Calendar of Events

An exhibit comprised of photographs by Diane Fox and collages by Deb Shmerler inspired by their travels.
Reception: Friday September 14, 2012 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Artists’ Talks at 6:30 p.m.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike
Gallery Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The Mabry-Hazen House will host their 5th annual Boomsday, Bluegrass, and Barbeque Celebration on Sunday, September 2nd, 2012. On a cool hilltop setting attendees will enjoy a great view of Knoxville’s premiere fireworks show, good food and live music provided by WDVX. Tours of the historic home will begin at 6pm, and dinner will be served at 7:30. Alcohol is BYOB.

Voted one of the best places to watch the Boomsday fireworks show, Mabry-Hazen House also offers food and entertainment without the traffic. Tickets are $50 per adult and children under 12 are free when accompanied by a ticket holder. Tickets are limited to 200 adults to ensure a quality event. This event has sold out for the past two years. Purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee your attendance. There is plenty of parking and the site offers easy access to I-40 without traffic concerns. Tickets may be purchased in advance by visiting www.mabryhazen.com or call 865-522-8661 for more information.

Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com

Boomsday returns to the Tennessee River for another year of thrilling effects and thunderous sounds of celebration. The nation’s largest Labor Day weekend fireworks show will illuminate the sky over Knoxville with a 22-minute jaw dropping spectacle.

The 25th annual Boomsday Festival is set for Sunday, September 2, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Neyland Drive in downtown Knoxville. Fireworks begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. and will create a rumble to remember featuring more than 20,000 shells in a fireworks display and choreographed to an original soundtrack produced by Star 102.1 FM.

Due to the Henley Bridge renovation, the Boomsday fireworks will once again be launched off the railroad bridge on the Tennessee River in downtown Knoxville. And, with two miles worth of public viewing along Neyland Drive, spectators will have ample opportunity to enjoy the exciting booms, up close and personal.

Boomsday festivities kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Neyland Drive with entertainment and food throughout the afternoon. This year’s festival will include the Family Fun Zone with inflatables and games; live entertainment, activities and contests, and much more.

Other fun activities this year include:

Boomsday Bandz–The Boomsday Bandz is a collectable glow in the dark armband. The Bandz are currently on sale at Pilot locations for $1 each and a percentage of the proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley.

Next Level Wrestling will once again be appearing at Calhoun's on The River starting at 6:00 pm with its biggest card to date. The Main Event will crown the Next Level Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. For a complete line-up, please visit www.nextlevelwrestling.net.

Live Entertainment – Stop by the Q93.1 performance stage at the east end of Neyland Drive (just below the pedestrian bridge) for live entertainment at the following times:
5:00pm – 5:45pm Ergo We Play
6:00pm – 6:45pm Homer Heart
7:15pm – 8:30pm Jada Dreyer

Admission to the Boomsday Festival is free to the public with nominal fees for parking, games, food and beverages.

For more information on Boomsday 2012, call the festival hotline at (865) 342-9192 or visit www.boomsday.org.

Friday 8/31
Silent Old Mountain
The Grits and Soul Band

Saturday 9/1
Grassroots Gringos WestWend

Monday 9/3
Jonny Monster Band

Tuesday 9/4
Water Liars
Emily Burdette

Wednesday 9/5
John Francis
Dustin Sellers

Thursday 9/6
Dead Tree String Band
Stephanie Day

Friday 9/7
Kenny Owens
Annabelle's Curse

Saturday 9/8
Chelle Rose
Shiny and the Spoon

Monday 9/10
Contraversial
Keegan McInroe

Tuesday 9/11
Phil Lee
Lachlan Bryan

Wednesday 9/12
Jessica Campbell and Heather Morgan
Old North State

Thursday 9/13
MilkDrive
As Girls Go

Friday 9/14
Jackstraw
Redeye

Saturday 9/15
The Fustics
Old Rusty Mandolin

12:00 noon at Knoxville Visitor Center, 301 South Gay St. 37902.

Muddy Roots Music Festival!
August 31-September 2nd
In Cookeville,TN

In its 3rd year, the festival will once again take place at the June Bug Ranch.
151 Waterloo Rd. Cookeville, TN 38506

This year's lineup features:
Little Jimmy Dickens
James "Slim" Hand
Don Maddox (Maddox Brothers and Rose)
Dale Watson
Husky Burnette
Reverend Horton Heat
Cutthroat Shamrock
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
... and more!

