If there’s one thing Tennessee is known for, it’s music. Okay, okay and whiskey too. But here in the heart of Tennessee, music is a way of life. So, we’ve put together a guide for you to get your tunes in Rutherford County.
Credit: @halloffameismymiddlename 
Credit: Ed Rode
Ready to get into some T-R-O-U-B-L-E? Then raise your beer glasses in salute because country legend Travis Tritt is coming to Hop Springs on April 23rd. Tickets are available online. Hop Springs proudly holds to COVID-19 protocols, offering their guests a safe place to revel in some seriously good times. So, you can feel “Ten Feet Tall” and “Bulletproof” in the comfort of your own pandemic-pod. Additionally, .38 Special will be at Hop Springs on May 15th for a raucous evening of live renditions of all your all-time favorite hits.
Credit: @gallagherguitarbuilders 
Credit: @gallagherguitarbuilders
Get a tour of where music is made. Gallagher Guitar is a custom guitar building shop featuring machinery created by the original owner, J. W. Gallagher. Visitors have the chance to get up close with the guitar building process from selecting the wood and bending its shape to stringing the instrument. Gallagher guitars are built by hand in limited number. Making a Gallagher guitar takes a whopping 3 months and 70-80 hours of labor. Kids 12 and under get in free. Contact [email protected] to set up your tour.
Jazz it up at the Murfreesboro Main Street JazzFest. Take yourself to downtown historic Murfreesboro on May 1st from noon to 9 p.m. for a fun-filled day of contemporary jazz. The festival features food trucks, a family-friendly atmosphere, free parking and plenty of local jazz acts including Rutherford County school bands from St. Rose Middle School, Oakland Middle School, Riverdale High School, Rockvale High School, Middle Tennessee Christian School, Smyrna High School, as well as MTSU’s Jazz Band and Music City Swing.
Credit: Puckett's 
Credit: @rolandjusticemusic 
Credit: @theempanadasonata
And because we know y’all like to sit and sip while you’re getting your music fix, here are our favorite spots to listen live. Buckle up for Puckett’s because their savory Southern comfort food will leave you in a euphoric state of yum. Try their Piggy Mac—a personal-sized cast iron skillet filled with shredded pork, a generous, creamy scoop of homemade mac n cheese that’s all topped with spicy Texas-style BBQ sauce. The Empanada Sonata serves up delicious empanadas alongside steamy Salsa Dance nights. This Cuban & Puerto Rican restaurant pairs two of the best things in life: music and food. Go for the Classic Beef Empanada. Trust us, it’s good for the soul. And then rock out at Mayday Brewery with a delicious selection of craft beers and food trucks. Family and fur babies are always welcome.
Credit: @mtsu 
If you’re looking for the origin story of your favorite songs and singers, make time to visit Rutherford County’s markers on the Tennessee Music Pathways. Check out the homage to “Nashville Star” winner and Grammy-nominated Chris Young at the Chris Young Café in Murfreesboro. Also, be sure to head over to Christiana for a stop at the iconic Miller’s Grocery, an antique-filled country café known for scratch-made desserts and its standing testimony to a by-gone era in country music. Other nearby stops along the Tennessee Music Pathways include The Center for Popular Music at MTSU and Uncle Dave Macon marker in Murfreesboro (the Uncle Dave Macon Days Music Festival is held every July). The Tennessee Music Pathways features an interactive map will help you plan trips around all-things music. Want festivals, museums, concerts, birthplaces, iconic spots and more? Pathways has it all and can help you craft the perfect Tennessee road trip around your musical tastes.
Sway, sip and sing along to tunes that transport you or discover your new favorite in Rutherford County, Tennessee. For more on unforgettable experiences to have while you’re in town, be sure to click here.