ARTICLE: "Puddle Palooza" for Waldens Puddle

The first annual 2010 Walden’s Puddle “Puddle-Palooza” benefit concert and festival held on Saturday August 21st at Nashville’s Yogi Bear™ Jellystone Park on Music Valley Drive
was full of excitement and energy, both on stage and in the skies above. Organizers watched the weather very close as the lightening and storm clouds moved in and towards the end of the event had to cut a couple acts short, but overall an afternoon filled with amazing music, a silent auction, food vendors, horse drawn carriage rides and tractor pulled hay wagon rides gave campground guests and event attendees a great day of family entertainment. It may have given new meaning to the name “Puddle-Palooza”, but did not dampen the spirits or generosity of all in attendance.

Artists performing on the outdoor stage included John Anderson, Lane Brody, Cerrito, Rodney Crowell, the Notorious Cherry Bombs, Jypsi, Emily West, HLN news anchor Robin Meade, Victoria Shaw, Army Ranger and Country artist Keni Thomas, and additional special guests. GAC’s Nan Kelley served as emcee and the event was hosted by the Music Valley Merchants Association.

This wonderful event raised awareness and funds for Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, which provides care and treatment to sick, injured and orphaned Tennessee wildlife. It is the only professionally staffed wildlife rehabilitation and education facility in Middle Tennessee. The facility does not charge for services and receives no federal or state funding at this time. Guests were introduced to several of the facilities “patients” which included turtles, hawks, snakes, opossum and more. Volunteers from Walden’s Puddle provided guests with the opportunity to get up close and personal with the animals, and also educated them on some of the myths and facts about each of the animals they brought to the event.


In addition to the concert, other family-friendly activities offered by the park included swimming, hiking, mini-golf, hayrides, volleyball, appearances by Jellystone’s Yogi Bear™ , face painting, crafts and more.

The Music Valley area took a substantial blow from the flooding this past May, but is getting back on track and events such as this are exactly what needed to raise awareness and bring more visitors to the area.


For more information on Walden’s Puddle visit www.WaldensPuddle.org

For more information on Jellystone Park visit www.NashvilleJellystone.com

Additional photos can be viewed at http://MomentsByMoser.zenfolio.com/waldenspuddle