Happily Ever After

Fairy tales come to life at the Cheekwood Art and Gardens in Nashville.

Whitney Maddox and Thaisi Velasquez, DI Multimedia Scholars

On most days, Cheekwood Art and Gardens seem cool and calm to many of its visitors, but between now and Sept. 7, laughing and screaming children will be there for this summer’s fairy tale theme, “let your hair down.”

Fairy tale art brings to life eight enchanting stories along Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail. Story settings titled “Happily Ever After” offer visual aids of children’s literature.

“It’s good that the exhibits are spread out throughout the park so we can experience the grounds of Cheekwood and get a field of what it has to offer,” said Kim Thomason, 38, of Smyrna, Tenn. “I can’t wait to hear my kid’s at home talking about how they climbed up the wall just like Rapunzel did when she let her hair down. The memories my children will have is going to be great, this has just aided in their memory building skills.”

The slides and bridges featured on the exhibits are easily accessible and safe for all age groups.

“I have a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old, so it is good that they both can play together,” said Keith Anderson, 36, of Nashville, Tenn. “I am so glad that the children can come outside and play and learn at the same time. So many children sit in front of the TV all day and forget about the world outside, but today they were able to get out and experience something different.”