Balloons on the Ground, Runners on the Road, Music on the Green and More Things to Do Around Brentwood Labor Day Weekend

BRENTWOOD, TN — The unofficial end of summer means cookouts, one last dip in the pool, putting away the seersucker and white shoes until Easter, and a bevy of community events.

The Brentwood area has plenty to offer revelers of all kind for Labor Day weekend. Between road races, outdoor concerts, and festivals across the area, there's no reason to be bored before the summer slips into...the later part of summer.

Music City Balloon Festival
Percy Warner Park
Sunday, 4-9 p.m.
General admission $12, VIP $60, Kids under 5 are free

Arts, crafts, music, food and the glories of the gentle giants of the sky highlight the gathering on the Steeplechase infield at Percy Warner.
No, the hot-air balloons do not let slip the surly bonds of earth and ascend into the summer sky. Instead, the night culminates with a "glow," as the balloonists stay anchored to terra firma and illuminate the balloons.

InterNASHional Food Crawl
Nolensville Road, beginning at Plaza Mariachi
Saturday, Noon
Wristbands are $55

The annual, much-anticipated celebration of food and culture in the hub of the city's immigrant community, the food crawl guarantees visits to at least five restaurants, offering samples of cuisine from all over the world. Restaurants are traditionally not announced in advance, but maps will be available the day of the event with recommended routes. Charter buses and curated tours are also available. The event benefits the Tennessee Immigrant and Refuge Rights Coalition. More information at the event website.

Franklin Classic
Downtown Franklin
Monday, 6 a.m.
Registration from $15 to $60

For the 38th time, Labor Day means the Franklin Classic road races. Benefiting Mercy Community Healthcare, the Franklin Classic features a 1K kids' run, a 5K run-walk and the 10K run. Early registration runs through Friday before prices kick up for the weekend.

For more information, visit the Franklin Classic site.

Mud Run
4099 Clovercroft Road
Saturday, 9 a.m.
Registration from $20-$75

If a road race isn't nearly intense enough, Saturday's mud run offers 18 obstacles over the 5K course and more than 30 over the 10K competition course, which requires boots and pants. There's a mini-version for the kids and one of the start times for the 5K includes runners with dogs. If an intense obstacle course and getting soaked in mud and muck doesn't sound appealing, watching someone else do it sure does.

Online regsitration closes Thursday, but in-person regsitration is available. More information at the web site.

Franklin Art Scene
Downtown Franklin
Friday, 6 p.m.
Free

The monthly first-Friday event is offering something special to kick off the long weekend. In addition to the expected collection of intriguing works by local artists spread throughout downtown, attendees will have the chance to participate in a huge collaborative paint-by-numbers project that depicts downtown Franklin.

See the Franklin Patch Events Calendar for more information.

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Live On The Green
Public Square Park
Thursday 5:30 p.m., Friday 5 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.
Free

The weekly concert series wraps the season with a three-day finale with 25 bands on two stages over three days. California alt-rockers Young the Giant, Seattle-based Southern-inspired indie darlings Band of Horses, and jammy noodlers Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals headline. Other highlights include local rockers and purveyors of ferocious live shows Bully and snarling country chanteuse Nikki Lane. Performances are scheduled to wrap around 11 each night.

Food trucks will be on site. Get a full schedule at the Live On The Green site.

Tennessee Volksfest
East Park
Friday through Sunday, gates open at 11 a.m.
Admission is free, tokens and steins are $5

Advertised as Nashville's only "Munich-style Oktoberfest" to differentiate itself from the street festival free-for-all of the Germantown Oktoberfest, the Volksfest focuses on the beer, the music and the food. It's an all-ages event (after all, the kids can enjoy bratwurst and pretzels while the parents get sudsy and everyone loves the oompah). More information and advanced tickets at the event web site.

National Beard & Mustache Championships
Ryman Auditorium
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Tickets starting at $27

There's a championship for everything, it seems. Facially-hirsute folks will face off in a mind-boggling 18 different categories for the honor of declaring themselves the bearer of the best beard in the seventh edition of the Just for Men-sponsored event. More information at the event website and tickets available from the Ryman.

Image via Wikimedia user NoTalkMan, used under Creative Commons