Calendar of Events

Want to play drums with us? People with disabilities, friends, and family are all welcome! For teens and adults, no registration necessary. Come join us!

Every Tuesday at 1 pm

East Tennessee Technology Access Center, 116 Childress Street, South Knoxville (enter through rear entrance of building). Phone: 865-219-0130, ettacmain@gmail.com, www.ettac.org

WDVX's own Freddy Smith is at Wild Wing Cafe each week for the Tuesday Night Shindig. The music starts at 6:30 PM.

Wild Wing Cafe, 11335 Campbell Lakes Dr., Farragut, TN 37934. Info: 865-544-1029, http://www.wdvx.com

Special Public Opening: Friday, April 15, from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

In 1929 and again in 1930, Brunswick Records' Vocalion label set up a temporary recording studio at the St. James Hotel in downtown Knoxville and invited locals to come make records. These old-time, jazz, blues, and gospel recordings added Knoxville's voice to American popular music and inspired the next generation of country music stars. In an exciting new exhibition, the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound present a first-time look at the impact of these recordings and the region’s contributions to American popular music. The exhibition features an array of artifacts, videos, sound recordings, and photographs showcasing East Tennessee’s diverse musical heritage. Come to Make Records explores Knoxville’s growth in the early 20th century, the importance of fiddling contests in generating fans and driving record sales, the role of Sterchi Bros. in exposing local talent to a national audience, and examines why Knoxville was selected for the recordings. The exhibit offers a closer look at the St. James Hotel, the site of the Knoxville Sessions, an overview of the local talent that arose from the sessions, and a look at the next generation of artists, such as Chet Atkins and Roy Acuff. The exhibit includes a display demonstrating 130 years of recorded sound from the wax cylinder to the iPod, a re-creation of the St. James Hotel room where the Knoxville Sessions took place, Roy Acuff’s fiddle, Cal Davenport’s banjo, a Bairdola, and an assortment of other instruments. Other artifacts featured are original records from the Knoxville Sessions, a painting by Howard Armstrong, and Carl and Pearl Butler’s performance suits, designed by Nathan Turk. Special video presentations include a film produced by East Tennessee PBS on the Knoxville Sessions, a look at how 78 rpm discs are made, rare footage of Knoxville Sessions artists, and recordings of Roy Acuff, Uncle Dave Macon, and Carl and Pearl Butler.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Julie Belcher from the Pioneer House will display an art exhibition in the Bilo Nelson Auditorium of the East Tennessee History Center with music provided by saw player Robert Maddox. At 7:00 p.m. there will be a program with musical performances by local musicians, including Kelle Jolly, David Balle, saw player Robert Maddox, and the Tennessee Stiff Legs, of songs from the 1929 and 1930 Knoxville Sessions with remarks by Dr. Ted Olson, co-producer and co-author of The Knoxville Sessions box set book. The evening will conclude with a screening of rare film footage of Knoxville sessions artists Uncle Dave Macon, Willie Seivers, and Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong. Relatives and descendants of the musicians that recorded during the Knoxville Sessions will also be acknowledged during the program.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

A world-class visual arts exhibition of large-scale outdoor sculpture which enliven downtown Knoxville, the McGhee Tyson Airport and Oak Ridge. Sculpture artist Isaac Duncan III, a Brooklyn, New York native who currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee served as the Juror for the 2016-2017 exhibition. #AIPP

Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com

History, Food, & Fun! Enhance your time in Historic Downtown with Knoxville’s Award Winning, Original Tour! Enjoy a complete Knoxville experience in just a few hours – enjoy tastings of specially selected dishes from some of Knoxville’s best new and iconic restaurants featuring local, regional, Southern & Appalachian cuisine; add pairings of beer from local and craft breweries, wine flights, craft cocktails, Tennessee whiskey, or even moonshine; hear the history of the city and notable buildings. A must for locals and visitors!

Reservations Required. Purchase Tickets at www.knoxvillefoodtours.com or call 865-201-7270.

Tuesdays at 7:30. No partner necessary. Dances include polskor, schottische, waltzes and more. Call 865-522-0515.

At the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. For information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org.

The Art Gallery at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church (ORUUC) is pleased to announce the opening exhibition of Knoxville artist Gary Dagnan on Sunday November 6. The Reception and Gallery Walk with the artist will take place beginning at 12:15 pm. Refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Gary Dagnan has been drawing and painting since childhood. He was born and grew up in the East Tennessee area. His inspiration comes from the rural landscapes of this area. “Most of my paintings are of the mountains, hills, lakes and buildings of this area. I enjoy the changing light and colors that come from the distinctly different seasons of Tennessee.” Dagnan began painting watercolors in 1968 as an art student at the University of Tennessee. Although he has painted almost exclusively in watercolor since then, Gary also enjoys painting in oils and acrylics. “I like the spontaneity and versatility of watercolor, but I am also excited about the unique qualities and the look of oil and acrylics.”