Following the highly successful run of Amadeus in 2010, the Clarence Brown Theatre and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will collaborate once again on the Tony Award winning musical Sweeney Todd at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Starring Dale Dickey, directed by Calvin MacLean with musical direction provide by maestro Lucas Richman, the Sondheim musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, a London barber wrongly transported to an overseas penal colony so a corrupt judge could seduce his young wife. Returning to London after 15 years, he changes his name to Sweeney Todd and joins forces with Mrs. Lovett, the proprietress of the meat pie shop underneath his former tonsorial parlor. As Sweeney prepares for the moment he can exact his revenge on the judge, Mrs. Lovett puts his murderous rehearsals to good culinary use. Soon, the customers begin lining up in droves for Mrs. Lovett’s new, wondrously tasty meat pies while the dregs of London line up for a close shave, compliments of Sweeney Todd.

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Featuring Joshua Dudley Greer/Andrew Scott Ross/Mark Bradley-Shoup

The three artists selected for this year’s exhibition have a common interest in referencing the urban environment, the boundaries along which nature and civilization intersect, and the way in which ordinary images can serve as metaphors for complex realities.

Contemporary Focus is the KMA’s annual exhibition series designed to serve as a vital means of recognizing, supporting and documenting the development of contemporary art in East Tennessee. Each year, the exhibition series features the work of artists who are living and making art in this region, and who are exploring issues relevant to the larger world of contemporary art.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

The Fountain City Art Center is extremely proud and excited to announce the opening of and reception for a very unusual exhibit on Friday, August 24, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM, “The Recycled Kingdom.” Artists Jessica Gregory and Linda Leilani Bohanan have been working on the exhibit for over a year. Jessica has created a walk through castle made of recycled materials, especially oversized cans harvested from “Big Fatty’s,” the reception’s caterer and sponsor. Linda is known for her wall mounted ethereal faces and for all kinds of animals, some almost life sized. For this show, she has created a war horse, a giraffe, strange prehistoric looking fish, and many other creatures straight out of her imagination. The show will be on display from August 24 up to the disassembly date on September 28. Videographer Dave Dixon visited both artists’ homes and videoed the works in progress. Check out Fountain City Art Center’s Facebook site, YouTube, or our website, www.fountaincityartctr, to view the footage.
Fountain City Art Center at 213 Hotel Avenue, next to Fountain City Park.

THE FOREIGNER
AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 9

When a pathetically shy young man finds himself left at a rural Georgia fishing lodge, he is so overcome with the fear of making conversation with strangers that he pretends to not speak a word of English. But the fact that he does, leads to a wildly funny climax when he overhears more than he should: the evil plans of a sinister, two-faced minister and his redneck associate; the fact that the minister’s pretty fiancée is pregnant; and many other damaging revelations that cause matters to go uproariously awry.

ONLINE SALES ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
PHONE AND WALK-UP sales at BOX OFFICE
(Monday - Friday, 12 PM -5:30 PM)

227 Broadway in
Historic Jackson Square
865.482.9999
http://www.orplayhouse.com/contact.html

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents two concurrent exhibitions August 24-November 4 Contemporary Focus 2012 and Fischli & Weiss: The Way Things Go.

Contemporary Focus is the KMA’s annual exhibition series that recognizes, supports, and documents the development of contemporary art in East Tennessee. Each year, the exhibition series features the work of artists who are living and making art in this region, and who are exploring issues relevant to the larger world of contemporary art.

The Way Things Go, a video installation by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss, has earned a cult following since its premier at international art festivals in 1987. The Way Things Go documents a 30-minute chain reaction using ordinary objects, fire, fireworks, blasts of air, gravity, and a variety of corrosive liquids.

A free public opening for both exhibitions takes place Thursday, August 23 from 7-9pm. This event includes a cash bar and an opportunity to meet the Contemporary Focus artists. Additional programming for Contemporary Focus includes Dine & Discover presentations August 22, September 25, and October 24, all held at noon at the KMA.

The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee, presents new art and new ideas, serves and educates diverse audiences, and enhances Knoxville’s quality of life. 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.

