Calendar of Events

The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates the season with the first-ever holiday display in the Thorne Miniature Rooms, on view until early January 2012.

East Tennessee miniature artisans and Thorne Room experts Annelle Ferguson and Jolie Gaston designed a display which includes eight period vignettes representing the American home during the holidays. The vignettes contain a variety of 1/12 scale furnishings, many of which are adorned with miniature needlework in the form of quilts, samplers, rugs, tablecloths, and chair seats hand crafted by Ferguson. In addition, Ferguson and Gaston transformed one of the KMA’s nine Thorne Miniature Rooms, the Victorian Parlor, by adorning it with a selection of miniature Christmas toys and a small decorated tree based on mid-19th century English designs.

The Knoxville Museum of Art's Thorne Rooms are among America's most well-known miniature diorama groups. They were developed in the 1930s and 40s by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago. The Knoxville Museum of Art is one of five museums in the country to have a collection of Thorne Rooms.

The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10 am–5 pm, and Sunday 1 pm-5 pm. Admission and parking are free. For more information, contact Angela Thomas at 865.934.2034 or visit www.knoxart.org.

Children’s Theatre of Knoxville will present a live stage version of the beloved Jean Shepherd film: “A Christmas Story,” for nine performances, Thursdays through Sundays from December 9 through 18.

Ten-year-old Ralphie Parker daydreams of getting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. But Mother and Ralphie’s old man agree: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Ralphie’s dreams and schemes come to life on the CTK stage, as he fantasizes about fighting Black Bart, going blind from eating Lifebouy soap, writing the greatestChristmas essay of all time, and much more.

The COMPLETE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE is:
Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 PM
Saturday, Dec. 10 at 1 PM and 5 PM
Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 PM
Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 PM
Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 PM
Saturday, Dec. 17 at 1 PM and 5 PM
and Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 PM.

Reservations are strongly recommended for all CTK performances. To reserve tickets for the production, e-mail thenumber of adult and child tickets needed, along with your
requested performance date and time, to tickets@childrenstheatreknoxville.com at any time. Or you may call us at (865) 599-5284 between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM.

TICKETS are $12 per person. CTK is continuing our special Adult & Child Combination rate for this production: If an adult and a child enter together, these two may be admitted for $10 each.
Reservations are strongly recommended for all CTK performances.

The play is being performed at CTK’s theatre in downtown Knoxville, located at 800 Tyson Street.

What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway's history. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, "Memory."

Dec 9 at 8:00 pm
Dec 10 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Dec 11 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com. For tickets: 865-684-1200, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Join the RSCC choral and instrumental ensembles in a holiday celebration! The Concert Choir, Jazz Band, and Bluegrass Band perform holiday favorites, including some pop collaboration and the Celebration Singers offer A Song Is Born, a cantata for Christmas by Douglas Nolan. RSCC Theatre, Harriman, tickets $5 suggested donation at the door.

December 9 at 7 pm and December 11 at 3 pm

Join the RSCC choral and instrumental ensembles in a holiday celebration! The Concert Choir, Jazz Band, and Bluegrass Band perform holiday favorites, including some pop collaboration. The Celebration Singers offer A Song Is Born, a cantata for Christmas by Douglas Nolan.

RSCC Theatre, Harriman, tickets $5 suggested donation at the door.

December 9 at 7 pm
December 11 at 3 pm
www.roanestate.edu/theatre

Garden Buds: Holiday Cards, Preschool program
The University of Tennessee Gardens

Friday, December 9 OR Saturday, December 10
10-11:30 a.m.
Do you have lots of tissue paper left over from last year’s holiday season? Come to this fun class as we reuse the tissue paper to make textured envelopes. We will also recycle holiday cards for you to take home and give to your friends and family. This program is designed for children ages 3 to 5 and one accompanying adult.
$10/member, $14/non-member

Preregistration is required for all
classes. Please contact Derrick
Stowell , educational coordinator,
at 974-7151, or email derrick.
stowell@yahoo.com to register

Bring your left over tissue paper from last year's holiday season to this fun class and we will reuse the tissue to make textured envelopes. We will allso recycle holiday cards for you to take home and give to your family and friends. This program is designed for children ages 3-5 and one accompanying adult.

