Calendar of Events

November 18 everyone is invited to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center 8th Annual Holiday Homecoming, 11am – 3pm.
Come and celebrate harvest, home, and the holidays with live music throughout the day, kids’ crafts, candy making demonstrations, Santa, and more!
Fun activities for the kids: Make old fashioned Christmas tree ornaments to hang on your tree, learn how candy is made, and best of all visit with Santa Claus!
Live music in the Wilder Chapel will be provided by local musicians.
Music Schedule:
11:00 Tennessee Valley Cloggers (Amphitheather)
12:00 Brandywine (Auditorium)
1:00 The Mountain Shadow String Band (Auditorium)
2:00 East Tennessee Old Harp Singers (Auditorium)
Come celebrate holiday traditions of the past and begin new traditions that bind the hearts of family and friends. Admission is FREE for the entire family!

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: M-Sa 10-5. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

At Barnes & Noble, 8029 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919

Get in the Christmas spirit with a bilingual reading of The Polar Express/El expreso polar!

Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

Instructor: Eric Head, BA, Knox Co. Archives and/or Dr. George K. Schweitzer, PhD, ScD

Finding your Revolutionary War ancestor, service records, pension records, bounty land records, battle records, regimental histories, burials, obituaries, descendants of the veterans, loyalist records. Participants should bring names of service men.

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

At Vienna Coffee House 212 College St. Maryville, TN

Ornaments of Joy Christmas Event is hosted and sponsored by Vienna Coffee House with all proceeds of the sale of ornaments to benefit Appalachian Bear Rescue; giving bears a second chance. Area artists are creating beautiful ornaments that will sell for $10 each. There will be Live Music, door prizes and a special silent auction of ornaments painted by local VIPs. This event is free to the public!

https://www.facebook.com/events/122924051800302

One year after Sevier County’s devastating wildfires affected hundreds of artists in the Gatlinburg area, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts is hosting “READY+RESILIENT”, a free program for studio artists to learn how to strengthen their careers, prepare for emergencies and get back on their feet after challenges.

A reception with live music and local food will take place from 5:00-7:00pm. Registration is suggested as space is limited to 100 attendees. Includes lunch and the reception.

READY+RESILIENT is presented by CERF+, the Artists Safety Net in partnership with Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg, TN) and ZINC (Broadview Heights, Ohio) - leveraging the combined efforts of a national arts relief and recovery organization, a local steward of the arts and crafts community and a major provider of artists’ insurance. Weavers, woodworkers, potters, painter, sculptors and others will learn strategies to help protect their art, studios, and livelihood. The event is open to artists from Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

Bill May, Executive Director, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, explains, “We saw firsthand the effects of the devastating 2016 wildfires on the area’s artists and craftspeople. ‘READY+RESILIENT’ is an opportunity to bring artists together to learn more about protecting their careers, art and lives – and to gather as a community to move forward.”

The program will begin by recognizing community leaders and emergency responders who have been involved in Gatlinburg’s recovery since the wildfires, including Cindy Ogle, Gatlinburg City Manager; Mike Werner, Gatlinburg City Mayor; Greg Miller, Gatlinburg Fire Chief; Randy Brackins, Gatlinburg Chief of Police; Larry Waters, Sevier County Mayor; and Barbara Joines, Executive Director, Mountain Tough Recovery Team. The day will feature keynote discussions and workshop sessions by experts on a variety of topics critical to artists’ livelihoods: Building Your Local Creative Economy + Growing Your Network, Branding + Marketing Basics, Building an Online Presence, Managing Risk + Studio Safety, Documentation + Safe Storage, Insurance Coverage, How to Photograph Your Artwork and more. Resources and information about grant opportunities, including CERF+’s Craft Emergency Relief Fund and Get Ready grants will be available.

