman Auditorium, the place where the Grand Ole Opry got its start.

The show is booked for June 17th and 18th, starting at 7:30 pm. Tickets are currently on sale, but they likely won't be for long, as Styx has sold out many times before.