Friday, Dec. 9 or Saturday, Dec. 10, 10:00 - 11:30 AM
$10/member, $14/nonmember
Preregistration is required: Derrick Stowell at 974-7151 or email derrick.stowell@yahoo.com.
UT Gardens, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville

The Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival takes place in Pigeon Forge , December 8-10, at the Ramada Inn and Smoky Mountain Convention Center. Featured acts include Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, III Tyme Out, Carolina Road Band, The Larkins, Jerry Butler & the Blu-Jays, Goldwing Express, The Lewis Tradition and many more. For tickets and information the number is 1 (800) 223-6707 or on line at www.larkinmusic.com.

WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-544-1029, www.wdvx.com

Saturday 12/10, Shiny and the Spoon & Kata Hay
Monday 12/12, Vagabond Swing & Elisabeth Pixley-Fink and Andru Bemis
Tuesday 12/13, Mandy Barnett
Wednesday 12/14, The Morgans
Thursday 12/15, John Francis & Les Kerr
Friday 12/16, Megan McCormick & Renee Wahl
Saturday 12/17, Tilford Sellers & Oldest Boy and Girl
Monday 12/19, Kory & Kelsey Wells, Sweet Fancy Moses, and Maggi Vaughn
Tuesday 12/20, The Madelines
Wednesday 12/21, Christabel and the Jons, Rene Moffatt
Thursday 12/22, Wade Hill and the Hillians
Friday 12/23, Todd Steed and the Christmas Sons
Saturday 12/24, Robert Anderson
Tuesday 12/27, The Harp Dogs
Wednesday 12/28, The Skipperdees
Friday 12/30, Oona Love
Saturday 12/31, Naughty Knots
Tuesday 1/3, Barbara Lamb, Caroline Doctorow
Wednesday 1/4 WestWend

The simple joys of an old-fashioned Christmas await Museum of Appalachia visitors through December 24th. Recalling times past when Christmas was a simple family holiday, cabins will be decorated in pioneer style with cedar Christmas trees draped in paper chains, popcorn strings, sweet gum and sycamore balls.

Special holiday exhibits include the Children's Display in the Hall of Fame, with toys and furniture made by loving parents and grandparents; and Granny Irwin's traditional Christmas Crazy Quilt. "Christmas in Old Appalachia" runs from December 3 to December 24.

Christmas shoppers may browse the gift shop for unique regionally hand-crafted items or simply rest by the fireside in wooden rockers. Hot, country-style lunches are served daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Museum restaurant; home-made holiday desserts are available all day.

The Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day in December except for Christmas Day. It is located 16 miles north of Knoxville, one mile east of I-75, exit 122.

Appalachian Ballet Company presents: The 40th Anniversary season of The Nutcracker
Presented TWO WEEKENDS in TWO VENUES accompanied by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Knoxville Civic Auditorium
Saturday, December 3rd - 8:00 pm
Sunday December 4th - 2:00 pm
School matinees also available on December 1st and 2nd at 10:00am

AND Clayton Center for the Arts
Saturday, December 10th - 2:00 and 8:00pm

Tickets are on sale at the following locations:
Appalachian Ballet 865.982.8463
Knoxville Tickets 865.656.4444
The Clayton Center for the Arts 865.981.8590

Advance - $36, $31 & $21
At door - $41, $36 & $26
Student and Senior Discount $5 Off
Ask about Group Rates

This 40th anniversary production featuring over 80 dancers and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will showcase guest artists Kylie Morton as the Sugarplum Fairy and Aaron Smyth of Australia as the Cavalier. This magical production of The Appalachian Ballet Company's Nutcracker is filled with lavish sets, scenery, costumes, orchestra, choir and dancers. Come enjoy Knoxville's tradition of 40 years and now also playing in Maryville.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present its National Juried Exhibition of 2011, a new exhibition featuring selected works from 38 artists in the Southeast and Midwest . The National Juried Exhibition was developed in 2006 to provide a forum for local artists to compete on a national scale and display their highest quality work. The exhibition features both traditional and non-traditional work and will be displayed at the Emporium Center Gallery from December 2, 2011 - January 27, 2012. A public reception will take place on Friday, December 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM with a brief awards ceremony at 6:00 PM in which $1,000 in cash awards will be announced.

The reception on Friday, December 2, is free and open to the public, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served. The National Juried Exhibition of 2011 is on display December 2, 2011 - January 27, 2012 at the Emporium Center , 100 S. Gay Street , downtown Knoxville . Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturdays, December 3 and January 7, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Please note that the Emporium will be closed December 22 – January 1. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit our Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.