Nashville

Bethesda – October 19, 2026 -- Starting in November, the ice! Christmas attraction opens at eight Gaylord Hotels and JW Marriott resorts across the United States, with new Harry Potter, Home Alone and Nightmare Before Christmas themes. More than 300 master ice artisans from Harbin, China, have arrived to build it.

Artisans carve for nearly 40 days before opening

The crew will sculpt millions of pounds of ice into scenes covering more than 20,000 square feet. They work with chippers, tongs, handsaws, grinders and chainsaws, turning 300-pound blocks into details no bigger than a coin and scenes taller than 30 feet. Their 300-page design books and generations-old techniques guide the work. A proprietary coloring process and accent spotlights add color.

Once the attraction opens, several artisans stay on site to maintain the sculptures and give daily live carving demonstrations.

Pompano Beach – October 16, 2026 -- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate now averages 7.4%, the highest since November 2023, even as the US housing market tilts toward buyers for the first time in years. The 15-year fixed rate averages 6.73%, up from 5.53% a year ago.

Sellers outnumber buyers by 58% nationwide

In August, there were 58% more sellers than buyers, the widest gap since Redfin began tracking the data in 2013. The National Association of Realtors puts supply at 4.9 months at the current sales pace, the highest in almost ten years.

Homes.com reports that inventory rose in 70% of 930 markets, while buyers stayed cautious. Seattle listings climbed 21.5% to 15,959 homes, yet sales fell 12.8%. In Nashville, listings rose 18.7% and sales dropped 7%, with sellers offering incentives of up to $36,000 and lower commissions.

Irvine – October 13, 2026 -- HI-CHEW is taking a haunted-manor trunk-or-treat experience to five US cities this October, with free candy, games and a mystery flavor that will only be revealed on Halloween Day.

The Mystery Manor Tour is built around the returning HI-CHEW Halloween Mystery Mix. The assortment includes three familiar flavors, Green Apple, Orange Creamsicle and Cotton Candy, plus one new flavor the brand is keeping secret.

Visitors walk through a graveyard of candy-flavored props

Guests enter through a graveyard with Orange Creamsicle tombstones, wispy Cotton Candy trees and glowing Green Apple jack-o'-lanterns. At the door, the brand's mascot Chewbie appears as FrankenChewbie, dressed in a Frankenstein's Monster-inspired costume and handing out treats.

Nashville, Tenn. – October 12, 2026 -- Convenience-store pizza fans can pick up two limited-time pies from Hunt Brothers Pizza starting October 12: Chicken Bacon Ranch and Italian Trio. It is the first time in the brand's history that two limited-time offers (LTOs) have launched together, timed to the brand's 35th anniversary.

Chicken Bacon Ranch brings ranch sauce and bacon to the original crust

The Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza starts with the original crust and a creamy ranch sauce. It is layered with all-natural chicken breast and a blend of 100% natural part-skim mozzarella and cheddar, then topped with crispy bacon and the brand's Just Rite Spice.

It will be sold at participating locations in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Dakota and South Dakota.

Dallas – October 12, 2026 -- Southwest Airlines will open its first-ever airport lounges in late 2027, starting at four U.S. airports, with access tied to a new premium credit card.

Four airports get lounges first, with seven more to follow

Construction has begun on the first four lounges. They are located at Austin-Bergstrom International, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Daniel K. Inouye (Honolulu) International, and Nashville International.

Southwest says at least seven more lounges are planned over the next several years. They will open in high-demand business and leisure markets, though the airline has not named those locations.

Nashville, Tenn. – October 01, 2026 -- Minno, a Christian streaming platform for kids, has premiered a new animated series called Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids: Jesus Stories, with a companion book arriving October 13 and a screen-free audio version also available on the platform.

The series launched October 2 and expands Minno's existing Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids franchise, which already includes more than 65 animated episodes, a Bedtime Stories series, a Learning Series, music, holiday specials, and bestselling books translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and American Sign Language.

Nashville – September 28, 2026 -- Century Communities will hold a Grand Opening for its Martins Glen community in Antioch, Tennessee, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, introducing new single-family homes priced from the low $400s.

Five floor plans range from 1,942 to 2,800 square feet

The community offers five two-story floor plans named Lanner, Meadowlark, Nightingale, Osprey and Grandby, with 3 to 5 bedrooms, 2.5 to 3 bathrooms and 2-car garages. Each plan includes a loft, and select layouts add private studies, covered patios, main-floor primary suites, upstairs media rooms, and electric fireplaces with shiplap. The Century Home Connect smart home package comes standard.

Nashville – – September 24, 2026 -- Southern Land Company opened Lupo Notte, its first full-service restaurant, on September 16 at Vertis Green Hills, the company's flagship mixed-use community and headquarters at 2035 Richard Jones Road in Nashville.

The menu centers on upscale Italian dishes made with local ingredients

Lupo Notte serves house-made pasta, 12-inch Neapolitan-style pizzas with 48-hour fermented dough, and shareable plates such as Lupo Meatballs made with ground wagyu beef, Italian sausage, and veal. Main courses include snapper in tomato broth and sweet corn-filled Agnolotti, alongside a beverage program featuring Italian-inspired cocktails and a wine list weighted toward Italian varietals.

Leiper's Fork, Tenn. – September 23, 2026 -- A string of fall festivals is rolling out across the rural communities bordering the Natchez Trace Parkway, the 100-mile stretch of National Park land anchoring what organizers call Nashville's Big Back Yard.

Lavender and pudding lead the harvest lineup

Near Hohenwald, the Oak Grove Lavender Farm hosts an all-day Fall Festival on Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with artisan vendors, seasonal food and a dog costume contest. In Centerville, the National Banana Pudding Festival runs Oct. 3-4, featuring a cook-off and a tasting trail dubbed 'The Puddin' Path.'

Nashville – September 20, 2026 -- Husband-and-wife music duo The Swansons have released their new single, "Hey God, It's Me Again," alongside four nominations at the upcoming Josie Music Awards. The duo will attend the ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Sunday, September 20.

The duo scored nods across four distinct categories

The Swansons are nominated for Album of the Year for "Seven," Song of the Year for both "Pray" and "Stick & Stones," and Duo of the Year. The nominations come from the Josie Music Awards, an annual event recognizing independent music artists and industry professionals.