Seasonal Festivals Archives - Cheekwood
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Scarecrows at Cheekwood

Scarecrows at Cheekwood

For over ten years we have invited the community to get in on the fun of Cheekwood Harvest by assembling a group to design their own custom scarecrows. This year’s theme is Visual Artists — check out the list below to see which artists you’ll be able to see on our trail of scarecrows!

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2021 Scarecrows

Herb Society of Nashville – Vincent Van Gogh

Norman Binkley Elementary – Louise Nevelson

Tulip Grove Elementary – Louise Nevelson

HCA Healthcare – Bob Ross

Cheekwood Docents – Gustav Klimt

Groove to Include – Al Capp

Eagle View 5th Graders – Kehinde Wiley

Shah-Zuckerman’s – Georgia O’Keefe

Oak Hill Garden Club – Vincent Van Gogh

Rosebank STEAM Elementary Artists – Jackson Pollock

Westmoreland High School FCCLA – Karl Lagerfeld

Chamberlain Realty – Frida Kahlo

Spooky Springfield Scarecrows – Rene Magritte

Cane Ridge High Visual Arts – Roy Lichtenstein

Turnip Green Creative Reuse – Guerra de la Paz

Massey Family – Banksy

Scott’s Tots – Margaret Keane

Bellevue Middle School – Calder Kamin

Gower Elementary Art Club – Nick Cave

Jones Paideia Elementary School – Faith Ringgold

New Horizons Life Skills – Frida Kahlo

Glengarry Elementary School – Jean-Michel Basquiat

Cora Howe School Art Studio – Jeff Lemire

Whitsitt Elementary School – Alexander Calder

Pennington Elementary (4th grade art students) – Todd Parr

Napier Intellectuals – Jacob Lawrence

Harpeth Valley Hound Dogs – Salvador Dali

Congregation Micah – Marc Chagall

Rose Park Middle School Artists – Romare Bearden

Tyne Meade Garden Club – Red Grooms

Three Muskateers – David Hockney

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3 Tips for Caring for Poinsettias

3 Tips for Caring for Poinsettias

Published 12/9/20

The rich, velvety red and white foliage of poinsettias have become a staple of any holiday display. But there are a few things to keep in mind when caring for your plants to keep them looking their best. Understanding the plants’ needs will keep your holiday display healthy all season long.

Poinsettias are native to Mexico, and if you have ever vacationed to the Mexican coast over the holidays you likely enjoyed warmer temperatures, sunshine, and minimal rainfall. These are the cultural conditions that your poinsettias need to thrive.

Use these three tips as your guide to a successful poinsettia display in your home for the holidays:

1. Don’t overwater it

Poinsettias do not need a lot of water – just enough to keep the soil medium moist. A small bit of room-temperature water every few days should suffice. If you overwater your poinsettia or let it sit in water, it could lead to root rot or wilting.

2. Make sure it has plenty of sunlight

Place your poinsettia in a spot where the plant will get plenty of daylight – preferably near a window. Poinsettias are tropical plants, so they need about 6 hours of indirect sunlight a day to thrive.

3. Be aware of the temperature and humidity

When choosing a place to display your poinsettia, keep the temperature in mind. Do not put your plant outside in the cold temperatures. Try to maintain a temperature between 65 – 70 degrees and be aware that you may have to water your poinsettia more frequently if your house is very dry during the winter months.

By following these simple tips, you can expect to have a healthy, beautiful plant for up to eight weeks, offering you an at-home holiday display to enjoy all season long. Looking for inspiration for your display this year? Be sure to visit Cheekwood this season to experience our Poinsettia Tree on display in the Great Hall of the Frist Learning Center, and don’t miss the Loggia adorned with poinsettias inside the Historic Mansion & Museum.

Written by Peter Grimaldi, VP of Gardens & Facilities

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10 Fun Facts About Our Resident Reindeer

10 Fun Facts About Our Resident Reindeer

Publish Date: 11/19/2020

The holiday season is a magical time here at Cheekwood, from one mile of lights to TRAINS! lit up for the holidays, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! In addition to the lights and festive decor, one of our most beloved holiday traditions is our resident reindeer, Hope and Dolly.reindeer

In their sixth year at Cheekwood, the reindeer continue to charm visitors from near and far. This year, we are lucky to have Dolly returning for her second year with us, and we are thrilled to introduce our newest resident reindeer, Hope.


