What does Centennial Park look like once the music stops? Musicians Corner played its 2026 fall finale on September 25. The free Big Band Dances ran Saturday evenings from June 13 to August 15 and then ended for the year. With both series finished, the park's evening calendar has emptied out.
This November, the park's busiest new corner is at the north end. The north side, closed for construction since August 2025, has reopened. Its anchor, Croquet Cafe, moved its hours earlier on November 2 and now opens at 7 a.m. every day. The concerts that drew crowds on summer evenings are gone. The rebuilt end of the park is now set up for the start of the day.
A Year Behind Fencing, Then a New Front Door
Metro Parks closed the north side in August 2025 for Phase Three of the Centennial Park revitalization. The plan included a new vehicle entrance on Park Plaza, a café in the historic Croquet Clubhouse, a new Event Pavilion on Lake Watauga and new walking paths. The Metro Parks notice said the closure would last "through Fall 2026" and shut 27th Avenue North from just north of the Parthenon driveway.
That closure has ended. The Centennial Park Conservancy's construction page says the north side is open to the public. The Conservancy still lists the overall improvements as "anticipated to be complete by the fall of 2026," so some finishing work may remain. If you haven't driven in since the fences came down, the traffic pattern has changed:
- 27th Avenue North now runs straight into Park Plaza, past the new café.
- The old entrance near the Centennial Art Center is now exit-only.
- The Art Center is still reached from 25th Avenue North.
- New paths around Lake Watauga run from the west side of the park to the east side. They pass the Event Pavilion, Croquet Cafe and the Sunken Garden, then head toward Park Plaza and 31st Avenue North.
Separately, Metro Parks has been working on the medians that run from the west side of the Parthenon toward 31st Avenue, with road access in that stretch temporarily closed. Its closures page said the work was expected to finish by November 3.
The Clubhouse That Became the Park's Kitchen
Croquet Cafe opened August 29 at 2530 Park Plaza, inside the Croquet Clubhouse, which dates to 1963. NewsChannel 5 reported it as Centennial Park's first full-service food spot. Before the café, a day at the park meant bringing your own food or leaving to find some.
Who runs it shapes what it is. Croquet Cafe is a nonprofit café managed by the Centennial Park Conservancy in partnership with Metro Parks. Joseph Bogan and Crystal De Luna-Bogan, who founded The Grilled Cheeserie, advised on the concept and menu. Chef Kristian Morgan is the general manager.
The menu follows a Southern picnic theme. Nfocus lists salads, wraps, paninis, picnic boxes, coffee, baked goods, smoothies and soft serve. Its picks include the grilled-citrus chicken wrap, hot dogs, salad bowls and the Pimento Park sandwich. There's indoor seating, covered tables outside and lawn nearby for anyone who takes a picnic box to the grass. The café also has public restrooms, and anyone who walks the lake loop regularly knows how useful that is.
Three Hours Earlier, Starting November 2
The hours change is what gives this November a different feel. From opening day through the end of October, the café didn't open until 10 a.m. Starting November 2, it opens at 7 a.m. every day.
| Through November 1 | Starting November 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Saturday and Sunday | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Weekly hours open | 51 | 70 |
On weekdays, the café now opens three hours earlier and closes at the same time. On weekends it also opens three hours earlier but closes an hour sooner. Altogether, the café is open 19 more hours a week. As the days get shorter, the café is adding hours in the morning and giving up an hour on weekend evenings. That's a sensible choice for a park café after the evening concerts have ended.
When Nfocus covered the opening, it described breakfast service as a possibility for later and said the café was working on a liquor license. The menu already includes coffee and baked goods, which is plenty for a 7 a.m. stop before a lap around Lake Watauga.
A Pavilion That Hosts Its Dances Next Summer
The Event Pavilion on Lake Watauga opened to the public on August 29, the same day as the café. It replaces the old event shelter. Nashvegas covered the ribbon cutting with Metro Parks and the Conservancy. It reported that the 6,465-square-foot building can seat more than 400 guests for a banquet or hold 1,250 standing. The Conservancy's pavilion page lists the uses it has planned, including Big Band Dances, local events, fundraisers, performances, festivals, children's activities and lectures.
The pavilion opened after the 2026 Big Band season was almost over, so its signature series hasn't held a full season there yet. Metro Parks' music page says the new pavilion will host the Big Band Dances in 2027. The north end's evening crowd will return next summer. Until then, it's a daytime destination.
What the Calendar Holds Through December
The rest of the park's fall calendar also leans toward mornings and daytime programs at the Parthenon, with a few evenings mixed in. Here's what's listed from publication day into December:
- Godspell at the Centennial Park Bandshell, November 5 through 8.
- Kidsville at the Parthenon, Saturday mornings on November 7, 14 and 21. It's free, but registration is required.
- Soulful Sounds in Nashville at the Parthenon, Sunday, November 8, from 7 to 9 p.m.
- Walk to End Alzheimer's in Centennial Park, Saturday, November 14, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. The café's new 7 a.m. opening lines up with the walk's start.
- Parthenon architecture tours, December 1 through 5, and museum tours, December 4 through 23. Both are free for Conservancy members or included with admission.
- Self-guided exterior architecture audio tour of the Parthenon, available through December 31.
Check the Conservancy's events calendar and the Parthenon's calendar before you go, since listings can change. To make a Saturday morning of it, enter on 27th Avenue North, get coffee at Croquet Cafe after 7, walk the new Lake Watauga paths past the pavilion and the Sunken Garden, and end at the Parthenon, where Kidsville or the outdoor audio tour can fill the rest of the morning.
You can also extend the walk south into Hillsboro Village. Nashville Guru's new-business tracker lists Earl Espresso and The Green Ray Books as opening October 1. Both share an address, 1721 21st Avenue South. The same tracker lists Nigel's Bananas as opening September 5 just down the block at 1818 21st Avenue South.
Thinking about a home within walking distance of Centennial Park? Starling Davis can walk you through the streets around Park Plaza, 25th and 31st, and help you find the blocks that keep the new café and Lake Watauga loop part of your everyday routine.