The exhibit will be on display at ORUUC through November. Hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm and Sunday 9:30 am to 1 pm. For more information on the event call ORUUC at (865) 483-6761. To learn more about the artist go on line to www.garydagnanart.net.

Tuesdays - Free admission. Free parking. Great music! Featuring:

Vance Thompson, trumpet
Greg Tardy, tenor
Keith Brown, piano
Clint Mullican, bass
Nolan Nevels, drums

At the Red Piano Lounge, 4620 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. Info from the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra: 865-573-3226, www.knoxjazz.org

Historic Westwood was built as a “wedding promise” in 1890 by John Edwin Lutz and his wife, Ann Adelia Armstrong Lutz, on property owned by her grandfather, Drury P. Armstrong. The couple moved into the Queen Anne Victorian mansion from Adelia’s parents’ home, Bleak House, a short distance away on Kingston Pike. The Lutzes’ home, designed by notable architects Baumann Brothers, was constructed of brick and stone with a slate roof in the grand Richardsonian Romanesque style popular in the late 19th century and originally was surrounded by 12 acres. Four generations of the same family lived in the house between 1890 and 2012. The distinctive serpentine wall was constructed in 1933 for the wedding reception of Cecil Holloway, Adelia and John’s granddaughter, to Albert Matheny II, who were married at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral.

Tours: Monday-Thursday, 10am-4pm or by appointment
Info: 865-523-8008, 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. http://historicwestwood.org

The Mabry-Hazen House Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located on six acres atop Mabry’s Hill in Knoxville,TN. Built in 1858 and housing three generations of the same family from 1858-1987, the Mabry-Hazen House served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. This stately, elegant home of the Victorian and Civil War periods showcases one of the largest original family collection in America. Containing original artifacts including china, silver, crystal, and antique furnishings, this home is a rare view into the past. The Civil War, a gunfight on Gay Street in 1882, and a Breach of Promise lawsuit in the early 1930’s are only a few stories that bring life and color to those who visit the museum.

Tours: Monday-Friday: 11am – 5pm; Saturday: 10am – 3pm (or by appointment)
Info: 865-522-8661, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915. www.mabryhazen.com

Located on Bethel Avenue and down the road from the Mabry-Hazen House, the Bethel Cemetery contains more than 1,600 Confederate dead, including roughly one hundred who were killed in the battle of Fort Sanders. In addition, around 50 “Union Men” and 20 Civil War veterans are interred here. The monument to the Confederate dead was erected by the Ladies Memorial Association and was unveiled on May 19, 1892. The cemetery was cared for and maintained by the Winstead family from 1886-1989. The last family descendent and caretaker, Miss Mamie Winstead, willed the cemetery to the Hazen Historical Museum Foundation in 1989. Meeting her wishes, the Foundation recently opened a small museum which details the history of the cemetery as it pertains to the Civil War in Knoxville.

Tours: Saturday: 10am-3pm or by appointment
Info: 865-522-8661, 1917 Bethel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915.

Tuesdays at 6:00 PM and Saturdays at 10:30 AM - A fun great workout!

A technique and fitness-oriented class that offers a solid foundation for developing a graceful dance style. Students learn basic hip and arm movements, head slides, basic traveling steps and turns, and basic combinations for dancing at home and socially. No previous dance training is necessary. No two sessions are identical, so students may remain in Belly Dance basics as long as desired and still learn new movements.

Anyone can learn! Try out one class for $15 but if you sign up for 4 or more then it's $12 a class. At 1563 Crestwood Drive, Louisville, TN 37777. For more info contact Alexia at alexia@alexia-dance.com or call 865-898-2126. Website: www.alexia-dance.com

James White, The Founder of Knoxville, came here in 1783 from North Carolina. Having served as a Captain in the Revolutionary War he was given a land grant of 1,000 acres for his service and here he built his two story log house in 1786. Two years later he enclosed the house and outbuildings with a stockade fence for protection from marauding Indians and the wild animals. James White was a friend to the Cherokee Indians and he assisted in the negotiation of several of their treaties with the settlers. The area surrounding the Fort would have been cleared of trees and in their place were gardens along with orchards and fields of corn and tobacco mostly for White’s family and slaves use. In October 1791, James White laid off part of his land to establish the town of Knoxville, named for Henry Knox, Secretary of War under President Washington’s. The town at first was the Capital of the Territory South of the River Ohio and later became the first Capital of the State of Tennessee in 1796.

Tours: (April – November) Monday – Saturday: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
(December – March) Monday – Friday: 10 am – 4 pm
Phone: 865-525-6514. Address: 205 Hill Avenue SE, Knoxville, TN 37915. Website: www.jameswhitesfort.org