At Tyne Boulevard and West Tyne Drive, northbound and southbound traffic on Belle Meade Boulevard doesn't stop. Drivers turning in from either side street pull into the median cut and wait for a gap. According to the City of Belle Meade, crashes at that crossing have become more frequent over the last three years, and nearly all of the drivers involved reported trouble seeing the other vehicle. In August the Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to change that.
On Saturday, December 5, the 4th Annual Belle Meade Holiday Parade will come down the same stretch of road. If it follows last year's route, it will start near Percy Warner Park, pass the Tyne crossing, and end at Harding Place. A signal upgrade is planned for that intersection, with a revised completion date of December 31, 2026. This year's parade route passes through both of the Boulevard's pending traffic projects. Knowing where each one stands makes the next ten weeks easier to plan.
What changes at Tyne once the stop goes in
The September 2026 city newsletter lays out how the intersection will work after installation:
"Once installed, vehicles traveling north-bound or south-bound on Belle Meade Boulevard will be required to come to a stop and must allow for the turning traffic from the cross streets to fully complete their turning movements onto Belle Meade Blvd. This will eliminate the need for cars to stop in the median cuts."
The city expects the stop to slow speeds, cut the wait for drivers turning from Tyne Blvd and West Tyne Drive, and make the crossing safer for people on foot. Both the newsletter and the city's homepage describe the stop as approved for installation, and neither gives an installation date.
The Tyne stop is one piece of a larger review. At public meetings on August 12 and September 24, city staff and engineers from Neel-Schaffer, Inc. showed concepts for new street markings and signage meant to help enforce the city's left-lane laws on the Boulevard, and the city said it would revise the designs based on residents' comments. Commissioners next meet on Wednesday, November 18, at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 4705 Harding Pike. That's the next public meeting where updates on the Boulevard work could come up.
The Harding Place end of the route
At the north end of the parade route, Belle Meade and Metro Nashville's Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure plan to install new poles, signal heads, controllers and pedestrian signals at Harding Place and Belle Meade Boulevard. The city says construction will soon begin, that final construction has been delayed while it waits for the signal support poles, and that the revised completion date is December 31, 2026. The parade is set for December 5, so the floats will reach Harding Place before that deadline. Last year's parade ended at Harding Place and Belle Meade Country Club.
The road surface is next. The city's FY 2026–27 budget, which covers July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, schedules a Boulevard repaving and sets aside $2 million for Belle Meade Boulevard road improvements. No work dates have been posted. The budget also includes $300,000 for Phase II of a TDOT sidewalk project and $180,000 for Phase I of the Lynnwood sidewalks.
The October 2026 newsletter updates the sidewalk plans nearby. A new 5-foot sidewalk on Harding Pike, mostly from Lynnwood Terrace to Belle Meade Boulevard, will pass in front of City Hall and St. George's Church. Design is expected to run through the end of this year, with construction bids currently estimated for May 2027. A separate Lynnwood Terrace segment will include drainage work and may require moving and rebuilding the historic stone wall on the west side of the street. Public meetings on that project are planned for early 2027.
Parade day, December 5
The 2026 parade begins Saturday, December 5, at 1 p.m. The September newsletter asked anyone who wants to enter a float to contact Police Chief Chuck Williams at [email protected].
The parade has grown quickly. In its first year it drew more than 1,000 spectators and 28 floats, and by the second and third years the float count had reached the mid-thirties. This year adds judging in three categories:
- Best Theme goes to the float that tells its holiday story best.
- People's Choice is decided by spectators through a live online poll along the route.
- Mayor's Award is chosen by the parade leadership committee for execution and overall spirit.
The city hasn't posted 2026 route or road-closure details yet. Last year's notices are the best guide until it does:
| Parade detail | December 6, 2025 | December 5, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | 1 p.m. | 1 p.m., confirmed |
| Route | Page Road at Percy Warner Park, north to Harding Place and Belle Meade Country Club | Not yet posted |
| Boulevard closure | Page Road to Harding Place, starting 11:30 a.m. | Not yet posted |
| Harding Place | Stayed open | Not yet posted |
| Spectator parking | Southbound lane of the Boulevard | Not yet posted |
| Float awards | None | Best Theme, People's Choice, Mayor's Award |
The route has been consistent from year to year. The city's December 2025 newsletter said the parade would follow the same route as the year before, and WKRN's 2024 holiday parade roundup listed the same 1 p.m. start, from Percy Warner Park to Harding Place. If 2026 follows the pattern, the closed stretch will include the Tyne crossing and end at the Harding Place intersection, where the signal upgrade is due by December 31.
The season around the Boulevard, in date order
The parade comes in the middle of a crowded few weeks. Here's the calendar in date order:
- Wednesday, November 11, 4 to 7 p.m.: Ona Skincare's Belle Meade holiday party, with raffles, giveaways and event specials.
- Thursday, November 12, 5 to 8 p.m.: The free Holiday Open House at Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery, with Mansion walkthroughs, Santa and Mrs. Claus, carolers, crafts, tastings, seasonal food and drinks, and shopping.
- Monday, November 16: The last day to order a Thanksgiving meal from Sperry's for pickup at the Belle Meade location.
- Thursday, November 19, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: A Wine Workshop at Belle Meade Historic Site.
- Friday, November 20: Opening night of Cheekwood's Holiday LIGHTS.
- Wednesday, November 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Sperry's Thanksgiving pickup in Belle Meade.
- Thursday, December 3, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Pinnacle Dermatology's Skin Bash at 24 White Bridge Pike, with demonstrations, raffles and event-only offers.
- Saturday, December 5, 1 p.m.: The 4th Annual Belle Meade Holiday Parade.
- Thursday, December 31: The revised completion date for the Harding Place signal upgrade.
- Sunday, January 3, 2027: The last night of Holiday LIGHTS.
Cheekwood nights, planned ahead
Holiday LIGHTS has the longest run of anything on the calendar, so it takes the most planning. It runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m. most nights. Cheekwood is closed Thanksgiving Day and night and Christmas Day and night. This year's additions include "An Enchanted Noel," a French-inspired display in the Mansion, and a new heated-igloo experience. The Holiday Marketplace returns, and the permanent TRAINS! exhibit gets a holiday theme.
You'll need a ticket bought ahead of time for a specific date and entry time. Public sales opened October 13, two weeks after the member presale on September 29. According to Cheekwood's Know Before You Glow page, adult tickets cost $26 to $32 and youth tickets $20 to $26, depending on the night. Children under 2 get in free, and there's a $2 service fee on each ticket. Parking is limited: nonmember parking costs $5 per car on a first-come, first-served basis, and rideshare drop-off and pickup are in Lot A. Cheekwood recommends arriving 15 minutes before your entry time.
Prices change by date, and a Friday or Saturday in December may sell out early. A weeknight in late November usually gives you more choice of entry times. Before you leave, check the city's homepage for updates on the Tyne stop and the Harding Place signal. Cars headed for the gardens use the same Boulevard as everyone else this season, and both projects could still change before the year ends.
Further out, the Harding Pike sidewalk bids and the Lynnwood Terrace meetings are scheduled for 2027, and the Boulevard repaving falls in the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2027. WSMV reported that Belle Meade Village, AJ Capital Partners' redevelopment of the former Belle Meade Plaza, is set for completion in 2028.
If you live along the Boulevard, or you're thinking about how these changes affect a home near Tyne or Harding Place, our family would be glad to talk it through with you, whether over coffee or after the parade. C&S Residential has followed these streets for a long time. Get in touch.
