A two-day window that fixes the arrival time
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens holds its 27th annual El Día de los Muertos festival on October 31 and November 1, 2026. Both days run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event page calls it the largest Day of the Dead festival in the region.
A time-entry ticket is required for every guest. That rule sets the offsite clock. A Saturday 9 a.m. slot puts the team through the gate as the grounds open and leaves eight hours on site.
Parking capacity can be reached during the event. Once the lot fills, walk-up tickets go only to guests arriving by rideshare. Book the entry time and the parking plan together.
What the programme puts on the calendar
Art and goods vendors trade in Parking Lot B and the Frist Learning Center Courtyard from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The published list carries 18 sellers on both days. Food stalls sit across from Botanic Hall and in Parking Lot B. Saturday lists 16 and Sunday lists 16.
Entertainment runs on the Arboretum Lawn from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Danza Aztlán performs 10 to 10:30 a.m. and again 2 to 2:30 p.m. The La Catrinas fashion show runs 3:15 to 3:30 p.m. on both days. A DJ holds the remaining slots.
The Frist Learning Center Great Hall carries the student murals and three hands-on stations: marigold flower crowns, monarch butterflies and papel picado colouring. Altar displays stand across the grounds. The mural application page puts event attendance above 4,000 visitors.
Cheekwood's group page recommends three hours to see everything for most groups. A team that wants the 3:15 p.m. fashion show books a longer day.
Group tickets start at 15 people
Cheekwood sells guided group tickets to parties of 15 or more arriving by car or by bus. The self-guided group rate covers parties of 15 or more arriving by bus. A team of 14 or fewer that wants a private guided tour pays for 15 tickets.
Guided rates run $26 to $28 for an adult on the gardens tour, $24 to $26 for a senior and $19 to $21 for youth aged 3 to 17. The guided gardens tour paired with a self-guided mansion or House and History tour runs $31 to $33 for an adult, $29 to $31 for a senior and $24 to $26 for youth. Cheekwood prices by day of the week and by special event, so the October 31 and November 1 rates need confirmation.
Reservations and a 25 per cent deposit are due at least two weeks ahead. The deposit is non-refundable. Final head count and final payment fall due seven days before the visit. A reservation without payment by that date is cancelled and the deposit forfeited.
Two capacity rules shape the rotation. A docent takes 15 to 20 guests. Forty-five guests can tour the mansion at once, in three groups of 15. A larger team splits across the two festival days or takes the self-guided route with the 45-minute audio tour.
The bus question
The festival page states that school groups arriving by bus will not be allowed, because of limited parking and timed tickets. The rule names school groups.
Cheekwood routes every group bus through the service entrance at 111 Cheek Road. Cars, rideshares, bicycles and walkers use the main entrance at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. Buses may not park in general parking and may not arrive through the front entrance. Cheekwood does not guarantee bus parking until the reservation is confirmed, so a corporate team holding its own festival tickets should ask the Group Tour Department to schedule the coach.
What the day costs
Gate admission is $23 for an adult, $21 for a senior 65 and over and $19 for a college student. The off-site parking rate is $18, $16 and $14. Youth aged 3 to 17 enter free and members enter free. Every ticket includes garden and mansion access.
Non-members pay a $2 service fee per ticket. On-site parking adds $5 per vehicle.
Sixteen adults on gate tickets come to $368 before the service fee and $400 with it. The same sixteen on off-site tickets come to $288, or $320 with the fee. Guided group pricing runs higher per head and includes a docent.
The Carell Sculpture Trail is closed until further notice, and the visit page attributes the closure to construction. A second day covers the mansion and the gardens.
The rooms side of the trip
The festival carries no partner hotel rate. A weekend event makes this a two-night stay, or one night for a team that works a single day.
bookMyTeam publishes group rates at a block of 10 or more rooms per night. Its how-it-works page states that some hotels offer discounts from five rooms depending on season and availability. The site quotes a saving band of 15 to 40 per cent, once against rack rates and once against best available rates. Send the room count through the RFP route and let the Nashville properties answer on price. The group rate calculator gives a working figure before the request goes out.
The Nashville hotel directory lists 222 properties by district for a first pass on location.
What to confirm before approval
Five items need confirmation. The adult guided rate for October 31 and November 1, because Cheekwood prices by day and by special event. The coach entry and parking on a festival day. The time-entry slot against the 3:15 p.m. fashion show. The mansion rotation for a team above 45 people. Any Perenn boxed lunch order, which needs the reservation two weeks ahead and the order three days ahead.
