Things To Do This Spring in Columbia, TN

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Located less than an hour outside of Nashville, is a small town rich in history and charm. Columbia, Tennessee, boasts a historic downtown that features numerous vintage shops. National landmarks dot the area, and excellent restaurants serve an abundance of locally sourced food. Full of community pride and Southern hospitality, Columbia is an ideal location to spend the spring of 2021 exploring all it has to offer.

Mountain Bike at Chickasaw Trace Park

Covering 300 acres along the banks of the Duck River and tributary Knob Creek, Chickasaw Trace Park features plenty of hiking and biking trails for you to explore. In 1992, the park’s director wanted to add a trail for mountain bikers and hikers, so an 8.5-mile single-loop was added.

The first 3.5 miles are mostly flat, while the trail’s final 5 miles are much more difficult and known as the “Trail of Tears.” It’s designed for all levels of riders, and you ride in a clockwise direction from the trailhead at the MTB parking lot. However, it does have several entry and exit points, so you can join or exit the trail wherever it suits you.

Other features to check out at the park include an R/C flight field where you can fly your model airplanes and an R/C track for model cars. Bring a lunch and eat at one of the two open-air shelters, or bring your boat and use the ramp at Duck River.

Take a Tour of Columbia

As Columbia’s oldest local tour company with more than a decade of experience, Mule Town Tours specializes in cemetery, history, and ghost tours. Suitable for history buffs of all ages, the tours have walking and bus options with tours scheduled on weekends and available on weekdays upon request.

The Classic Ghost Tour is a walking tour that begins at the Maury County Courthouse and goes through the city’s downtown area. The Civil War in Maury County Tour via bus highlights events from the war, although no major battles occurred here. Lunch is included with this all-day tour. Its Historic Downtown Driving Tour points out how the city evolved from its early days to the modern era. The group offers two tours of cemeteries including Greenwood, which is the city’s oldest cemetery, and Rose Hill, which has graves of Civil War soldiers and politicians.

Listen to Live Music at Bad Idea Brewing

Bad Idea Brewing began in 2015 when some friends wanted to open a brewery and one of the wives said that it was a “bad idea.” The brewery and taproom opened its doors in 2019, and it is the first on-site brewery in the city and county. Throughout the year, the brewery hosts a variety of live music acts with several occurring in spring 2021. On April 2 at 7:30 p.m., stop in and listen to Aaron Sizemore Music, while on April 16 at 7 p.m., the brewery hosts Don McKinnon Music. April 24 at 7 p.m. sees Lawrence Nemez Music hit the stage.

Tour the Gardens of Columbia

Now in its second year, the Gardens of Columbia provides tours of some of the city’s best private and public gardens as well as demonstrations and lectures. Sponsored by the James K. Polk Memorial Association, this two-day event occurs on June 4 and 5. Attendees also receive an invitation to a special garden party reception on Friday evening. Proceeds from the event benefit the association, which is a nonprofit that preserves and operates the President James K. Polk Home and Museum. The home and museum became a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

Visit the Farmers Market

The open-air farmers market takes place every Saturday from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Riverwalk Park from May through October. People working at local farms sell a variety of local produce direct to the customer. Among the types of offerings include honey, seasonal vegetables, fresh fruit, cut flowers, eggs, and plants. Numerous artisan products are also available, such as baked goods, jams, and hand-crafted items.

Bring the Kids to aMuse’um

Opening its doors in 2011 at its current location in the historic downtown square, aMuse’um is a children’s museum that gives kids a place to learn, create, and imagine. In its first five years, the museum welcomed more than 60,000 visitors. Bring your family and enjoy its weekly rotating activities and programs that provide hands-on opportunities for children.

Every Monday, the museum hosts Messy Mondays where parents lead activities using sensory materials including paint, shaving cream, and water. On Tuesdays, come in for Story Time, listen to a story, and participate in a related craft. Tinkering Thursdays allow children to explore ideas while learning about problem-solving through parent-led activities. Science Fun occurs on Fridays and is also parent-led. All weekday activities run from 10:30 until 11:15 a.m.

Enjoy Gumbo Sunday

Head over to Amber Falls Winery and Cellars in nearby Hampshire to enjoy homemade Cajun gumbo along with live music from Box of Rox. The winery is open from 12:30-6 p.m. while gumbo purchase is available from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m. Box of Rox takes the stage from 1-5 p.m. Don’t forget to order some international award-winning wine to go with your gumbo. Heated and covered outdoor seating is available.

Ride the Trains at the Public Spring Meet

The nonprofit Mid-South Live Steamers host a Public Spring Meet on April 29 through May 1 inside Maury County Park where people can ride the trains from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. It boasts one of the nation’s largest miniature train tracks with 14,500 feet of track with grades that reach 3.5%. Rides are free, but donation boxes are available if you feel inclined to contribute. However, if there’s inclement weather, the trains do not operate.

Now that you know what to do this spring in Columbia, which activities do you plan to participate in? Is there an activity or two that we missed? If so, drop us at a line at Stan McNabb Chevrolet of Columbia so we can make sure to add it to our list. We love to keep everyone informed about what to do in the area.