Christmas Village runs November 13 to 15, 2026 at The Fairgrounds Nashville. General admission opens at 9:00 AM on Friday and closes at 9:00 PM that night. A $10 return ticket lets a visitor leave the building and come back. The ticket sells in person at the Village Information Booth, and the organiser requires the purchase before the visitor leaves on the first day.
That rule changes the shape of the visit. Twelve hours become two blocks with a gap between them.
The three public days
Friday, November 13 runs 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Saturday, November 14 runs 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sunday, November 15 runs 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Photos with Santa follow the same clock, and the organiser asks visitors to bring a camera. A fourth session runs Thursday, November 12 from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. That session belongs to Sneak-A-Peek, which runs 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM by invitation. The request window closed September 15, and the site sends anyone without one to check back after November 1.
How the return ticket works
The return ticket costs $10 at the Village Information Booth. The ticket block describes it as in-person and cash only. A FAQ answer on the same page reads that cash will not be accepted for general admission tickets bought at the door or for return tickets bought at the booth, and that merchants accept cash and cards. Confirm the payment method at the booth before joining a queue.
Other prices on that page: $15 for a standard online ticket, $12 each for a group of 10 or more, and free admission for children 9 and under. A FAQ answer adds $12 advance tickets at select TRUIST locations from October 5. The standard-ticket bullet dates online sales from August 1, and the FAQ dates online sales from October 1.
Splitting Friday
Friday holds twelve hours. A visitor can take the morning block, leave in the early afternoon, and return for the evening block.
The Dayuse read of Nashville on 24 October 2026 returned 20 priced day rooms. The range runs $66 to $170, the mean is $96.80, and booking fees of $5 to $10 sit inside those figures. Distances below are straight-line from the Fairgrounds address at 500 Wedgewood Avenue.
Best Western Plus Music Row: $112, one window from 10:00 to 18:00, 1.79 miles.
Holiday Inn Express Nashville Downtown - Broadway: $115, one window from 10:00 to 17:00, 2.04 miles.
Hampton Inn Nashville / Vanderbilt: $85, windows from 8:00 to 14:00, 10:00 to 16:00 and 17:00 to 23:00, 2.20 miles.
Waymore's Guest House: $107, windows from 9:00 to 15:00, 10:00 to 17:00 and 15:00 to 20:00, 3.00 miles.
Hilton Nashville Green Hills: $118, windows from 8:00 to 14:00 and 10:00 to 17:00, 3.34 miles.
Those windows set the shape of the split. A 10:00 to 16:00 window covers the middle of Friday and leaves five hours before the 9:00 PM close. A 17:00 to 23:00 window covers the hours after the close.
Sunday morning, before the noon gate
Sunday opens at 12:00 PM and closes at 6:00 PM. The morning sits outside the show. Hampton Inn Nashville / Vanderbilt runs a window from 8:00 to 14:00 at $85, and Hilton Nashville Green Hills runs 8:00 to 14:00 at $118. Either window covers the hours before the noon gate.
Access on the floor
The organiser publishes one accessibility line: we do not rent wheelchairs, however, we are ADA accessible. The same page bans strollers, carts and wagons. Service animals enter, and pets do not.
Accessible parking sits in Lot 11 and the Show Arena. A drop-off area sits in front of the expo building entrance, entered from Wedgewood Avenue. Two public entrances are open, and the organiser points drivers at the Craighead Street entrance via Nolensville Pike, Bransford Avenue or I-440. The rideshare drop-off sits at Wedgewood Avenue and Rains Avenue.
Parking is free for all attendees this year, underwritten by Christmas Village. A FAQ answer on cash still carries a $10 cash-only Fairgrounds parking line.
Who runs the show
The Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club opened the first Christmas Village in 1961 and has held the event at the Fairgrounds since 1968. More than 200 volunteers staff it. The 2025 edition donated $770,000 and brought cumulative giving past $16 million. The Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center and its Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute take the proceeds, along with the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg.
The 2026 merchant list carries 255 booths from 25 states. A FAQ answer estimates 30,000 shoppers a year.
A patron contribution of $100 or more buys all-weekend access including Sneak-A-Peek. Donations had to arrive by October 22, 2026 to appear in the program guide. Online donations stay open through November 12. The information line is 615-256-2726.
Booking the room
hotelslots.org lists 222 hotels in Nashville and asks visitors to request rates. The platform sells four time slots: Morning 6AM-12PM, Afternoon 12PM-6PM, Evening 6PM-12AM and Overnight 12AM-6AM. The site charges no booking fee, and the guest pays the hotel directly.
The Friday split works either way: a 10:00 window against the afternoon gap, or a 17:00 window against the drive home.
