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Cheekwood TROLLS exhibit enters final weekend

Cheekwood TROLLS exhibit enters final weekend
Trolls
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's tough saying goodbye to some good friends.

On Sunday Sept. 1, it will mark the final day of the TROLLS: Save The Humans exhibit at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens. Having arrived in May, the trolls are here one final weekend.

"I like the one who's caring for the birds, hanging up the bird houses," said one girl visiting the trolls. "They were created by a magical wizard!"

That's pretty much true. That person is artist Thomas Dambo. Thomas has brought to life more than a hundred of these trolls all over the world. Mark Simmons at Cheekwood said the six trolls here, like all the others, share a message.

"I think by using the recycled materials, Dambo's presenting an alternative to waste," Mark said. "It's recycle, reuse. The trolls, they have a message to save the humans."

"We've picked a name for them!" said one group of kids huddled around one of trolls. "Cornelius!"

"Emily!" said one woman, looking up at the troll.

"Emily, I love that name," answered a woman with her. "I don't know about for a troll."

Now, all the trolls do already have names. The one the kids surrounded was Ronja Redeye.

"a.k.a. Cornelius!" the kids said.

Maybe Cornelius can be a nickname?

"Yeah, I said he needed a pedicure," one woman said, visiting one of the trolls.

I don't know. I feel they've done a good job maintaining their toenails. Or is that trollnails?

"I'm dropping my curiously strong Altoids," said Stella Sthulz, visiting one of the trolls.

On her TikTok page, #attagirlaltoids, Stella goes to interesting places and records herself dropping a box of Altoids.

"I gotta be honest. I can't say I've witnessed anyone doing this before," I told Stella.

"It's stupid!" she laughed.

"You are proof these trolls bring people out for all sorts of reasons," I told her.

"And they do exist!" she answered.

In some old folktales, the magical creature doesn't stay forever. They come. They teach a lesson. They move on. That's true of these trolls. These trolls travel. Imagine Exhibitions will soon help them move to their next home somewhere else in the world.

"I love these guys," Stella smiled.

"This has been a special show," Mark said.

Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.

Carrie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/2e/72/be0f23854c54a228c9d6138c9847/carrie-recommends-header.png

Rhori: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/5b/25/a224d13d47739165c92b94e643db/rhori-recommends-header.png

Eugene: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/7b/09/9eaf788d46f580c4234978610d60/screenshot-2026-04-29-at-12-11-52-pm.png

Lelan: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/af/54/833bf879454097a398bd44f723de/lelan-recommends.png

Nikki-Dee: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e1/b4/685a931d4182b82d9322d496fa15/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-18-pm.png

Henry: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/f7/31/2e3894bf45d9a1668f1ccc56b9f6/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-00-pm.png

Katie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/77/55/afe9375249a4b9e058e4b2c3d2ea/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-46-pm.png

Brittany: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/67/90/788e5c364f00baabf9c5edae87e2/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-06-pm.png

Jennifer: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e4/1e/9771c0824888a0fd87b2a1030979/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-02-19-pm.png

Students help relaunch donation drive for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don't have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

- Lelan Statom