Carriage Rides on the Square
Each Friday through Christmas, carriage rides are offered on the Murfreesboro Public Square at no charge from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Just look for the horsey pulling the white sleigh.
Oaklands Candlelight Tour of Homes – Dec. 1
Usher in the holiday season with an enchanting tour of historic homes with the annual Oaklands Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes from 4–8 p.m. The tour will feature beautiful and historic private homes and the graceful Oaklands Historic House Museum. Set in the historic district of Murfreesboro, stops along the delightful tour will show festively adorned historical homes and churches, dressed in holly and evergreens. For more information, please call (615) 893-0022 or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.
It Was a Civil War Christmas at the Sam Davis Home – Dec. 1
Take a look back in time as you watch the Davis family (1399 Sam Davis Home, Smyrna) prepare their home for Christmas in 1862. Jane Simmons Davis will continue to uphold her family’s Christmas traditions even though the Civil War is making it more difficult to acquire special foods and decorations. The eldest boys are off at war, creating the need for younger siblings to take a more active role in some Christmas traditions. This event is $5 per person and is only offered one day! The historic house will remain decorated throughout the Christmas season. Christmas tours will be available for groups only and can be booked with advanced notice. For more information, please call (615) 459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org.
Second Annual Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting Ceremony – Dec. 1
Mark your calendars for this beautiful nighttime parade that ushers in the holiday season. Immediately following the parade, the annual tree lighting ceremony is held at the La Vergne City Hall (5093 Murfreesboro Rd., La Vergne). Admission is free. For more information, please call (615) 793-6295.
Victorian Holiday Tours for School Groups – Dec. 3–21
Experience Victorian holiday customs through decorations and tales from the past as you tour the elegant Oaklands Mansion (900 North Maney Ave.). The program is available to home school groups and school groups. Reservations required. For more information, please call (615) 893-0022 or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.
Homeschool Holiday Tour – Dec. 6
Home school students are invited to visit Oaklands Mansion (900 North Maney Ave.) for the holidays for the Home School Holiday Tour at 10 a.m. Children will make a period craft or ornament to take home. After making their craft, guests are invited to tour the elegant Oaklands Mansion where children will learn about Victorian holiday customs such as the cobweb room and Saint Nicholas. Admission is $5 per person for both children and adults. Reservations are required and space is limited. Admission is $5 per person. For more information, please call (615) 893-0022 or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.
Alive Hospice’s Grief During the Holidays Seminar – Dec. 6
Alive Hospice’s Grief During the Holidays seminar will be held on Dec. 6, from 6–7:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church (210 N. Spring St.). Admission is free; registration is required. Reservations may be made online at alivegriefsupportservices.eventbrite.org or by calling (615) 907-1677. This free seminar will provide an overview of the grieving process, tips and strategies for coping with grief during the holiday season and a time of remembrance. Interviews with an Alive Hospice grief counselor about the seminar and holiday grief may be arranged in advance by contacting Jared Porter at (615) 346-8358 or jporter@alivehospice.org. For more information, please visit alivehospice.org.
Christmas Cheer in the MTSU Kitchen – Dec. 6
The Student Dietetic Association at MTSU is inviting the community to enjoy a festive, treat-making experience without the muss and fuss in the kitchen. Participants can bake Christmas cookies and make holiday crafts from 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in Room 107, the kitchen lab classroom, of the Ellington Human Sciences Building. The Student Dietetic Association will provide all the cooking ingredients and crafts materials to give this holiday season a personal touch and create a bonding experience for parents and kids. For tickets or more information, contact MarLea Teeple at mdt3n@mtmail.mtsu.edu.
Accounting CPE Day features Tax, Auditing, Ethics Topics – Dec. 6
The fourth annual Department of Accounting CPE Day at Middle Tennessee State University will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in the Business and Aerospace Building’s State Farm Lecture Hall. The conference’s continuing professional education seminars will include presentations on accounting and financial reporting, auditing, taxation and ethics. Sessions include “Financial Accounting Standards,” “Corporate Sustainability Reporting,” “Fraud and Liability Update,” “Tennessee State Specific Ethics,” and many others. Participants can earn up to eight hours of CPE credit. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/accounting or call (615) 898-5306.
