The Event Pavilion

A World-Class Community Gathering Space Overlooking Lake Watauga.

Centennial Park Event Pavilion logo

The New Event Pavilion at Centennial Park arrives on the banks of Lake Watauga!

A brand new, world-class space for entertainment and events is coming soon to the north bank of Lake Watauga. The Event Pavilion will be a prime destination for the community to gather for the popular Big Band Dances, ongoing local events, nonprofit fundraisers, music performances, festivals, educational children’s activities, lectures, and more. The current event shelter has been removed and will be replaced by green space alongside a new Croquet Cafe. Events formerly held at the shelter are planned to be relocated to the new Event Pavilion.

The pavilion broke ground in 2025 and is projected to be completed in 2026. Read the official announcement here.

The Event Pavilion lead gifts are generously provided by: Dettwiller Foundation, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Hays Foundation, Sandra Schatten Foundation, and Vanderbilt University

Metro Parks Nashville logo with foliage design and building outline

Private Events

The Event Pavilion at Centennial Park is managed by Metro Parks, in partnership with Centennial Park Conservancy. Private event permits will be available shortly. In the meantime, please contact Alex Gilbertson for more information.

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Private Event Info
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6,500 sq. ft.

Person wearing a blue shirt with a collar, holding a small dog in their arms, both looking towards the camera. The background is a light gray color.

Big Band Dances

illustration of a bat flying

Performances

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Celebrations & Receptions

Modern pavilion with a flat roof and glass walls in a park setting, surrounded by trees and a pond in the foreground.
Architectural rendering of a modern building by a waterfront, with people silhouettes, trees, and a crescent moon in the evening sky.
architectural rendering of Centennial Park Pavilion, featuring a modern structure with large glass windows, wooden ceiling, and silhouettes of people walking and interacting
Architectural rendering of a modern pavilion with glass walls and a sloped wooden roof, surrounded by people silhouettes, set in a park.
Architectural rendering of an interior space with abstract human figures, high wooden ceiling, large ceiling fan, glass walls, and outdoor view.

The Event Pavilion Details

A new 6,465-square-foot event pavilion will be constructed — the first structure built in the park since 1963 — and its aesthetic will be architecturally consistent with other elements within the park. The Event Pavilion will bring our community together by serving as a destination for public and private events, including the park's popular Big Band Dances.

This new pavilion will cover a large open space that provides flexibility for various community celebrations and event configurations, including theater, banquet, and cocktail party settings, which are anticipated to accommodate over 400 people seated in a banquet setting and 1,250 standing.

Couples dancing in a dimly lit venue with string lights.

Park Revitalization

The Event Pavilion and Croquet Cafe are part of Phase Three of a multi-year collaborative partnership with Metro Parks to enhance Centennial Park.

  • Metro Parks and Centennial Park Conservancy are sustaining the vibrancy of Centennial Park as a thriving public green space. This public-private partnership has collectively invested over $30M to revitalize our city’s central park to serve current and future generations. Two phases of completed improvements have transformed the Park in many ways, and a third phase will further enhance the Park’s north side to benefit residents and visitors. 

    • FREDDIE O’CONNELL, Mayor

    • BRANDON TAYLOR, Council Representative, District 21

    • MONIQUE HORTON ODOM, Director of Metro Parks

    • HDLA

    • Dryden

    • Collier Engineering

    • R.C. Mathews Contractor, LLC

  • Centennial Park Event Pavilion lead gift generously provided by:

    • HCA Healthcare Foundation 

    • Hays Foundation 

    • Sandra Schatten Foundation 

    • Vanderbilt University

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