Japanese Moon Viewing, Cheekwood’s 12th annual Otsukimi festival celebrating the Harvest Moon, is Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 4:00pm to 9:00pm at Cheekwood. Presented with the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville and the Japan-America Society of Tennessee, the evening spreads Japanese music, art, food, and storytelling across the gardens, from taiko drumming and tea ceremonies to a kimono fashion show and mochi pounding. Tickets are $23 for adults and $16 for youth ages 3 to 17, while children 2 and under and Cheekwood members get in free. Timed-entry tickets are required, and once parking fills up, walk-up tickets are only available to guests arriving by rideshare.

Main Stage Schedule (Arboretum Lawn):

• 5:00pm – Nashville Taiko and Shamisen Knoxville
• 5:30pm – Nashville Taiko
• 6:00pm – Welcome Ceremony and Haiku Contest winners, with remarks expected from Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell
• 6:30pm – Kimono Fashion Show
• 7:00pm – Tea Ceremony
• 7:30pm – Shakuhachi performance by Shaun Tairyu Head, new this year
• 8:00pm – Tea Ceremony
• 8:30pm – Closing Ceremony with a reading of the Japanese folktale The Bamboo Cutter

Around the Gardens:

• Mochi Pounding, 4:15pm and 5:15pm – Watch rice get steamed and pounded into mochi in the Herb Garden, then try a sample.
• Kamishibai, 4:45pm and 5:45pm – Traditional storytelling told with illustrated paper cards and live narration in the Herb Garden.
• Blevins Japanese Garden Tours, 4:30pm, 5:30pm, and 6:30pm – Guided walks through Shōmu-en, the “pine-mist forest” garden.
• Choir SAKURA, 7:15pm – Seasonal and popular Japanese songs, including music from movies and anime, in the Herb Garden.
• Ikebana, 4:00pm to 8:00pm – A flower-arranging display in the Frist Learning Center Courtyard Classroom, with a live demonstration from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Bonsai Display, 4:00pm to 8:00pm – Trees from the Nashville Bonsai Society in the Frist Learning Center Great Hall.
• Art Activities, 4:00pm to 8:00pm – Japanese calligraphy, brush-and-ink kanji, a pop-up luna moth, and a Rabbit in the Moon banner in the Frist Learning Center Courtyard.
• Vendors, 4:00pm to 9:00pm – Asian food and drinks from local food trucks and chefs in Lot B.

Event Overview:

• Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026
• Time: 4:00pm to 9:00pm
• Price: $23 adults, $16 youth (ages 3 to 17), FREE for children 2 and under and Cheekwood members | Buy tickets
• Ages: All ages
• Location: Cheekwood Estate & Gardens | 1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37205 (map/directions)