Summer Supper celebrates 50 years of Cheekwood

Sweet twilight

Published On: June 25, 2010

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June in Nashville brings with it sweltering heat, thick humidity and hungry bugs. Yet somehow, all those annoyances magically disappeared for the Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee’s Summer Supper at Cheekwood.

Wow—twilight at Cheekwood. Wait, scratch that. Twilight at Cheekwood with Chihuly. Talk about breathtaking. Guests at this year’s soiree spent more time outside exploring the gardens and sculpture than ever before. It was as if the gods of art and nature had willed the good weather so everyone could appreciate all the grounds offer.

Inside, a giant three-tier “cake” created by Roberta Lochte-Jones featured a floral design she borrowed from a coat she owns. Her little crew spent almost a week hand painting the masterpiece. Vivid yellow, purple, pink and red tablecloths punctuated the festive room, each table serving as host to a unique birthday cake.

While some folks leafed through old scrapbooks from the Horticultural Society that Celia Jones, Heather Thorne and Debbie Townsend had unearthed, others sampled some of Dani Kates most beloved treats—open-faced tomato sandwiches and cheese dreams.

For supper, Dani prepared a grilled peach salad, lamb with mint, asparagus, fresh corn, grape tomatoes and peas and hot buttered yeast rolls. For dessert, naturally, birthday cake! Guests selected either strawberry or chocolate cake—or both.

Then the fireworks began. Or should we say—sparklers. Each table lit the fiery sticks on their cakes in honor of Cheekwood’s Big 5-0, but the renowned estate wasn’t the only one being showered with birthday wishes. Sarah Keith Maxcy and Allison Reid got to blow out the candles as well, and everyone dropped their forks to sing “Happy Birthday.” Guest artist Andy Childs wowed the group with his guitar performance, especially his version of “Always on my Mind” as he channeled both Elvis and Willie Nelson. Impressive.

It was, indeed, a simply lovely summer supper. EN

—photographs by sinclair kelly