Events

Ten days of livestock shows, six stages of music, Fiddlers Grove historic village and more than 60 carnival rides, right up the road in Lebanon. Kids 5 and under get in free.

Ten days of the real thing at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon: carnival rides, livestock shows, agricultural exhibits, live music on several stages, competitions for every age, and fair food you will regret in the best way.Gate hours: Monday–Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to …

Thursday at the fair is built around the kids. Kids Night Events start at 6:30 p.m., with the Doll Parade, the Four Wheeler Rodeo and a Spelling Bee earlier in the evening, plus the Cattle Capers Dairy Show at 7 p.m.Gates open at 4 p.m. and close at 9. Free satellite shuttle from 3 p.m.

Fresh-made pizza on the farm, 4:30 to 8 p.m., and the orchard bills it plainly as good fun for all ages. The cidery runs its own pitcher deal the same night, but the pizza side is the family side.An easy Thursday when nobody at home wants to cook.

A gentle hour on the farm for little ones: a few read-aloud stories, fresh air, and unstructured play in an outdoor setting where nobody minds if a toddler wanders off mid-sentence.Runs 10 to 11 a.m. at Breeden's Orchard on Beckwith Road. Easy to pair with a stop at the market on the way out.

Friday is the loud one. Monster truck rides start when the gates open at 4 p.m. and the Monster Truck Show runs at 6:30, with the Fair Princess Revue on either side of it and live music across the stages until close.Gates 4 to 10 p.m. Free satellite shuttle from 3 p.m.

The best single day of the fair, and the last one. Special Needs Day opens at 9 a.m., followed by School Day Events at 9:30 and a 10 a.m. block that includes the Brick Olympics and a LEGO League Robotics Challenge — a genuine free-to-watch STEM draw parents usually have to drive to Nashville for.Also …

Two hours with the HO-scale layout and the man who knows it best, inside Mt. Juliet's small and genuinely charming train and history museum.

Fresh-made pizza on the farm, 4:30 to 8 p.m., and the orchard bills it plainly as good fun for all ages. The cidery runs its own pitcher deal the same night, but the pizza side is the family side.An easy Thursday when nobody at home wants to cook.

A gentle hour on the farm for little ones: a few read-aloud stories, fresh air, and unstructured play in an outdoor setting where nobody minds if a toddler wanders off mid-sentence.Runs 10 to 11 a.m. at Breeden's Orchard on Beckwith Road. Easy to pair with a stop at the market on the way out.