Live Music, American Art, and Summer Traditions Highlight Second Annual Event.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens invites the community to experience a four-day festival of art, music, and summer traditions.
Cheekwood Community Celebration: Arts and Music in America will take place June 4–7, 2026.
Now in its second year, the festival brings together live music, American art, family-friendly activities, and seasonal experiences set throughout Cheekwood’s gardens and historic estate. Guests can also explore America the Beautiful: National Parks and Landmarks by Rail—the largest and most elaborate model train exhibition ever presented at Cheekwood—on view May 2 through September 6.
Programming includes a concert series inspired by iconic Tennessee landmarks and musical traditions—from the legacy of Memphis and the sounds of Nashville to the bluegrass roots of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Inside the Mansion and Museum, visitors can experience American art exhibitions, including An American Story: Paintings from The Parthenon’s Cowan Collection and Common Ground: The Hainsworth Collection in Conversation with Cheekwood’s Permanent Collection.
Additional offerings throughout the event include food trucks, specialty cocktails, a passport scavenger hunt, and hands-on art activities for all ages.
With free daytime admission and discounted evening special-event tickets for members, and half-price daytime tickets for general guests, Cheekwood welcomes everyone to celebrate creativity, shared experiences, and the American spirit.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, June 4 | 5–9 p.m.
Friday, June 5
Day | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Night | 5–9 p.m.
Saturday, June 6
Day | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Night | 5–9 p.m.
Sunday, June 7 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
For more information on programming for Cheekwood Community Celebration: Arts and Music in America, visit cheekwood.org/calendar-events.
Ticket Information
Reserve tickets at cheekwood.org. Tickets go on sale for Cheekwood members on May 5, and to the public on May 12. Members receive free daytime admission and discounted evening special event tickets. Not-yet Members receive half-price daytime admission. Reserving a timed-entry ticket in advance is required for all guests.
With its intact and picturesque vistas, Cheekwood is distinguished as one of the leading Country Place Era estates in the nation. Formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, the 1930s estate, with its 30,000-square-foot Mansion and 55-acres of gardens, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum with furnished period rooms and galleries devoted to American art from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. The property includes 13 distinct gardens including the Blevins Japanese Garden and the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, as well as a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring outdoor monumental sculpture. Each year, Cheekwood hosts seasonal festivals including Cheekwood in Bloom, Summertime at Cheekwood, Cheekwood Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS. Cheekwood is a 501c3 nonprofit charitable organization. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and nationally as a Level II Arboretum. It is a four-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden, named the Most Beautiful Garden in Tennessee in 2025 by HGTV, in 2024 and 2025 received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, and in 2021 was named by Fodors as one of the 12 Most Beautiful Gardens in the American South. Cheekwood is located eight miles southwest of downtown Nashville at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended days and hours of operation depending on the season. Visit cheekwood.org for current hours and to purchase advance tickets required for admission.
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