Guide To: Gallatin, TN
In 2017, Reader’s Digest named Gallatin, TN the “nicest place in America”, and there are many reasons we can think of why they would have made that distinction. Only 30 miles north of Nashville, the small town offers an idyllic small town feel with all of the amenities of the big city close at hand. With more than 600 acres of parks for only 45,000 residents, it’s a perfect place to get lost in beautiful nature and stretch your legs. When the weather heats up, enjoy direct access to Old Hickory Lake, the Cumberland River, and the new indoor/outdoor Tommy Garrott Aquatics Facility with a 50-foot slide, splash pads, water towers, and more! At the 185 acre Triple Creek Park, play with your pup in the dog park, enjoy a round of frisbee golf, share a picnic lunch, or cheer at sporting events from soccer and football to softball and baseball. In May of 2021, Miracle Park opened within Triple Creek and now also offers six acres of ADA compliant fun for residents and visitors with mobility impairments. Several other parks in the area also boast entertainment including: boat ramps, hiking trails, campgrounds, forests, basketball courts, sand volleyball, a skate park, fishing, and more!
The community in Gallatin is strong. Hop on the greenway and walk or cycle right into town where you’ll find a farmers market and a thriving Main Street. Every Third Thursday, enjoy outdoor live music and community. If you like it, you’ll love the annual Main Street Festival, started in 1998 and hosted the first Saturday of October, when more than 200 artisans, entertainers, and food vendors come together to celebrate the local scene with upwards of 25,000 residents and visitors. The town hosts several festivals from fourth of July fireworks to car shows, but for something truly unique, you’ll enjoy Fire On The Water, a music festival on the lake. Fire throwers and entertainers make their way to the Old Hickory Lake waterfront alongside breweries and food trucks for a night to remember!
In addition to social ease and fun, Gallatin is a great place to do business. It prides itself on high paying jobs, no income tax, and a property tax that hasn’t increased in 13 years. Two local colleges – Volunteer State Community College and Welch College – create an education backbone for the town; and several national companies set up shop locally, including Gap, RR Donnelley, Beretta, and Servpro Industries.
Historically, Gallatin holds significance. President Andrew Jackson became one of the first people to purchase a lot when the town was platted in 1803, and it was named after Albert Gallatin who served as Secretary of the Treasury under both Presidents Jefferson and Madison. It’s a town that combines new energy and enthusiasm with historic charm, two things that create a high quality of life and pride of place.
If Gallatin were a song:
“Small Town” by John Mellencamp