While the reindeer are regulars at Cheekwood, they are fairly uncommon in the state of Tennessee. We asked Hall Whitaker, Cheekwood reindeer keeper extraordinaire, to tell us some fun facts about these amazing animals that you probably didn’t know.

  1. Reindeer can live to be about 16 years old! Dolly is only a year old, but is already sporting her own set of antlers.
  2. There are 14 subspecies of reindeer. Many countries have reindeer as an indigenous species, but sometimes they are known by different names. In Canada they are known as caribou, which means “snow shoveler.”
  3. Reindeer are the only species of deer that the female grows antlers just like the males. Their antlers get bigger every year, but full grown male antlers are typically larger than those of the females.
  4. Every year, both male and female reindeer lose their antlers and grow a whole new set. Males lose their antlers after mating season, which is around October or November, while female reindeer keep their antlers much reindeerlonger. Females usually don’t lose their antlers until January or February, and pregnant females can keep theirs even longer!
  5. Reindeer have a double coat that protects them from arctic conditions. Their outer coat sheds water, while their inner coat keeps them warm.
  6. Similar to other types of deer species, reindeer are crepuscular. This means they are most active at dawn and dusk.
  7. Unlike other species of deer, reindeer have shorter tails and ears as well as fur covered noses. This helps prevent frostbite in their natural habitats.
  8. Reindeer are quite the athletes! They can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. Usually, they prefer a slower pace as they migrate, covering anywhere from 500 – 3000 miles in a year depending on species and food availability.
  9. They are also excellent swimmers, the best of any of the deer species. They average about 4 mph but can get up to 7 mph if needed. Part of the reason is that their outer coat has hollow hair shafts which trap air and make them buoyant. They wear their own life preserver!
  10. Reindeer are the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light! This allows them to detect urine of their predators in the snow.

Learn more about Hope and Dolly and see them for yourself during regular daytime hours and at night during Holiday LIGHTS.

For more information about Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS, visit our Holiday LIGHTS calendar page here.

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Climb Aboard the Holiday LIGHTS Express!

Climb Aboard the Holiday LIGHTS Express!

Published: 12/16/2019

This year, we have a festive display of one of America’s most popular holiday customs, Christmas trains. Holiday LIGHTS Express: Antique Toy Trains is an exhibition of model trains from the 1920s and 1930s set in the traditionally decorated Cheekwood Recreation Room. Ever since December 1900, model trains altered the toy making industry with their ingenuity and authenticity, making them a longstanding high-demand Christmas gift for decades. Whether it was a Lionel or American Flyer model, tots of the 1920/30s had trains at the top of their holiday wish-list.

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The first locomotive steam engine was invented in Great Britain in 1802 during the Industrial Revolution (c. 1760 – 1830). This icon of power, ingenuity, and progressivism altered more than the modernizing industrial world. Its influence also transformed the toy industry, making its way into the hearts and holiday customs of families worldwide. By the early-twentieth century, model trains had instantly become a fixture at the top of nearly every child’s wish-list.

Individualized model toy trains first appeared in Europe in the 1860s. Just a few decades later, the first standardized gauge model train was the ingenious invention of German toymaker, Märklin, in 1891. The first Märklin model contained a wind-up engine with several cars that ran upon a standardized size track. However, when the popular demand for toy trains reached America, the power source and gauge size altered.

A new national phenomenon began in December 1900, when American toymaker Joshua Lionel Cowen brought one of the country’s greatest Christmas traditions to life. The Electric Express, as it was called, was a tin locomotive pulled train powered by an electric fan motor and acid-filled batteries. In no time, it charmingly stole the spotlight in the Christmas display windows of popular New York City toy stores. Although not intended for sale, the Lionel Corporation soon received unending requests for model trains just like the Electric Express, making toy trains synonymous with the holiday season forevermore.

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Lionel’s earliest models in the 1910s and 1920s were eye-catching brightly painted tin trains made in a size known as Standard Gauge. With creative marketing, early Standard Gauge models operated under a similar strategy as dollhouses in that each year children could acquire and enhance their train sets with various add-ons and accessories. This initiative saw great success, and by the end of World War I, Lionel was one of three major toy train manufacturers in the United States. Other popular competitors were American Flyer and Ives. Lionel acquired Ives in the mid-1920s and began expanding their model train technology, allowing them to reverse and change direction.

