NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Spring is in the air at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens as the annual Great Spring Art Hop returns.
For the 32nd year, guests can celebrate spring and kick off the holiday weekend by hunting for eggs and enjoying hands-on activities, family-friendly music, and food trucks. The Great Spring Art Hop will be held March 29 and March 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to egg hunts featuring a total of 36,000 eggs throughout the weekend, visitors can seek out nine giant wooden bunnies. Eight are designed by local Nashville artists and are hidden throughout the gardens. Participating artists include Bethany Primrose, Corey Lazarowicz, Caitlin Harris, XPayne, Kelsey Christine, Robi Wolfenden, Amanda Phillips, and Rachel Bartek, and Alice Shearon.
New this year, Cheekwood is partnering with Turnip Green Creative Reuse to offer the option of recycling the plastic eggs. Bins will be positioned throughout the property where visitors can drop off their unwanted eggs after the hunts.
“The Great Spring Art Hop is a super family-friendly, long-standing tradition we are happy to host,” said Nathalie Lavine, Vice President of Education and Outreach at Cheekwood. “We look forward to seeing families come back year after year, and hope it is a great start to a celebratory weekend.”
Schedule of Egg Hunts on Friday and Saturday
3 Years Old & Under on the Arboretum Lawn
9:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m.
4 – 6 Years Old in the Beer Garden
9:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 3:45 p.m.
7 – 9 Years Old in the Music Meadow
9:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 3:45 p.m.
10 Years Old & Up in the Burr Terrace Garden
9:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 3:45 p.m.
Special Musical Performances on Arboretum Lawn Stage
Friday, March 29 - Farmer Jason at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 30 - Mr. Steve, The Music Man at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Art Activities
Children can take part in bunny and tulip-themed arts and crafts in the Frist Learning Center Courtyard from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days of the event.
Food Trucks
Various local food trucks will be in Lot B from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days.
The event will be held rain or shine. This popular weekend sells out quickly. Reserve tickets in advance at Cheekwood.org.
Cheekwood in Bloom
The 12th annual Cheekwood in Bloom: Belles Fleurs is underway, and the tulips are currently peaking. Impressions of France are brought to life with 250,000 colorful blooming bulbs. Traverse along parterre-inspired gardens, capture a photo of a replica of the Eiffel Tower, and complete your journey by viewing works of art by Edgar Degas inside the museum galleries.
About Cheekwood
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 permanent collection 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 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 three-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden and, in 2021 was recognized 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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