Calendar of Events

The seventh annual Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival celebrates the legacy of musician, artist and raconteur Howard Armstrong at Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, Tenn. Admission is free, but a $2 per person or $5 per family donation is requested to help offset the cost of the festival and maintain its "no admission" status for the whole community. The daylong event features three stages of live music, food and craft vendors, children's entertainment and activities, an art competition for amateur and professional artists, and a juried quilt exhibit.

The festival, which draws approximately 8,000 attendees each year, is named for Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong (1909-2003), who grew up poor in Campbell County and became one of the nation's finest black string-­band musicians as well as a painter, storyteller and master of foreign languages. He is the subject of two documentary films: 1985's Louie Bluie by Terry Zwigoff, and Sweet Old Song, which aired on PBS in 2002 as part of the POV series. Armstrong's obituary appeared in The New York Times.

Music at the Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival is known for being eclectic and invigorating, and this year is no different! Join us to enjoy the sounds of: country blues player Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton; internationally renowned jazz pianist Donald Brown with Boling, Brown & Holloway, featuring Greg Tardy; folk-rock band The LoneTones; swing band Tennessee Sheiks; The Howard Armstrong Legacy Trio featuring Ralphe Armstrong, Ray Kamalay and John Reynolds; performers from Carpetbag Theatre; folk singers and storytellers Sparky and Rhonda Rucker; longtime bluegrass band The New River Boys, featuring original member Tommy Phillips; gospel trio The Beelers; country band Outer Limits with Ashlie Denise; and Americana quartet Paperback Scarecrows. Performances take place on two stages during the festival: The Louie Bluie Stage and the Community Stage, which also plays host to the Cumberland Trail Fiddler’s Showcase.

The festival is a project of the Campbell Culture Coalition (CCC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the artistic and cultural opportunities of the citizenry, preserve the culturally significant past, and support the artistic and cultural talents of our youth who are our future. For more information, visit www.Louiebluie.org or call the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce at 423-566-0329.

Genealogical Mailing & Surname Lists and Queries on the Internet
Details TBA

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM; Saturday: 10AM-4PM; Sunday: 1-5PM. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Beginning as the pet project of Alexisonfire leadman Dallas Green, City and Colour has seen a meteoric rise in popularity. This summer's tour is in celebration of City and Colour’s highly anticipated new album, The Hurry and The Harm, out June 4. As a special thank you to the band’s loyal live following, all tickets come with a digital download of the new album upon release date!

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

''Kidstuff,'' the free WDVX show for kids and kids at heart, goes live on stage at the Knoxville Visitor Center. 301 South Gay Street in downtown Knoxville, on 89.9 FM, 102.9 fm, 93.9 FM and WDVX.COM. Featuring mandolin player Michelle Porter.

Hosted by Sean McCollough, an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee, as well as a song-writer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He and his wife, Steph Gunnoe, co-lead the band the Lonetones.

Free 2-hour visitor parking located next door to the Knoxville Visitor Center. One Vision Plaza, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. FREE. For more information: 865-544-1029; www.wdvx.com

For the seventh year, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center and friends will host the popular Blue Ribbon Country Fair at the Center’s grounds in Townsend, Tennessee. This annual celebration of the old-fashioned county fair features competition, games, music, historic demonstrations, and more, and is sponsored by Pilot Travel Centers, Clayton Homes, First Tennessee Foundation, DENSO, the Tennessee Arts Commission, Art Builds Communities, and the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville. Admission is $5 per person, and free to Heritage Center members. The weekend opens with the Young Pickers Competition on Friday evening, beginning at 6 PM in the Heritage Center amphitheater (see separate release.) Fair competition will again be offered in Student Art (on paper), Floral Design, Baked Goods (including “Best Pie in the Cove,” Canning, Produce, Poultry, Student Woodworking, and Honey.

Saturday, September 28 Grounds Open to Public 10 AM – 5 PM (subject to change)
10:00 AM Music: Baker Creek (front porch)
10:15 Opening Ceremonies (amphitheater)
11:00 Catch A Greased Pig Contest (show ring) followed by Hog Calling, then Livestock Demonstrations
12:00 PM Music: Pair Family (amphitheater)
1:00 Music: Randy McGinnis (amphitheater)
1:30 Awards (Includes Young Pickers from Friday night) (amphitheater)
1:45 Rooster Crowing & Crow Like A Rooster Contests (big barn)
2:00 Catch A Greased Pig Contest, followed by Livestock Demonstrations (show ring)
2:00 Music: Stephen Brooks (front porch)
3:00 Ladies Skillet Throw (front field)
4:00 Watermelon Seed Spitting (amphitheater)

New this year are displays of antique tractors by Foothills Antique Tractor and Engine Club, and an exhibit from Adams’ Grist Mill. The Townsend Artisan Guild will again be onsite to lead fair-goers in creating their own art project to take home as a souvenir of their day at the Fair, and the Blount County Livestock Association will offer concessions. The popular “Farmer in the Cove” interactive exhibit for young children will also be back. Fun contests include Watermelon Seed Spitting, Catch the Greased Pig Contest (for children), Hog Calling, Rooster Crowing, Crow Like A Rooster, and the Ladies Skillet Throw in addition to more traditional games and contests such as the sack race. Visitors may sign up for these contests on the showgrounds the day of the event.

