Seasonal Archives - Page 16 of 21 - Cheekwood

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Gifts of the Garden

With her theme, “Gifts of the Garden,” Dowling’s handcrafted holiday décor will celebrate the rich history and natural beauty of Cheekwood. The bright and bold displays are inspired by the 13 distinct gardens at Cheekwood, and are designed to complement the Mansion’s architectural details, while bringing the outdoors in.

About Laura Dowling

From 2009-2015, Dowling served as Chief Floral Designer for the White House. She managed the floral design for thousands of private and official White House parties, receptions, and state dinners as well as large-scale installations for the Fourth of July, Halloween, and the iconic White House Christmas. Dowling is known for her contemporary and romantic style of flower arranging that is rooted in classic French design.

Mansion Tour & Afternoon Tea Packages

December 3 – January 3 | Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
Docent-Led Tour of the Mansion | 12:45 PM
Tea service in Café 29 | 2 – 3:30 PM

Members : $50 per attendee + complimentary Garden and Mansion admission
Not-Yet Members : $50 per attendee + Garden and Mansion admission

Treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind experience with a Docent Tour of the Mansion’s period rooms, decorated by Laura Dowling, followed by a holiday-inspired Afternoon Tea service at Café 29. Tableside service for parties of 2 or 4 includes teas steeped in holiday cheer and festive yet traditional sweet and savory bites.

Laura Dowling Gifts of the Garden Chairs
Lisa Manning | Vicki McCluggage

Hospitality Sponsor
Hyatt Place

Dining Room table décor provided by

Replacements, Ltd.

Holiday LIGHTS

is presented by

sponsored by

supported by
AWC

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Holidays at the White House with the First Ladies: Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama

An Enchanted Noel

Featuring Le Carrousel Parisien A whimsical centerpiece of Un Noël Enchanté, the carousel originally created by Glitterville's Stephen Brown for…

Learn More

Reserve Daytime Tickets Reserve Holiday Lights Tickets

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Fall Break Friday Night Hoedown

As the sun dips below the horizon, our new evening event at Cheekwood Harvest this year will come alive. The Friday Hoedown is a lively soirée of fall fun with square dancing, free mechanical bull rides, make your own herb popcorn, and seasonal food and libations. There are a kaleidoscope of autumnal delights to explore throughout the gardens, from the Pumpkin Village to the Scarecrow Trail to the P’mumkin topiary. Watch the Opry Square Dancers perform and then join in and learn a new step or two. No experience is required, just a willingness to do-si-do with your partner.

Please note: the Historic Mansion & Museum will be closed this evening.

Reserve Tickets

	Gardens Only
Adults	$22
Youth (3-17)	$15
Ages 2 & Under	FREE
Member Adult	$10
Member Youth	$5

A $2 service fee will be added to all paid transactions.

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Cheekwood Harvest

NEW for 2026!

Marigold River

Bringing a bold sweep of color to the estate, a new Marigold River of more than 2,500 orange, red, and yellow blooms lines the walkway from the Bradford Robertson Color Garden to Arboretum Lawn. Follow this vibrant ribbon of flowers to the Pumpkin Village, where three interactive pumpkin houses, thousands of colorful pumpkins, and brilliant fall foliage create a charming, undeniable fall feeling and a picture-perfect backdrop.

Stroll the Scarecrow Trail to discover 15 storybook-inspired creations by local artists and organizations, then pick out a pumpkin and bring a bit of the harvest home with you.

Harvest Weekends Music

Saturdays & Sundays | 12 – 2 PM

On weekends, a diverse lineup of bands provides the soundtrack to your festive fall day. Bring a blanket or chair, and settle in for a picnic surrounded by gorgeous scenery.

Saturday, September 19: Hay Fever (Western Swing)
Sunday, September 20: Mindy Miller (Country)
Saturday, September 26: Brandon Birkedahl (Americana)
Sunday, September 27: Quincy Lancto (Classic Country)
Saturday, October 3: Jessie Gray (Singer/Songwriter)
Sunday, October 4: King Corduroy and Dayna Bee (Soul)
Saturday, October 10: Mark Thornton (Classic Country)
Sunday, October 11: Ky Brandes (Singer/Songwriter)
Saturday, October 17: MERJ (Jazz)
Sunday, October 18: Tim Gartland (Blues)
Saturday, October 24: Tony Hannah (Americana)
Sunday, October 25: Jerry Tachoir (Jazz)

Scarecrows! 2026 Theme: Once Upon a Harvest…

A frog and a toad,
A mouse with a cookie,
Even a princess and a pea,
Turn these storybook pages
Life-size for all to see!

