Calendar of Events

Sing traditional shape note music from East Tennessee's own music book, The New Harp of Columbia, with UT's Music of Appalachia class and Knoxville area singers. Experience the delights of a traditional potluck dinner on the grounds beforehand.

Free, all are welcome, no experience required and loaner books are provided. Dinner 5:30-6:30PM, singing 6:30-8:00PM. Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. www.oldharp.org.

There are things that we ought to be afraid of. Things that, rightfully, send cold sweat nightmares.For kids it can be anything from the darkness under a bed, or strangers, or crossing a busy street.For adults it might change face a bit and become things like sickness, job security, or heartbreak.And sometimes, when you point the flashlight right at the thing you‘re terrified of, you declaw it.You take its mask off and it returns to being an empty, boring closet with nothing inside to harmyou.Or maybe the light shows an unexpected beauty in the place of what you thought was horrific. Other times,though, you aim the beam straight into the pitch black and the thing that you prayed wasn‘t real, the one with all the teeth, is right there smiling at you. Texas born duo Penny and Sparrow know these things, and in their 2017 release Wendigo they turn the lights off on purpose and hunt for what‘s really there in the dark.With a musical maturity that has been honed over half a decade and hundreds of live shows, Kyle Jahnke and Andy Baxter are presenting their most ambitious album yet. Rejoined by Chris Jacobie (producer and engineer of Creature, Tenboom, Struggle Pretty & Christmas Songs) Penny & Sparrow delve into numerous new and diverse sound landscapes throughout Wendigo, without sacrificing the sharp honesty that‘s accompanied their career thus far.

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Presented by Stephen and April Harris. This elegant, enchanting evening features the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra directed by Aram Demirjian with singer/songwriter Zoë Nutt, the whimsical “Scrappalachian” metal art of Gregory Tune, dinner, a silent auction and more. Proceeds from this event, which is Ijams’ largest annual fundraiser, help provide outstanding environmental education programs and engaging outdoor experiences as well as maintain this 300-acre wildlife sanctuary.

For more than three decades, this elegant and enchanting outdoor event has been a highlight of Knoxville’s fall social calendar. Please join us for an evening of music, art, dinner, a silent auction and more! http://ijams.org/signature-events/symphony-in-the-park/

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Sunday, September 10, at 7:00 PM, Tellico Community Church brings you Southern Raised Band. This phenomenal group of three sisters and a brother is sweeping the country with a sound that has been described as "the other side of amazing." Originally trained in classical music, there is something about the sound of these siblings that harkens us to the halcyon days of hawthorn-filled air perfumed with the pungency of the spring blossoms.

Sunday, September 10, at 7:00 PM. Tickets $10.
Tellico Community Church, 130 Chota Center
Loudon, TN 37774
mail@tellicochurch.org
Phone: 865.458.1516

The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Tennessee’s only tribally owned museum will host the Cherokee Fall Festival formally known as the “Great Island Festival” on September 9 & 10, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. each day.
At Sequoyah Birthplace Museum visitors will have the opportunity to step back in time to experience Native American food, Cherokee arts and crafts demonstrations, music and dance and the blacksmith shop will be doing demonstrations both days. Special demonstrations and displays will include Cherokee life in 1700’s and a Civil War encampment and the Civil War battle re-enactment will be at 2:00.

The 26th Annual Cherokee Fall Festival’s theme is “Cherokee Phoenix”. Visitors will be able to meet and talk with Cherokees from the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation in North Carolina. Check out our reconstructed 1800’s dog-trot log cabin. Meet and chat with Miss Cherokee. Have your name written in Cherokee. The Tennessee State Parks will be doing a Birds of Prey program both days.
Meet Bill Landry. Bill will host a book signing on both days from 11-1.

Other activities include posters from Cherokee Elementary school. Darts, beads, talking sticks, face painting and free Cherokee name cards will be available for children. We will also host a children’s blowgun competition and an adult blowgun competition on both days. Traditional Indian Fry bread and Indian tacos, and other food and drinks will be sold.

This event is funded in part by Tennessee Arts Commission Rural Arts Program Grant, and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Tickets are $5.00 each and children 12 and under are free. Information: 423-884-6246, www.sequoyahmuseum.org

For thousands of years Northwest Coast Indians including the Coast Salish, Haida, Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw, Makah, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Tlingit peoples represented in this exhibition, have made art expressing their cultural norms and values with precision, clarity, and artistic exuberance. Using indigenous and trade materials obtained in their homes along the coast of Oregon and north to Alaska, Northwest coast peoples mark elaborate ceremonial life, social rank, and prestige through their objects and art.

