Fridays by the River starts this Friday, September 11, through October 16 at Riverview Pavilion in Shelby Park. Executive Director of Friends of Shelby Rebecca Ratz says the idea for Fridays by the Rivers came from president and founder of East Nashville Beer Works Anthony Davis, the host partner on the event.
He wanted to have a beer garden in the park and wanted to partner with Friends of Shelby with the event starting out as Saturdays by the River and their continued mission to preserve, enhance, promote Shelby Park and Bottoms.
“We are the group that brings and connects people with the park and helps them find all of the awesome things that go on every day,” Ratz said. “Whether they’re Friends of Shelby events or other organizations or just the resources the park has to offer, like greenways, community centers, golf courses. We just wanna make sure everybody in the community knows that they are welcome in the park and has access to these programs and activities.”
Ratz says Fridays by the River  is a great way to kick off the weekend, describing the atmosphere as relaxed, chill and open with picnic tables set up under these big oak trees at the Riverview Picnic Pavilion, which is right by the Cumberland River in Shelby Park. It’s a place with food trucks, live music, draft beer on tap and non-alcoholic options as well. They’ve created a space for a vibrant energy in the park and another way to connect to community.
“It is a place to come see your neighbors, but also to meet new people,” Ratz said. “You don’t have to be from the east side to come hang out with us. You can cross the river. We don’t bite. It’s a free event to enter, so there’s nothing stopping you. We always want to have our events, whether they’re fundraising or not, be super approachable, easy to access and welcoming for everybody because these parks, all of our parks in Nashville, they belong to our community, they belong to us. Everybody should feel like there is something for them at the park. And that’s my favorite thing about Shelby, is that there is so much going on, there’s just something for everybody at this park, and I think everybody should come out and take more advantage of it.”
Tomorrow night (Sep 10) Isaiah Rashad is at Marathon Music Works and Atta Boy takes the stage at Eastside Bowl. Starting on Friday at the Belcourt Theatre is the 2026 Sundance Film Fest Short Film tour and Saturday (Sep 12) Bitchin Bajas with Ultrafrog and Rich Rich are at The Blue Room. On Sunday (Sep 13) the Tennessee Titans open their 2026 season at Nissan Stadium against the New York Jets. Monday (Sep 14) and Tuesday (Sep 15) Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals are at the Basement East and also on Tuesday Americana Fest kicks off across Nashville.