The Great Depression took a heavy toll on the toymaking industry and Lionel, although wildly popular, did not escape untouched. Lionel’s operating budget had been over $500,000 in 1927 and fell to just $82,000 by 1930. Toy trains became a luxury item. The price for a single train car or engine could cost more than the average annual income of a family. One of Lionel’s most impressive locomotives, the No. 400E, retailed for $42.50, similar in price to a used Ford Model T. Lionel barely avoided bankruptcy during the Great Depression, but bounced back to see its most successful decades in its history during the late-1940s through the 1950s with smaller gauge trains and new technological enhancements.

On display in the Recreation Room inside the Historic Mansion & Museum are several Standard Gauge model trains and accessories that would have been popular during the eras of the Cheek family and holidays at Cheekwood in the 1930s. Experience the railroad magic of holiday’s past at during our daytime hours and at night during Holiday LIGHTS until January 5.

Learn more about Holiday LIGHTS Express: Antique Toy Trains here, and don’t miss our outdoor train exhibit located in the Turner Seasons Garden!

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Holiday LIGHTS was Voted the Best Event in Nashville – Here’s Why!

Holiday LIGHTS was Voted the Best Event in Nashville – Here’s Why!

Publish Date: 11/17/2019

Holiday LIGHTS is an unforgettable, immersive and engaging experience that has become a favorite Nashville holiday tradition. It’s easy to see why Nashville Scene Readers voted our holiday festival Best Event/Festival in Nashville! The holiday lights shine a little brighter out here away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As soon as you enter our winter wonderland, you’ll be captivated by the seasonal light displays throughout our gardens.

1. Bigger, Better, More!

Holiday LIGHTS is a spectacle of wonder – one mile of lights, Santa and his reindeer, s’mores, the Cheekwood Mansion bedecked for the season, and holiday activities galore.

And each year, there’s more – more lights, more activities, more food, more exhibitions, more photo ops, more, more, more.  That’s because, at Cheekwood, we have a philosophy:  Bigger, Better, More!  Each year, our Holiday LIGHTS festival gets new lights installations, new activities, and new decorations.  This year, we unveiled Pinnacles of Light in the Bradford Robertson Color Garden.  Featuring 17 pinnacles of 81,600 green, white and pink LED lights, this display captivates the imagination. Also new this year, we took our poinsettia display up a notch with the addition of our new Poinsettia Wall. Both our Poinsettia Tree and Wall make perfect holiday photo! Also new this year is our Pawlidays at Cheekwood. On Sunday, December 8th, dogs are invited to experience Cheekwood during our daytime hours and even get their photo with Santa himself from 10 AM – 2 PM. With this new holiday dog event, Cheekwood now offers dog-friendly events during every season!

2. Cheekwood is the ONLY place to see real reindeer in Nashville during the holidays!

One of our most beloved holiday traditions is inviting two of Santa’s most trusted companions to spend the holiday season with us. Our resident reindeer, Jolly, returned for her fifth year at Cheekwood with her youngest calf.  We held a social media contest to name the young calf.  You voted and you chose Dolly – a most fitting name for a reindeer in Music City!

You can visit Jolly and Dolly during our regular daytime hours and at night during Holiday LIGHTS in our Reindeer Village. This year, we’ve also introduced “Deer Diaries” Reindeer Keeper talks so you can get all of the questions you have about Santa’s Reindeer answered directly from the experts themselves!

3. The Perfect Seasonal Selfie

We know you want to experience events – and show them off!  At Cheekwood, there are dozens of photo ops spread throughout the mile-long pathway.  From the Candy Cane Forest to the Glowing Gazebo, there is no shortage of Instagram moments for you to capture the perfect seasonal selfie. Be sure to use #CheekwoodLights and tag @Cheekwood on social media for a chance to win a membership!

4.  No Other Event in Nashville Is Like It!

Nashville has no shortage of holiday fun – lights exhibits, pop-up bars, igloos, shows, tours, parades, and more.  But, there are some items that you can only see and experience at Cheekwood! From the historic mansion period rooms bedecked for the season, a celebration of antique trains, model trains outside, and live caroler performances and singalongs each night, there is truly no other holiday experience like Cheekwood!

5.  It’s Become a Timeless Nashville Tradition

Now in its fifth year, the phrase we hear most from the locals is that it has become a favorite Nashville tradition, and why wouldn’t it be?  The event is friendly for all ages, all demographics, and has something for everyone.  Immediately as you enter the property, you see lights, smell hot chocolate, hear upbeat holiday music and more as you are instantly put in the holiday spirit.

