Gaylord Opryland Christmas Events (2023 Update)

I’ve visited the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville a few times for conferences in the past years, and I’ve always wanted to bring my children. It’s a beautiful, unique resort that is truly stunning to see. It’s especially festive during the holiday season when they host a number of events and activities.

Finally, for Thanksgiving, we booked a four-day stay so that we could experience Nashville and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel Christmas events. It was the perfect location for our Thanksgiving getaway and we especially enjoyed their fantastic holiday events.

The Gaylord Opryland really is one of the best Christmas hotels – whether you are traveling before or during the holiday. It’s festive and offers some really great unique activities.

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Gaylord Opryland Hotel Christmas Events

Decorations at the Gaylord Opryland

Upon walking into the Gaylord Opryland, you are immediately greeted with gorgeous holiday decorations – from musical note-themed holiday lights in the Garden Conservatory atrium to beautiful hot air balloons in the Delta atrium.

While the decorations are there all day, it’s really in the evening when they come alive. We just spent time each day walking through the various atriums and exploring. Definitely save some time in your schedule to just enjoy the hotel.

In the evenings, the Delta Fountain offered a holiday-themed Christmas fountain show. It ran for about 15 minutes or so and featured lights and water choreographed to music. It’s definitely worth seeing, so check out the schedule so that you can grab a seat and watch it.

This year the Christmas events at the Gaylord Opryland run from November 10, 2023 – January 1, 2024.

ICE! at the Gaylord Opryland

ICE! is the featured event at the Gaylord Opryland Christmas, and we took advantage of it on Thanksgiving day. It’s a separate ticketed event, and prices vary on value and peak days (Thanksgiving was a value day, while the rest of the holiday weekend was peak).

ICE! is located in the Gaylord Opryland event center, just a short walk from the Magnolia section of the resort and the convention center.

I pre-purchased my tickets before we arrived at the Gaylord, but they can also be purchased from the ticket desk or kiosks in the resort. ICE! is open to everyone – not just guests of the resort and lots of locals visit during the holiday season.

After watching a quick video at ICE!, you’ll be handed a big blue poncho so that you can go through the 9 degree (F) exhibit. I recommend bringing along gloves if you can – it can be VERY cold.

We were so impressed with the beautiful ice characters that can be seen throughout the exhibit. The kids especially loved them. It’s so amazing to think that all of these amazing sculptures were made from blocks of ice.

There are also ice slides that are lots of fun. I recommend sliding down on the blue poncho so that you don’t get stuck. The end of the exhibit features a gorgeous nativity scene that is absolutely stunning.

The ICE! exhibit changes annually. In the past, some themes have included “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “A Christmas Story”. In 2023, it’s Polar Express-themed.

Outside of ICE! are a few other separate ticketed activities – a snowball toss, 5 tubing lanes, and an ice skating rink. There are a variety of different ways to purchase tickets, including a buy more and save bundle.

During our visit, we chose to add on the ice tubing, and while it wasn’t the same type of snow tubing that we get at the Northeast ski resorts, it was still a really fun time.

Other Christmas Events and Activities at the Gaylord Opryland

While ICE! is definitely the headline, there are other great Gaylord Opryland Christmas events planned for 2023. These include:

Darryl Worley & Friends: Home for the Holidays Dinner Show: This 2-hour dinner show includes entertainment from Darryl Worley and a rotating set of country stars, including Deana Carter and Lorrie Morgan. It includes a three-course dinner and reservations should be made in advance.

Breakfast with Charlie Brown & Friends: Visiting with young kids? Book this special, limited breakfast where they can meet Charlie and his friends while having breakfast.

A Country Christmas Breakfast Show: Listen to Christmas music while enjoying a breakfast buffet.

Delta Riverboat Christmas Cruise: The Delta Riverboat is a boat that actually travels on the river that runs through the Delta Atrium of the Gaylord. It’s a pretty spectacular sight, and guests can purchase tickets to a special Christmas-themed cruise during the Christmas at the Gaylord event.

Gingerbread Decorating: Guests can reserve a kit to decorate their own gingerbread house or gingerbread cookies.

While the lights inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort are absolutely beautiful, there are also gorgeous lights outside. On our last night, we ventured outside the Magnolia area to check out the nativity scene on the lawn, and look at the resort’s exterior.

There are also carriage rides that can be booked. Some of these were already sold out when I arrived, so it’s probably best to reserve those in advance (before your stay).

Other activities include bumper cars and visits with Santa. Most items require a ticket, so check the website to purchase your dated/timed tickets as soon as you can.

Rooms at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville

Although I had booked our vacation package through Jetblue Getaways, I wanted to upgrade our hotel room to an atrium view. That was easy to do at the front desk. We arrived early during our stay, so we did have to wait a little while for our room to be ready.

It was worth it, however, because we had a beautiful room overlooking the Delta Atrium. While the room was a standard hotel room, it was so nice to have the atrium view and the small balcony.

It was a great place to savor my coffee while looking out at all of the beautiful holiday decorations in the Delta. If you can upgrade your room to get an Atrium view, I’d definitely recommend it.

This year, the Gaylord Opryland is offering a package deal that includes a stay at the hotel, and tickets for both ICE! and the new SoundWaves Water Experience water park.

Wondering if you can visit the Gaylord Opryland Hotel without staying there? These events, plus the restaurants and the spa, are all open to any guest.

You can read more reviews about the Gaylord Opryland here. For more information about the Christmas events, check out this link. Before visiting over the holiday season, I definitely recommend looking at the schedule and booking things in advance. We stayed over Thanksgiving, and one of the big Thanksgiving dinners was completely sold out. So, definitely take some time to make reservations before you leave.