Houses Made of Pumpkins
🎃 Fall Harvest at Cheekwood · Returning power to the states · IMAGINE Nashville again · Film rundown · Much more!
As the majority of Nashvillians were enjoying the long summer days leading up to the Fourth of July, Peter Grimaldi had mums on his mind. The Vice President of Gardens & Facilities at Cheekwood was already hard at work making sure the flowers central to the botanical garden’s signature fall program would be ready by Labor Day—even if autumn temperatures wouldn’t comply. “Those mums are rolling out in mid-to-late August, regardless of whether or not it's in the mid-90s,” Grimaldi said.
Though Cheekwood has been open to the public since 1960, the former home of Maxwell House coffee tycoons Leslie and Mabel Cheek has recently transformed from a historic site with one of the best botanical gardens in the country to a favorite local hotspot and tourist destination. With over 400,000 visitors each year and 20,000 member households, the fifty-acre property nestled in Belle Meade has grown along with Nashville, amassing a calendar of seasonal events so popular that visitors now have to reserve a ticket online before visiting.
Much of Cheewood’s growth coincided with its increased focus on the mansion’s art museum, which has hosted exhibits featuring an array of high-profile artists, from Andy Warhol to cartoonist Charles Addams. However, the estate’s introduction of its Holiday LIGHTS display in 2015 quickly became its signature program, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the grounds decked out in over one million bulbs. As Cheekwood becomes more of a seasonal event staple, Grimaldi and his team have worked to make sure that Cheekwood Harvest is as much of a draw.
Running from September 14 to October 27th, Cheekwood Harvest boasts over 75,000 pumpkins and 4,000 mums throughout the estate. In addition to experiencing some of the best views of fall foliage in Nashville, visitors can enjoy three houses made entirely of pumpkins as well as the event’s showpiece: a nine-foot “P’mumkin” topiary made of orange mums arranged in the shape of a giant pumpkin. Throughout the early fall, visitors can also walk the scarecrow trail and enjoy an Oktoberfest-inspired beer garden.
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🤨 Cui Bono? Last night, the Equity Alliance and Young Gifted and Black PAC held a conversation with the mayor at Watson Grove Baptist Church to discuss how the transit referendum will impact black Nashvillians. After a presentation, many lined up for the Q&A.
“I believe that people are looking at it as something for someone else, instead of an option for themselves,” said one attendee. “Do we have buy-in from corporations in the city?.. And are there plans to make bus riding sexy, or…a little more approachable for those that… may not have ridden the bus?”
“Nashville is a top 25 American city right now, and in most other cities our size—larger and smaller—it is normal to have transit be an option,” replied the mayor. “I'd settle for normal. If we get to sexy, that's [a] bonus.” O’Connell reminded the audience that the Nashville Chamber of Commerce is fully on board with his referendum, and how other businesses are naturally buying in. “I have known this in the startup ecosystem for a long time,” he said. “But also, those larger employers, they are always looking at how accessible is the city.”
“We’re hearing a lot of opposition from people saying that people just don't ride the bus,” said another audience member. “Do you have a plan to increase ridership?”
“First of all, this isn't just about whether or not people will ever ride the bus,” said O’Connell. “This is about that ten percent of time that we will all reclaim if we spend any time on the roads driving.” In addition, the mayor hopes major employers will take advantage of the expanded bus service: “We want to see more places, like The Mall at Green Hills, start to recognize that this is a benefit that their workforces will take advantage of if it's available to them.”
⭐️ “Make America States Again” During this year’s General Assembly, two state sovereignty bills popped up on the docket to establish a process in which the state may address federal overreach. Neither passed, but the Tennessee Senate State and Local Government Committee met yesterday for their summer study on the constitutionality of the legislation.
“I appreciate all the senators here as they give attention to this very important concept that we in Tennessee have already used just two years ago,” opened bill sponsor Janice Bowling, alluding to the fact that the state legislature exercised their right to nullify federal COVID mandates in 2021.
State senators heard from three expert witnesses, all constitutional experts and lawyers. Two spoke in favor of establishing a nullification process, Joe Wolverton and Jeff Cobble, and one against, Mark Pulliam.
In the end, there was one thing all three gentlemen could agree on: the fact that each state had the right to defend itself against tyrannical federal overreach regardless of whether or not a nullification law is passed. You can watch the full meeting here.
📑 New IMAGINE Nashville Data This morning, IMAGINE Nashville released their final report assessing over ten thousand community responses on how locals feel about their quality of life. This morning, the mayor held a roundtable featuring two of the three co-chairs heading the initiative. Among other things, IMAGINE concluded that individuals making less than $50,000 felt the largest disconnection from the communities developing around them. (Over half of Davidson County residents make less than $50,000 a year.)
“I remember one person describing to me Nashville as ‘that shining city set on a hill, but there are no steps to get there,’” recalled IMAGINE co-chair and Vanderbilt Professor for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Alex Jahangir. He went on to explain how job training and education will be key investments to help Nashivllians pursue pathways toward higher standards of living.
“The data suggests that the greatest inclusionary barrier is income,” concluded co-chair and pastor John Faison. “That's the headline of that particular conversation.” Read the full report here.
DEVELOPMENT
- New details revealed for hotel tower near Oracle campus (NBJ)
- Senior living provider near Belmont campus to close (NBJ)
- Neuhoff lands another food and beverage tenant (NBJ)
- West Trinity Lane residential project eyed (Post)
- Atlanta developer eyes south side site for next local project (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide and yearly festival guide.
TONIGHT
🪕 Michaela Anne @ The Basement East, 8p, $20, Info
🎸 Randall Bramblett Band @ Riverside Revival, 7p, $18, Info
🪕 Sam Barber @ Ryman Auditorium, 8p, $88+, Info
🎸 Jeffrey Steele @ 3rd and Lindsley, 8p, $26.61, Info
🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info
🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
✹ WEEKLY FILM RUNDOWN: October 4-October 10
The latest releases and special screenings hitting Music City this week. For a complete list of upcoming releases, check out our 2024 Film Guide.
Joker: Folie à Deux (Dir. Todd Phillips; Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga) Those who didn’t get enough of the 70s-tinged take of the clown prince of crime can rest easy knowing this one has Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and some inexplicable musical numbers. Now playing in theaters.
A Different Man (Dir. Aaron Schimberg; Starring Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson) An aspiring actor with a physical disability undergoes an experimental surgery only to find a doppelgänger stealing his fame in one of the best-reviewed films A24 has ever released. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred 20 and The Belcourt.
The Outrun (Dir. Nora Fingscheidt; Starring Saoirse Ronan) A young woman returns to the Northern Scottish Isles where she grew up after a stint in rehab in this quiet indie drama. Now playing in theaters.
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger x 6 (Dir. David Hinton) Martin Scorsese steps in front of the camera to spread his lifelong love of the films England’s foremost duo made in postwar Britain. The Belcourt also offers rep screenings of six Powell and Pressburger classics: The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, A Matter of Life and Death, and Peeping Tom.
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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