Experience 'A Taste of Iceland' Later This Month

Ever since Icelandair began offering direct flights between Reykjavík and Nashville, Iceland has become a bucket list destination for lots of Middle Tennesseans. With four nonstop flights each direction every week, a trip to the wonderland that is Iceland is less than seven hours, or to put it another way, shorter than the drive to experience the wonderland that is Gulf Shores, Ala.

While I love a Bushwacker at the Flora-Bama as much as the next guy, I am much more intrigued to discover the magic of Iceland, a country that has long been a favorite destination for travelers seeking cheerful people, fascinating food, natural wonders and maybe even a chance to experience the aurora borealis.

Those flights travel in both directions, and from June 26-28, representatives from Inspired by Iceland will be in Nashville for three days of events designed to introduce us all to their fair country. Among the planned festivities are an Icelandic Supper Club, music and comedy shows, and an immersive movie simulating the magic of the Northern Lights.

Thursday night’s highlight will be the supper club beginning at 7 p.m. at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery. The $99 meal will feature Icelandic Chef Hafliði Halldórsson preparing and demonstrating how to cook up an Icelandic feast, drawing his inspiration from the award-winning courses of the 2024 Icelandic Culinary Team. The menu includes wine pairings, and it looks really intriguing:

• First Course
  Slow-cooked Arctic char with Icelandic wasabi cream, kohlrabi, cucumber & apple salad.

• Second Course
  Grilled Icelandic lamb loin with fondant potato, sautéed collard greens, pickled pearl onion, glazed carrot, and lamb jus.

• Third Course
  Skyr and white chocolate ganache with blueberries and lemon meringue.

Tickets are currently sold out, but you can sign up to be notified if there is a cancellation.

Other nonculinary events during the visit are free to attend, but still require reservations. Thursday night, Row One Stage at the Cannery will host an evening of Icelandic music curated by Iceland Airwaves featuring artists Arny Margret, superserious, and DJ Hermigervill. Grab your free ticket at the event website while they last.

The next public-facing events will take place on Saturday, June 28, starting with Icelandia Presents: Northern Lights Show at the Adventure Science Center. The immersive film combines science, art and ancient storytelling to explore the aurora borealis, one of Iceland's most iconic attractions. Attendees will learn where the northern lights come from, how they form and how they've inspired legends for centuries. The film will be shown at the top of the hour from noon until 2 p.m. in the Sudekum Planetarium at the Adventure Science Center. Sign up for free tickets, and arrive early to make sure you get in!

Later that day, from 5 until 7 p.m. at Nelson’s Green Brier, a pair of well-known Icelandic comedians will share some of the real stories behind the quirky truths, cultural oddities, and straight-up strange realities that are part of everyday life in the Land of Fire and Ice. Ragnar Ísleifur and Bergur Ebbi will also offer advice for tourists and point out what just about every tourist does and gets wrong on a visit, including attempting to pronounce Reykjavik. As a bonus, Iceland Hotel Collection by BERJAYA is treating guests to complimentary cocktails, so register for your free ticket at the event’s webpage.

If this inspires you to make a visit in person, (and it should!) Icelandair will be running a special sale from June 25 to July 7 with round-trip fares to Iceland from Nashville starting at $449 (for travel between Sept. 15 to Dec. 29, 2025.