Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Nashville, Tenn. — February 7, 2011 — Marc Oswald (pictured above left), co–owner of The Fontanel Mansion & Farm, and Jaime Dudney (picture above right), director of hospitality (and Mandrell’s daughter), recently accepted one-of-a-kind memorabilia from the Nashville Music Garden to remain on permanent display at The Fontanel.

The highlight of the exhibit, the inspiration for the Nashville Music Garden logo, is a beautiful bouquet of vibrant roses artfully arranged in a pair of Mandrell’s personalized boots. “One of our main intentions when we opened the Fontanel Mansion and Farm to the public last year was to give country music fans the opportunity to step inside the life of a Hall of Fame entertainer,” said Fontanel co-owner Marc Oswald. “To have a pair of Barbara Mandrell’s boots on display in the mansion, along with the photos from the beautiful Nashville Music Garden, really adds to the experience of our guests.”

Pat Bullard, Nashville Music Garden founder, also presented The Fontanel with a collage of photos and memorabilia from the September 2009 Nashville Music Garden dedication ceremony. Country greats honored by the Nashville Music Garden and featured in the new exhibit at Fontanel include Little Jimmy Dickens, Brenda Lee, Lynn Anderson and Pam Tillis.

“Only in Nashville could there be the one and only Nashville Music Garden and only at The Mansion at Fontanel have Barbara’s boots found their way back to her room for all country music fans to enjoy every time they visit,” said Bullard.

For more information on Nashville Music Garden visit www.nashvillemusicgarden.com

Located in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville (corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun), the idea for the Nashville Music Garden was born when country music legend Barbara Mandrell gave her namesake rose to garden founder and friend, Pat Bullard.  The garden is a “living” walk of fame filled with over six dozen varieties of roses and daylilies named in honor of the music and artists synonymous with Nashville. The garden, created as a way to recognize these artists, songs and industry leaders and also beautify Music City, is the first to assemble all the flowers of the Nashville Music Garden Collection in one place for the public to enjoy.

The Fontanel Mansion, a 27,000 square foot log home formerly owned by Country Music Hall of Fame® member Barbara Mandrell, opened to the public for guided tours on June 7, 2010. Located less than 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, The Mansion at Fontanel boasts three stories, over 20 rooms, thirteen bathrooms, five fireplaces, two kitchens, indoor pool and even an indoor shooting range on 136 acres of pristine land. The home and grounds have been the setting for numerous photo and video shoots, CMT’s top-rated “Gone Country” show and most recently the hit Hollywood movie Country Strong. Nashville’s only country music mansion tour, the Mansion at Fontanel gives visitors a sneak peek into the lives of country music greats by providing a truly interactive experience!

New additions to the property include The Farm House Restaurant, offering southern-style comfort food with a fun creative twist. The Woods is an outdoor music venue with a capacity of 4,500 surrounded by the woods of the Fontanel property. The Trails provide a two-mile system of free trails for both locals and visitors. The Studio Gallery is a 5,000 square foot multi-use performing arts facility that will feature the exciting Music City On Stage! dinnertainment show beginning in May, 2011.

The property is managed by Fontanel Attractions, made up of entertainment entrepreneurs Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, world-class developer, Alex Marks and Tom Morales, owner of TomKats, Inc., as the operating partner. For directions, hours, ticket prices and more, visit www.FontanelMansion.com.