Dance Company Presents “The Nutcracker” Ballet and Story Time – Dec. 7
Dance Theatre of Tennessee is proud to present The Nutcracker ballet and story time on Friday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. at Linebaugh Public Library. The Nutcracker has charmed generations; highlighted by Tchaikovsky’s brilliant score, the irresistible story of young Clara, a special gift and her fanciful dream to a world of sugary confection. The Nutcracker ballet and story time is free and open to the public. Feel free to have your kids wear their tutu, princess or favorite dance costume and have a magical afternoon. Actual Nutcracker performances will be held on Dec. 15 and 16 at MTSU’s Tucker Theater. Tickets are available at dancetheatretn.org or calling (615) 391-5500.
Carolina Story
Music in the Wild – Dec. 8
The Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park will host another music-filled evening as local artists perform. Free for all ages on Saturday, Dec. 8, Carolina Story will perform from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Carolina Story consists of husband/wife duo, Ben & Emily Roberts, whose unique sound is rooted in Folk/Americana/Old Country/Roots Music. Their voices blend to create one voice and their harmonies will leave you wanting more. With captivating vocals, acoustic guitars, harmonicas, a kick drum and tambourines, they bring a full sound for just a duo. Enjoy delicious bird-friendly coffee and the company of friends at Music in the Wild. For more information, contact Rachel Singer at (615) 217-3017 or rsinger@murfreesborotn.gov.
13th Annual Granville Country Christmas – Dec. 8
The 13th Annual Granville Country Christmas will be on Dec. 8 in the historic town of Granville, where Christmas is celebrated in a grand fashion. This year’s event is entitled “Winter Wonderland” and will be from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. One of the new features will be storybook reading of Liz Bennett’s, resident of Murfreesboro and retired educator of Rutherford County School System, new book “Roadie, The Big Red Mule”. At the Granville Museum (169 Clover St., Granville) there will be a “Santa’s Workship” for children from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. where children will create gifts for their parents as well as having the opportunity to purchase gifts from 50 cents to $5. At 2 p.m., the Granville Christmas Parade will occur followed by a special visit of Santa at Granville Museum from 2:30–3:30 p.m. Country Christmas will also feature the Christmas Train ride for children as well as numerous other rides. For more information, please call (931) 653-4151 or visit granvilletn.com.
Inspire Bowling Charity Event – Dec. 8
Inspire Bowling Team presents its First Inspire Bowling Charity Event Dec. 8, at 2 p.m., at the Smyrna Bowling Center (95 Weakley Lane, Smyrna); registration begins at 1 p.m. Entry is $20 and will cover shoes and 2 games of 9 pin no-tap. There will be giveaways during bowling and a raffle at the end. For more info, check out Facebook.com/InspireBowlingTeam, visit InspireBowling.com or email InspireBowling@gmail.com. Inspire Bowling Team’s focus is helping and providing financial needs for children and families who have lost one or both parents.
Jefferson Davis
Davis Dinner, Speaker and Tour at Oaklands Historic House Museum – Dec. 13
In commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s visit to Oaklands, you are invited to dinner in Maney Hall (900 North Maney Ave.) where you will hear about the visit and then be treated to a special evening tour of Oaklands Mansion. For more information, please call (615) 893-0022 or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.
Murfreesboro Symphony Concert: Sounds of Christmas – Dec. 14
Get in the holiday spirit with Murfreesboro Symphony’s Sounds of Christmas at First United Methodist Church (265 West Thompson Ln.). The orchestra will join forces with the Murfreesboro Symphony Chorus and tenor, Stephen Smith, to present traditional holiday favorites that everyone will love. Admission is charged. For more information, please call (615) 898-1862 or visit murfreesborosymphony.com.
150th Anniversary Programs at Stones River National Battlefield – Dec. 26
Park rangers and volunteers will present a variety of talks, walks, and battlefield tours that will tell the story of one of the bloodiest and most important battles of the Civil War at Stones River Battlefield (1563 North Thompson Ln.). At 11 a.m.-“They Retreated in Great Confusion”, 1 p.m.-The Approaching Thunder and 2 p.m.-Battlefield Caravan Tour. For more information, please call (615) 893-9501 or click here.
