Where to Vibe High in Nashville
We asked a local vibe curator to share their favorite ways to feel good in Nashville that aren’t centered around alcohol.
Jess Miller (Choosing Joy with Jess) is a Joy Activation Specialist and DJ (see JessZeffect) based in Nashville. She creates immersive experiences that help people get out of their heads and into their bodies through music, movement, and connection, reminding them that it's always a great day to choose to have a great day! When she’s not leading experiences or DJing, she’s usually spending time with her daughter, out dancing, or finding places in the city that actually feel good to be in.
Point being: She knows her way around Nashville when it comes to connection, creativity, and energy. From creative corners to full-on dance floor releases, these are the places she heads when she wants to reset, reconnect, and actually feel good.
THE LOCAL'S LIST is our weekly series where we tap locals to share their favorite spots, personal recs, and the kind of tips you usually only get from a friend.
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Here are five of Jess' favorites:
Location: H.O.M.E. Helping Our Music Evolve (Center 615)
Dates: 4/15, 6/3, 7/29, 9/30, 11/13
Not your average dance party. It’s an early morning reset with breath, art, food, music, and movement. You show up however you are and leave feeling lighter, clearer, and ready for the day. It really does what it says. You might just have the best day ever!
Location: Millennium Dance Complex (1st & 3rd Sundays at 10:30am)
Shoes off, no phones, no talking on the dance floor. No substances. Just music and movement as the medicine. Nothing to perform, nothing to prove. It might sound a little out there, but once you’re in it, it’s incredibly freeing and different every time.
Location: Music Row
It’s part art, part therapy, and a whole lot of impact. You’re throwing paint, putting your emotions on the wall in a way words don’t always allow. There’s something about seeing it right in front of you that gives you the power to let it go. You leave your artwork behind in their zen garden, where it breaks down and returns to the earth. Now you can breathe again.
Location: Donelson
A little witchy, a lot magical, and very Nashville. You can pop in for candles, readings, or just to wander and see what you’re drawn to. It’s one of those places that shifts your energy the second you walk in.
Location: East Nashville & Berry Hill
If you’re cutting back on alcohol or just want something different, this place is such a find. It’s all zero-proof, but it doesn’t feel like you’re missing anything. It’s thoughtful, elevated, and actually fun to explore. They have a stacked social calendar too!
It was hard to narrow this down to just five. Nashville is a vibrant city full of good-hearted people creating lives they don’t need to escape from. There’s so much here when you start looking for it. When you shift your vibe toward feeling good and being present, you start to notice more of what’s already around you.
Got a better take?
Disagree? Think we missed something?
Email us at [email protected] (subject: Choosing Joy) and put us on.
More Local Picks
This guide is part of The Local's List, a series where we ask people who actually live here to share their favorite spots, routines, and opinions about the city. We want to spotlight what makes Music City a special place to live. It's not the bars taken over by celebrities; it's the real people who celebrate the city every day.
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Nominate someone (or yourself) to share their favorite spots around town.
