FUN AND FREE IN MUSIC CITY It's summer vacation time. Living on a budget but can't wait to break away for some much-needed rest and relaxation? Nashville is offering more free fun than ever before. Visit Music City and do (way) more for less. Check out some of the free fun you and your friends and family can enjoy this summer. Area Parks Go hiking, boating, fishing, picnicking, and relaxing at any of the area's Metro Parks. Visit nashville.gov/parks for more information on individual parks and offerings. Art After Hours - first Thursday of each month The new art crawl keeps galleries open late on the first Thursday of the month, from 5-7pm, for those eager to experience the art scene in Nashville after work. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park Tour Tennessee via a 200-foot granite map of the state, a walkway featuring the 95 counties, 31 fountains representing the major rivers of Tennessee and an extraordinary wall depicting the history of the state. Big Band Dances - Saturdays June-August Get free dance lessons then dance the night away to live Big Band music at Centennial Park Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art Children 5 & under get in free every day. Free Summer Saturdays allow children 17 and under in free May 30-September 5. Don't miss Summertime at Cheekwood and take a Backpack Adventure. Cinderella marionette show - Fridays & Saturdays @ 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30, through September 19 At long last, Wishing Chair Productions presents Cinderella!  The brand new telling, filled with original  music and magical surprises, features some of Tom Tichenor’s most beautiful puppets. Dyer Obervatory Open House Telescope Night - second Friday of each month through November The Dyer telescopes are open for viewing stars in the night sky. First Saturday Art Crawl - first Saturday of each month Every first Saturday of the month, art galleries open their doors from 6-9pm for art lovers and browsers. Enjoy contemporary art, wine and hors 'd oeuvres as you stroll among the galleries spanning every aspect of the art world in Nashville. Fisk Galleries The Aaron Douglas Gallery features classical and contemporary African art, modern and contemporary African-American art, other American and European and folk art. The Carl Van Vechten Gallery houses the Stieglitz Collection including works by Picasso, Cezanne, Renoir, O'Keeffe, Toulouse-Lautrec and many others. Both galleries are free and open to the public. Fort Nashborough Walk through the replica of the orginal settlement of Nashville on the banks of the Cumberland River. Fort Negley Explore the largest inland masonry fort built during the Civil War. Free Family Film Festival - Tuesdays & Wednesdays @ 10am, June 2-July 29 School's out so take your kids to select G and PG movies at participating Regal cinemas in the Nashville area (click here for list). Frist Center for the Visual Arts The Frist is always free for ages 18 and younger. Frist Center Kids Club is for 5-10 year olds on the second Saturday of each month and offers children an opportunity to discover, explore and create art. College students receive free admission on Thursday and Friday nights. Bring in a canned food item for Second Harvest Food Bank on Mondays throughout 2009 and enjoy free admission. Gaylord Opryland Resort Take a walk through the resort's nine acres of indoor gardens and waterfalls any day of the week. SummerFest, May 22-August 16, invites you to a Country Street Party with live music, line dancers and street performers and Fountain Shows sure to please. Poolapalooza is a free concert series at the Cascades pool every Friday night through July 24. George Dickel Distillery Just outside Nashville, in Tullahoma, Tennessee, you can tour the distillery and discover Dickel's time-honored traditions. Grand Ole Opry House Museum Learn the story of the Grand Ole Opry and see what happens behind thes scenes. Hatch Show Print One of the oldest-working letterpress print shops in America, Hatch Show Print is open to art lovers, music lovers, collectors and everyone else in between. Step inside and see how these legendary posters are made. Honky Tonk Highway The honky tonks lining both sides of Lower Broad pump live music into the streets all day, every day. There's no cover charge but the tip jar gets passed around for those wanting to appreciate the musicians. Jack Daniel Distillery Just over an hour's drive from Nashville, the distillery tour tells you the complete story of the whiskey-making process and its history. Nashville Farmers' Market Open every day for anyone and everyone eager to take in some local produce, flowers and other goods. Every Saturday morning, May through October, Chefs at the Market feature cooking demonstrations from local chefs providing rich learning and sampling opportunities from regional farms. The Ugly Tomato Festival on August 1 celebrates the tomato with tastings, music, cooking demos and more. Nashville Symphony and Schermerhorn Symphony Center The Schermerhorn Symphony Center offers building tours to explore the beautiful architecture of the Nashville Symphony's home. Scarritt-Bennett Center Collection of Ethnographic Artifacts Several thousand objects from around the world offer exploration of diverse ethnic and cultural heritages. Second Saturday Summer Drive-Ins On the second Saturday of each month, The Belcourt Theatre projects a movie on the parking lot wall for all to see. Showing this summer: Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, Wrestling Women vs. The Aztec Mummy, W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings, and Young Frankenstein. Visit belcourt.org for details. Shakespeare in the Park The Nashville Shakespeare Festival performs The Taming of the Shrew August 13-23 and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) August 27-September 13 at Centennial Park. Star Parties Get acquainted with the night sky with other astronomy enthusiasts at these parties hosted by the Adventure Science Center. Storytime at the Library - Tuesdays & Wednesdays Head downtown each week to the main library for the always-entertaining storytime for children of all ages. Tango in the Park - every other Friday, beginning May 29 Learn the Argentine Tango and mingle with friends and fellow dancers at the Centennial Park Event Shelter. Tennessee Agricultural Musuem The museum has an extensive collection of home and farm artifacts from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Tennessee State Capitol and Museum Guided tours are available Monday-Friday of the Tennessee State Capitol - one of the oldest-operating capitols in the country. Permanent exhibits in the Museum begin with prehistoric people and continue through the early 1900s. The Military Museum explores America's overseas conflicts from the Spanish-American War through World War II. Tennessee State Fairgrounds Flea Market - fourth weekend of every month Considered to be among the top ten flea markets in the country, ours offers a large variety of gifts, antiques, jewelry, crafts, tools, clothing, housewares and so much more. Note: Admission is free but there is a $4 parking fee. Tomato Art Fest - August 8 Celebrate the tomato with tomato-inspired art, recipes, contests and more. Plan your visit today. Book a room here.