🎄 Our best holiday pop-up bars & restaurants

📺 Is ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ Good for Our City?

October’s “9-1-1: Nashville” premiere scored over 12 million viewers, and sparked a lot of hilarious flying pedal tavern memes. On today’s City Cast Nashville podcast, four of the show’s actors are chatting about how “9-1-1: Nashville” is impacting our creative community. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• Here’s the pedal tavern scene, if you missed it! Warning: It’s kinda gory 👀 [YouTube]

🏀 Our College Sports Teams Are Doing Pretty Great

• The University of Tennessee and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign football teams will face off in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. [WKRN]
• Grab a ticket! [SeatGeek]
• Vanderbilt’s women’s and men’s basketball teams are both undefeated this season and rank in the top 20. [Nashville Scene]
• While Vanderbilt missed the college football playoffs, they were selected to play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida. [Vanderbilt Hustler]

🚚 Kroger Shutters Delivery Service

Kroger is shuttering its Loyalty Fulfillment Center in South Nashville, laying off more than 100 employees, and ending its Blue Truck Delivery service nationwide. Instead, Kroger will use third-party drivers to deliver online orders. [🔐 The Tennessean]

🗳️ Can Our Congressional Districts Be Flipped?

State Representative Aftyn Behn narrowed the margin between Democrats and Republicans in the Tennessee 7th Congressional District race, but not enough to flip any of Nashville’s congressional seats next year, according to election data. [Tennessee Lookout]

• Behn on her campaign strategy, and whether she’ll run again next year. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

Whether or not it really is the most wonderful time of the year is a matter of personal preference. But there’s no debating that it definitely is the most pop-up bar time of year. If you’re looking at getting in on the merriment, here are some area pop-ups worth checking out.

🍕 Nicky’s Coal Fired

Every year, Nicky’s Coal Fired in The Nations transforms into St. Nicky’s for the holiday season. This year, their theme is Smoky Mountain Christmas, and they leaned into East Tennessee in a big way. The ceiling is covered with pine branches and stars, so you feel like you’re in the mountains, and drink specials, like frozen eggnog, set the scene. And, of course, you’ll find nods to the Smokies’ patron saint: Dolly Parton. The experience is first come, first served, no reservations necessary.

🍻 Carols and Barrels

The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is a network of distilleries statewide. Through Jan. 4, they’re all participating in “Carols and Barrels,” with themed cocktails and decor. In Nashville, that includes Nightmare Before Christmas at Corsair Distillery and Taproom in Marathon Village, and 12 Drams of Christmas at Old Forge Distillery in the Assembly Food Hall. If you’re an overachiever, you can register for a digital passport and collect stamps at the different locations. Visit all 12 to get a prize.

💎 V Modern Italian

Through Dec. 31, V Modern Italian is partnering with Nashville-based HART Jewelry for an unusual pairing. Order the HART Dirty Martini Tower at V and receive a complimentary martini charm designed by HART as a keepsake.

🧑‍🎄 Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville

The third floor of Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville is now (temporarily) Santa’s Backroom. It’s a place that either Jelly Roll or Santa might want to sneak off to get away from the holiday hubbub. There’s a specialty cocktail menu with frozen hot chocolate made with Goo Goo Clusters and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

🎄 Schulman's Neighborhood Bar

Schulman's Neighborhood Bar in East Nashville is back at it, “Christmas Vacation”-style. Expect themed cocktails, more Christmas lights than even Clark would hang, and a laid-back neighborhood vibe.