Saturday, August 18

8 am FAMILY PROGRAM: Kid's First Canoe Cruise
If your kids are already complaining about going back to school, we have a way to hold on to a piece of summer. Bring them to the park for a fun, family canoe trip. The relaxed paddling on our lake is perfect for kids that have never canoed before, as well as families that want a relaxing way to explore the quarry. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult. And maybe we will even find freshwater jellyfish that live in Mead's Quarry Lake. The fee for this program is $15 for members and $17.50 for non-members. Pre-registration is required; please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 119 to register. Leader: Stephen Lyn Bales

2 pm WILDLIFE PROGRAM: Animal Program
Have you met all the animals that call the Ijams Visitor Center home? If not, be sure to stop by every Saturday for a chance to get nose-to-beak with some of our resident furred and feathered ambassadors. Free to members, $2 for non-members. No registration required.

2:30 pm ADULT PROGRAM: Preserving a Piece of Summer
(Ages 12 and up) If you are looking for a way to make summer last just a little bit longer, then this program is for you. Whether it's the color of summer wildflowers or those last vegetables from your garden, we'll discuss ways to keep the warm weather with you into fall. We'll talk about drying plants and flowers, and even some ways to store your garden harvest. The fee for this program is $5 for members and $8 for non-members. Pre-registration is required; please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register. Leader: Peg Beute

Sunday, August 19

2 pm WILDLIFE PROGRAM: Show-and-Tell Sundays
Have you met all the animals that call the Ijams Visitor Center home? If not, be sure to stop by every Sunday at 2 pm and 4 pm for a chance to get nose-to-beak with some of our resident furred and feathered ambassadors. You can also learn the secrets of the exhibit hall with our museum curator every Sunday at 3 pm to peek into the world of the Ijams exhibits. Both of these programs are free to members, $2 for non-members. No registration required.

Wednesday, August 22

11 am WILDLIFE PROGRAM: Behind the Scenes with the Ijams Veterinarian
(Ages 5 and up) Get up close and personal with some of Ijams' furred and feathered animal ambassadors! You won't want to miss this unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of our animal care program. You'll get to see how we feed and care for the animals, and you may even have the chance to get nose-to-beak or toe-to-tail with some of our wildlife friends. Due to liability concerns, participants cannot be under 5 years of age. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult. The fee for this program is $30 per person, and includes a boxed lunch. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register. Leader: Dr. Louise Conrad

Thursday, August 23

1 pm FAMILY PROGRAM: Ijams Children's Story Time
Join Ijams volunteer Lynn Keffer as she reads Yoko by Rosemary Wells. (Yoko's mom has packed her favorite for lunch today-sushi! But is it?) But her classmates don't think it looks quite so yummy. In addition to the book, Lynn will also lead kids in a fun craft. Free, but a donation would be nice. Pre-registration is required; please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.

3:30 pm FAMILY PROGRAM: Nature Fun Station
Join us for this terrific new program at Ijams Nature Center! Look for the Nature Fun Station sign to find a fun outdoor learning activity. Whether, we are catching bugs in the meadow or planting flowers in the garden, visitors can join us for a variety of outdoor discoveries. Follow the sign to fun! FREE. No registration required.

Tennessee Valley Amateur Winemaking Competition – Saturday, September 8 (Live Judging)
Presented by BlueSlip Winery, this contest is open to all amateur winemakers. Entry deadline is August 16.

Lil Miss Pageant –Friday, September 7 – 5:30 PM
New pageant especially for young ladies ages 7-9. Entry deadline is August 30.

Caps for the Cure – Entry Deadline – August 16
Decorate a cap to help fight breast cancer! Categories: Pretty in Pink, Down on the Farm, Fair Food & Wild Safari. Adult and children’s divisions available! All proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Knoxville Affiliate.

Food City Hot Dog Decorating Contest –Sunday, September 16 – 3 PM
New “day-of” competition – show up and participate! Create your own hot dog masterpiece – top a dog with the most unique condiments and compete for a chance to win Food City gift cards!

Decorated Cakes & Cupcakes Competition – Higher premiums and new specialty prizes in 2012! Sponsored by SugarBakers & KupKaties Kupkakes.

King Arthur Flour Contest – September 11 – 7 PM – Live Judging
“These ain’t your mama’s biscuits!” (Adults) / “Muffin madness” (Youth division)

Veggie Creatures – Kid’s Horticulture Contest – Entry Deadline – August 16
Play with your food! Open to children (12 years & under) build a sculpture using only vegetables. 2 divisions: Veggie Creature or Mr & Mrs. Potato Head.

Horticulture – First Time Exhibitors - Entry Deadline – August 16
This competition is open to home gardeners who have never displayed vegetables at the Tennessee Valley Fair. Youth & adult divisions available.

To learn more about the 93rd annual Tennessee Valley Fair, please visit TNValleyFair.org or call 865-215-1471.