There’s something lurking in these trees: Scarecrows at Cheekwood! We’re hosting a few familiar guests along the Carell Dogwood Trail this year. Memorable characters and creatures from beloved storybooks will light up the trail day and night. A not-so-scary twist to these books will bring a sweet, but spooky, flair to the gardens this fall.

Explore Cheekwood Harvest Events

Reserve Tickets

	Tuesday – Thursday		Friday – Sunday
	Gardens Only	Gardens + Mansion	Gardens Only	Gardens + Mansion
Adults	$21	$27	$23	$29
Senior	$19	$25	$21	$27
College Student	$17	$23	$19	$25
Youth (3-17)	$14	$20	$16	$22
Ages 2 & Under	FREE	FREE	FREE	FREE
Member Adult	FREE	FREE	FREE	FREE
Member Youth	FREE	FREE	FREE	FREE

Non-Members: $2 service fee per ticket + $5 per vehicle parking fee

Save with off-site parking on weekends.
Off-Site Parking

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Harvest Plant Sale

Cheekwood Harvest 2022. Photo by Caitlin Harris. Courtesy of Cheekwood Estates & Gardens.

Ask a Gardener Gardening Class
September 20 | 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Register

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El Día de los Muertos: Call for Vendors

Murals / Los Murales

Murals depicting the Day of the Dead have a strong history throughout Latin America, highlighted by the works of Diego Rivera and José Guadalupe Posada, the creator of the iconic Catrina figure. Finding inspiration in these artists, students in grades sixth to twelfth will create 2-D murals on canvas that may portray any aspect of El Día de los Muertos. Los Murales will be completed off site and will be returned to Cheekwood and hung in the Frist Learning Center.

Help your students develop cultural awareness, encourage class unity and participation, and display the talent and enthusiasm of your students to over 4,000 event visitors through this interactive and fun competition!

Los Murales Display Application

Altars

One of the most important aspects of El Día de los Muertos is the creation of a memorial altar for the departed, known as an ofrenda. All across Mexico and beyond, families honor their ancestors by creating altars decorated with items that the deceased enjoyed in life. Learn more about this tradition as you tour the creative ofrendas designed by local groups and organizations.

We are seeking community partners to create altar displays to be shown during the El Día de los Muertos festival. Altar displays are a great opportunity for community organizations to represent themselves and to celebrate their ancestors in the tradition of El Día de los Muertos.

Altar Application

Entertainment Application

We are excited to feature and promote entertainers during our El Día de los Muertos event! As always, we will work to produce a high-quality event that educates our visitors and seek entertainment that reflects diverse cultural traditions.

Entertainment Application

Food Vendor Application

We feature and promote a variety of food vendors in our El Día de los Muertos marketplace! As always, we will work to produce a high-quality event that educates our visitors and seek food vendors that have quality merchandise and unique items to complement and enhance the spirit of the festival.

Food Vendor Application

Vendor Application

We feature and promote a variety of vendors in our El Día de los Muertos marketplace! As always, we will work to produce a high-quality event that educates our visitors and seek retail vendors that have quality merchandise and unique items to complement and enhance the spirit of the festival.

Vendor Application

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Harvest Teas

Harvest Tea Menu

Important information:

The tea packages are sold by tables for parties of 2 people or 4 people. Please insert the quantity of tables you want when checking out. If you have only 3 people in your party, you are welcome to reserve a table of 4 but will need to pay the difference.
If you are a Cheekwood member and need to use multiple memberships to get the appropriate discount, you will need to purchase tickets over the Teas Line at 615-627-5141.
No discounts apply outside of Cheekwood Membership discount.
For those with Garden & Mansion admission, we invite you to join us for a Guided Docent Tour of the Historic Mansion prior to the tea at 12:45 PM. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.
We ask that Children 2 and under do not attend. Strollers are not permitted in the tearoom and highchairs will not be available.
Dietary requests are not guaranteed but can be requested by emailing teas@cheekwood.org at least 24 hours in advance of your visit.
A shuttle is available upon request at check-in for those who need assistance getting to the cafe or the mansion.
Gratuity is not included in the ticket price. Cheekwood is a cashless facility and will not have change available. Ask your server about our new cashless tip option!
Seasonal Teas are non-refundable, and date transfers are subject to availability.
Tea sales end 24 hours prior to the event.

Questions? E-mail teas@cheekwood.org or call 615-627-5141

If the date you’d like to experience Afternoon Tea is sold out, sign up below to receive a notification if a table becomes available:

Waitlist

Event Tag: Seasonal

Gifts of the Garden

About Laura Dowling