This exhibition explores Northwest Coast art through over 60 objects made by known and unknown artists, representing traditional and modern forms of cultural expression. From model totem poles and bentwood boxes, to spoons, prints, and silver bracelets, these objects were created for different purposes––utilitarian, decorative, and ceremonial. What all of them share in common is the desire to preserve and perpetuate Northwest Coast cultural heritage and community.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

Stop by to see this month's delightful exhibit by Robert H. Thompson, who re-imagines thrifted landscape paintings with thought-provoking ideas, as showcased by his talent for lettering.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

The 98th annual Tennessee Valley Fair is set to debut a variety of new and noteworthy attractions for East Tennesseans! From culinary arts to crafts, livestock shows to action sports, headline concerts and special events, there are thousands of ways to enjoy a little Homegrown Happiness at this year's Tennessee Valley Fair. 2017 concert lineup:
• Friday, September 8 - LOCASH
• Sunday, September 10 - Michael Ray with Drew Baldridge
• Monday, September 11 - Matthew West
• Tuesday, September 12 - Josh Turner
• Wednesday, September 13 - Cheap Trick
• Thursday, September 14 - Jagged Edge
• Friday, September 15 - Kool & the Gang
• Saturday, September 16 - Con Hunley
• Sunday, September 17 - John Michael Montgomery

To see a full list of attractions and activities, visit www.tnvalleyfair.org. Tennessee Valley Fair: 865-215-1471 or tickets@tnvalleyfair.org

Visitors to the Museum of East Tennessee History will have an opportunity to view special items associated with the “Freedom Engine,” a tribute gift from East Tennesseans to New York City following the events of September 11, 2001. East Tennesseans contributed more than $940,000 to purchase and equip a 95-foot tower ladder truck for Harlem-based Ladder Company 14, helping the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) replenish the largest vehicles in the city's firefighting fleet. The so-called "Freedom Engine," went into service during March 2002 and was dedicated on September 11th of that year.

FDNY typically retires their trucks from regular service after about 10 years. The Freedom Engine went into reserve status in 2013. Upon retirement, several artifacts associated with the truck, including a bucket door, captain's helmet, memorial plaque from the people of East Tennessee, and a presentation plaque containing a piece of World Trade Center metal, were returned to East Tennessee and donated to the East Tennessee Historical Society. These items will be on display through September 8-17, 2017, at the Museum of East Tennessee History, along with a video about the project. You may view the exhibit and artifacts online at the ETHS website at www.easttnhistory.org/exhibits/freedom-engine.

The Museum of East Tennessee History is open 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday; and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Sunday. The Museum is located in the East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37901. There is an admission charge, Monday-Saturday, with each Sunday being Family Day and free to the public. For more information call (865) 215-8830, email eths@eastTNhistory.org, or visit www.easttnhistory.org.

Recent artwork in a variety of media by current C-N Art Dept faculty: Chad Airhart, Lisa Flanary, Heather Hartman, Cody Leihgeber, Julie Rabun, Raquel Roy, David Underwood, and Mark Wankel.

Opening Thur Sep 7, 3-5 PM

Gallery hours: M-F 8-4. Warren Art Bldg, corner of Branner Ave & Ken Sparks Way, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Info: 865-471-4985.

Making music in the womb? Close to it! Chris Blue started singing in church at age 3, and he hasn’t stopped since. Prior to winning NBC’s The Voice, Chris lent his “Blue Ribbon” vocals to Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin and his own group, the Blue Brothers. The Voice gave Chris a chance to hold his own vocally not only alongside other contestants, but with recording artists Alicia Keys and Usher. When he performs, Chris shares every ounce of his talent with his audience.

“I give every performance my all, when I’m on stage it may be the first time someone in the audience is seeing me, or it may be their last. I make the most of every second we have together.”

Along the way, Chris has left his indelible mark across the globe, touring through England, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Virgin Islands. Closer to home, Chris has sung the National Anthem at MLB games and at University of Tennessee sporting events. He has most recently offered his voice to support Knoxville community efforts such as “Save our Sons.”

Chris Blue’s versatility and virtuosity extend far beyond his love of music and into the fields of dance and acting (TV’s Homicide Hunter and Fatal Attraction). Chris is the complete package, equally at home in the concert arena and on the church stage.

Sept 7, 8 & 10!

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

Featuring abstracts by Marty Elmer
South Knoxville Library, 4500 Chapman Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. (865) 573-1772