From the Author: I've lived and worked in Nashville for 12+ years. I'm heavily involved with the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, so when you visit, you might find me giving the odd tour or helping out wherever possible. If you have any questions, I respond quickly to comments. Come in and say hi!
Yes, you can walk the streets with a beer, but it must be in a paper or plastic cup. It is against the law in Nashville to walk the streets with an alcoholic drink in a glass, aluminum, or metal container. If, however, you are walking back to your hotel or home with unopened alcohol that you bought from the store, that is fine since it’s still commercially sealed.
The law in Nashville, commonly called the “Solo Cup Law” states that “it shall be a violation for any person, while in or on a street, alley, sidewalk, parking lot, parking garage or other area generally open to the public…to have in their possession beer, ale, wine or other alcoholic beverage for the purpose of consumption in a glass, aluminum, or metal container unless such container is commercially sealed.”
An ordinance to the law was put forward that would ban even paper or plastic cups. It seems, however, that the hearing has been pushed out indefinitely. So, for now the existing law stands that you can walk around Broadway with a paper or plastic cup with alcohol.