Summer Bucket List

Let’s give it up for June, shall we? As a summer gal through and through, it’s the first month I feel like I settle back into fun again. Spontaneous late night ice cream runs, Sundays spent by the pool, outdoor movies, sun settings at 8 p.m. I love every part of June. It also kicks off my summer bucket list! Here are a few things I divulge every summer that are either local here in Nashville or just a short drive away.

Share yours in the comments below!

Outdoor Movies

What is it about an outdoor movie that just feels special and nostalgic? Ever since high school, it’s been a tradition to visit Stardust Drive-In. In addition to showing new movies, they also show throwbacks which just makes the experience more fun. They still run on less than $10 tickets! My summer doesn’t feel complete without a trip to Stardust. Aside from my annual visit there, here are a few other spots to catch an outdoor movie in the summertime:

Nashville Film Festival: Movies in the Park

Every Thursday in June — Cost: Free! Location: Elmington Park

NightLight 615:

Nashville’s 21+ Outdoor Movie Series

Alternating Thursdays + Fridays from June - October — Cost: $16.56 Location: Bicentennial Park

Build-Your-Own Outdoor Movie Scene

Amazon, baby! Create your own outdoor summer movie experience 🎥

Annual Jaws Movie Night

Alongside an outdoor movie moment is our annual Jaws night. Nothing says summer like the movie that was dubbed the first summer blockbuster ever and my friends and I make a whole evening of it. The menu normally consists of fish or bang bang shrimp tacos and a themed cocktail + dessert.

Shopping + Thrifting in Bell Buckle

Y’all… Bell Buckle is kind of my best kept secret. It’s a little slice of small town heaven that the tourists that come to Nashville haven’t found yet. Just under an hour away south from downtown lies a town of about 400 people with preserved and resorted Victorian homes and the cutest town square you’ll ever see. Bell Buckle has a handful of thrift and antique shops along with a café that has the best of the best Southern fixins. Plus, the drive out there is beautiful. If I don’t make it in the summer, I make sure to get there in the fall. My favorite parts are seeing the vintage Halloween and Christmas knick knacks and decor items:

Thrifting + Belew’s

My three best friends and I started a newer summer tradition just last year! With one (Ashley!) being from western Kentucky, she showed us all of the treasure troves it had to offer. An hour and a half from Nashville lies Belew’s, a roadside dairy bar with the best burgers and shakes. Down the street from there is one of my favorite places to thrift: The Hitching Post.

Holiday World

Here’s a hot take: Nashville Shores is LAME. It’s overpriced and just isn’t giving what I need from a park and that’s a THRILL. Only two and a half hours away in Santa Claus, Indiana (it’s a real place, y’all) is Holiday World. An amusement and water park all in one with sections of the park divided up by, well, holidays. Themed rides, food stands, and restaurants at each one, too! Your ticket gets you entry to both parks where free sunscreen, free soft drinks, and free parking await. For the Disney fans, Holiday World also sells Dole Whip (which absolutely deserves capitalization for its spelling). It’s clean, affordable, and just like the others, not really summer until we visit!

What are your summer musts?