By Victoria Scott

If you’re tired of the “same old, same old” Saturday night routine, consider mixing it up with the First Saturday Art Crawl. This popular and free event in downtown Nashville takes place during the first Saturday of every month and attracts upwards of 1,000 guests. It showcases art of various styles and genres, and the participating galleries often provide free refreshments. This allows you to sample delicious beverages as you explore the art and even converse with the artists directly.

But don’t worry about feeling claustrophobic when surrounded by hundreds of fellow art aficionados. Galleries throughout downtown Nashville open their doors for this monthly event, and attendees typically spread out across the numerous locations rather quickly. This will leave you with plenty of breathing room to appreciate stunning works by Nashville residents and world-renowned artists alike.

Even better, you won’t have to trudge across downtown Nashville in frigid weather or drive between galleries after a few glasses of free wine. The event provides free trolleys from 6-10PM (the event runs from 6-9PM), which follow a loop through the downtown area and stop at the galleries along the way.

If you’ve always wanted to sneak a peek at the legendary Hatch Show Print’s Haley Gallery or the community exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame, now is your chance! If instead, you’d prefer to see as much art as possible with minimal time and effort, head straight to the Historic Arcade off Union Street, which houses no fewer than 18 participating galleries in one convenient location!

This popular event reflects the city’s vibrant community and growing artistic presence and as such, they regularly add additional galleries to the circuit. So, even if you join the art crawl one month, it’s worth returning in future months, as you’ll get to explore entirely new exhibits. If you’re interested in a specific artist or exhibit, you can find a list of the participating galleries here.

Mark your calendar, because the next First Saturday Art Crawl is just around the corner, on March 5th, and it promises some of the most exceptional art to date!

Map by the Nashville Downtown Partership