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 3/4 mile east of traffic light at the Highway 321 and 73 intersection towards the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, TN. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

With Bill Landry. Whether you regularly drive through the Smokies or you are a first time visitor, Cades Cove Heritage Tours allows you the opportunity to experience the Smoky Mountains as never before.

We offer fully guided bus tours for individual and group of all ages. Your tours are on comfortable 19-passenger Alternative Transportation Vehicles with experienced and friendly guides. Learn all about the history, personal stories, and natural resources that make the Smoky Mountains so unique. And, since you've left the driving to us, you can focus on sharing the beautiful scenery and wildlife with your family and friends, instead of worrying about the traffic. http://www.cadescoveheritagetours.org/

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 3/4 mile east of traffic light at the Highway 321 and 73 intersection towards the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, TN. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

At Willow Ridge Garden Center, 97 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge.
Musical Entertainment: Early Bird Special - Dinner Music: ORHS String Quartet - Silent & Live Auction with Auctioneer Elaine Graham - Decor and food will focus on different countries.
Cost: $60/person with wine and drinks included.
http://orcma.org/concerts/

(All Ages) Ijams is going back in time as we celebrate the cars and music of decades past! Come see classic and vintage cars, while you enjoy food vendors and even retro music! The event includes:
Food and Beer Sales (Beer sales start at 4pm)
Guided walks
Animal programs
Gardening progrmas
Artists from the South Knoxville Senior Painters
Music from Pro-Audio DJs (starts at 6pm)
Family movies: Herbie the Love Bug and Scooby Doo

The fee for this program is $5 per person and all proceeds from this event go directly to support education programs at Ijams Nature Center. Pre-registration is not required for this event. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 for more information.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: www.ijams.org

Sept. 28 "Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day Live! Go to www.smithsonian.com/museumdaylive to print an Admission Ticket to AMSE for free admission for two people at the listed venue. One ticket per household with valid e-mail address. Only an official Museum Day Live! ticket holder and one guest is eligible for free entry. The Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day Live! ticket is only good for one day - Sept. 28.

300 S Tulane Ave Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(865) 576-3200

ETHS is pleased to join with Smithsonian Magazine and museums across the country to offer free public admission on Museum Day.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM; Saturday: 10AM-4PM; Sunday: 1-5PM. Library: Monday-Tuesday: 9AM-8:30PM; Wednesday-Friday: 9AM-5:30PM; Saturday: 9AM-5PM; Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

With Itchy Bruddah, Steve & Becky Hancock, and Allen Smith
After a summer break, The SHAREhouse is BACK! and is kicking off its fall season with a House Show by some Old North Knoxville neighbors. THE NEIGHBORHOOD is a local acoustic quartet featuring expertly intertwined guitars and vocals. You'll hear some beloved classics re-worked, the band's take on contemporary singer-songwriters' gems, and a few stellar originals. The home-spun atmosphere of the ShareHouse is a perfect setting for a Neighborhood show. Hope you can stop by! We will pass the coffee can for donations. $5-10 per person, suggested minimum. 100% of all money collected goes to the band. Snacks provided. BYOB.

Hosted by Travetta Johnson, 865-368-5778, The SHAREhouse, 1640 Jefferson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame will open its doors free of charge on Saturday September 28, 2013, as part of Smithsonian Magazine's ninth annual Museum Day Live! A nationwide event, Museum Day Live! offers free admission to visitors presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket at a participating museum or cultural institution. Inclusive by design, the event represents Smithsonian's commitment to make learning and the spread of knowledge accessible to everyone, giving museums across all 50 states the opportunity to emulate the admission policy of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. Last year's event drew over 400,000 participants, and this year's event expects record-high participation. "The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is excited to participate in the ninth annual Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day Live! This day celebrates all that is great about the mission of the Smithsonian Museum and allows guests to take part in a free day at our Hall of Fame where they can learn about the history of the women's game," said Women's Basketball Hall of Fame President Dana Hart.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame opened in June 1999 in Knoxville, TN. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's basketball. After the 2014 Induction, the list of individuals who have been recognized as Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductees will increase to 139. The mission of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is to "honor the past, celebrate the present, and promote the future" of women's basketball. The Museum Day Live! ticket will be available to download beginning in August at Smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues for one day only. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2013 and a list of participating museums and cultural institutions, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, 700 Hall of Fame Dr, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-633-9000, www.wbhof.com