Come and see for yourself why we were voted the Best Local Event/Festival by the Nashville Scene! Visit our ticketing page for tickets and more information.

 

Holiday LIGHTS is presented by

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5 Tips for Taking the Best Photos of Your Pup

5 Tips for Taking the Best Photos of Your Pup

Are you planning to attend our newest dog-friendly event, “Pawliday” at Cheekwood, on December 8th? Be sure to capture the pawfect photo of your furbaby with Santa by checking out these 5 tips:

1. Take advantage of the natural light!

No need to scare your pup by using flash! Natural light is great for photos, especially if it’s a cloudy day. Santa will be hanging out in our Frist Learning Center Courtyard, which is the perfect spot to take advantage of the natural lighting!

2. Bring something to get your pup’s attention!

Does your pup go crazy for treats? Do they have that one special toy they can’t get enough of?? Use what your pup loves to get their attention when it’s time to get your shot!

3. Use the best setting on your camera or phone to capture the right moment!

It can be hard to get our four-legged friends to look at the camera, so be prepared by using a setting that will continuously capture the moment. Use the sports mode setting on your camera or use the “live” feature when taking photos on your phone of your four-legged friends!

4. Take photos from your dog’s perspective!

Get down at eye level with your dog to get the best point of view. Your pup is the focal point after all, so be sure to capture them at plenty of angles. Using different perspectives will give you tons of options to choose from once it’s time to post!

5. Edit your photos to add fun filters and effects!

There are several apps available that can help you edit your photos with preset filters. Even our phones have the ability to edit photos with basic settings anyone can use. Jazz up photos of your pups before posting them to really make them insta worthy!

We can’t wait to see all the good boys (and girls) at our first ever holiday dog event! Learn more about “Pawliday” at Cheekwood by visiting our calendar page here.

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2019 Holiday Gift Guide

2019 Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for the perfect holiday gift? We have plenty of one-of-a-kind items to choose from in both our Mansion Gift Shop and Garden Gift Shop! Stop by one of our gift shops when you’re here for Holiday LIGHTS to knock out some of your holiday shopping. Whether you’re looking for unique handmade jewelry or holiday goodies to display this season, we’re open year-round to meet all your gift giving needs. Check out some of our highlights below for our favorite gifts of the 2019 holiday season!

Shop on Museum Store Sunday!
On Sunday, December 1, over 1,000 Museum Stores across the world will offer inspired shopping inside your favorite museums and cultural institutions. Shop knowing you are supporting the missions and programs of each participating museum and cultural organization. Cheekwood members can enjoy 20% off their purchase, and not-yet members can enjoy 10% off.

Get into the holiday spirit with our Christmas ornament collection! From cardinals to classic holiday decor, we have ornaments that will fit any theme or style.

We have an adorable collection of woodland creatures sure to make your home look like a fairy tale forest. From tall decorative trees to the tiniest hedgehog wearing a Santa hat, these fun decorative items are sure to make you smile this holiday season.

Needing a gift for your favorite host or hostess? We’ve got you covered! For all the chefs in your life, we have plenty of kitchen items available in store. Check out our fun Christmas tree serving dishes that would be perfect for the upcoming holiday parties!

If you’re shopping for garden enthusiasts, look no further than these fun gift sets! We have several options that include seeds or bulbs so your green-thumbed friends can grow their own plants.

Looking for Hanukkah decorations? We’ve got you covered! We have menorahs of all sizes, glass blown dreidels, and the cutest dish towels to choose from. Don’t miss our Hanukkah selection in the Mansion Gift Shop!

Not quite sure what type of gift to get? Snow globes are a classic option, and we have plenty to choose from in all shapes and sizes.

We have several items for all the little ones on your list! These holiday activity books are sure to keep children of all ages entertained. We also have bath bombs, fun socks, holiday-themed plush, and plenty more that will make perfect stocking stuffers this holiday season!

Be sure to stop by one of our Cheekwood Mansion Gift Shops during your next visit! Both shops are open daily and will be open each night during this year’s Holiday LIGHTS event starting November 23. Our Mansion Gift Shop is located on the ground floor of the Cheekwood Mansion, and our Garden Gift Shop is located in the Frist Learning Center Courtyard, right across from Café 29 and next to the stables.

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