Artists who register for and attend READY+RESILIENT will receive a chance to win a free session with a professional photographer to have their artwork photographed at their home, studio or shop on Sunday, November 19, 2017. The winner will be announced at the end of the event. All participants will receive a Free Pro membership to Orangenius, a comprehensive online platform of tools that takes the guesswork out of the business of art, CERF+’s Studio Protector: An Artist’s Guide to Emergencies, and the CERF+ Studio Safety Guide.

The event is free but pre-registration is recommended as spaces are limited. Register at www.cerfplus.org/Gatlinburg.

Join us at Marble Springs on Saturday, November 18th from 5:30pm to 8:15pm for our fall nighttime viewing session. This session will be facilitated by Gary Noland, adjunct instructor of Astronomy at the University of Tennessee. Guests will meet at the cottage at 5:30 pm where they will begin with a discussion about the origin of the Pleiades and its impact on early civilization. The stargazing will begin at about 6:15 pm and continue until 8:15 pm where guests will search the night sky for the Pleiades star cluster as well as planets that are visible during the fall months. Participation in our nighttime viewing sessions is a $1 donation per person. Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather. In the event of overcast skies, the discussion portion will still take place. Details are subject to change.

All nighttime viewing sessions will take place at Marble Springs State Historic Site at 1220 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. For more information email info@marblesprings.net, visit www.marblesprings.net or call (865)573-5508.
Marble Springs: 1220 West Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: 865-573-5508,

River's Drift (Jacquie Brecheen, Andy LeGrand,, Julie Bélanger Roy, and Chris Brock) will in concert in November at the Fountain City Art Center. Come join the fun!
The Fountain City Art Center
November 18, 7pm, $25
213 Hotel Road,
Knoxville, TN. 37918

KIN is partnering with Great Schools Partnership and two of their community schools (Norwood Elementary & Northwest Middle School) to host the 2nd Annual Norwood Community Thanksgiving Celebration.
Last year, nearly 400 men, women and children from multiple ethnicities gathered to celebrate and share a Thanksgiving meal. With Norwood being one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Knoxville; food, music and dance from around the globe were enjoyed by all!
This year, we anticipate the celebration to be even larger! As a result, we are encouraging more of our KINfolk (individuals and partner churches) to serve on our volunteer teams and join us for this Thanksgiving celebration.
When: Saturday, November 18th
Time: 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Where: Northwest Middle School, 5301 Pleasant Ridge Rd, 37912
Norwood Neighbors: Each household is encouraged to bring food representing their cultural heritage to share.
Traditional Meal: Turkeys and traditional sides will be provided by KIN's volunteers and church partners .
Resources: Representatives will be on-site from CAC's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Knoxville Internationals Network, and YWAM Knoxville

For more information: Contact Cindy Hood, KIN's Norwood Community and Education Coordinator, at norwood@kin-connect.org
Learn more at KIN-Connect.org.

The Knoxville Performing Arts Exchange (KPAX) announces the lineup for its third local performing arts talent showcase at Modern Studio on Saturday, November 18 starting at 6pm:

Einstein Simplified
Theatre Obsolete
Full Disclosure Comedy
Kelle Jolly
Knoxville Theatre Club
Cattywampus Puppet Council
Juniper Stinnett
Uncensored & Origins (spoken word)

Speed painter Tracey Rowe Crocker will create paintings live as inspired by the performances, which will be available for purchase.

KPAX invites the general public to enjoy FIVE HOURS of the shiniest, the finest and the brightest stars of Knoxville's performing arts scene. Theatre, dance, puppetry, poetry and much more! Only $5 at the door, +$2 to BYOB (21+). The $2 corking fee is waived with the purchase of advanced tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/knoxtravaganza-iii-free-friendsgiving-edition-tickets-39053668574

Modern Studio, 109 W Anderson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917.

Please help us in celebrating Storytelling through the International "Tellabration!" (www.Tellabration.org)
SMSA has been presenting these programs for over 20 years.

Tellabration! A Celebration of Storytelling performed by Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association. Tales from around the world, and Tennessee lore entertain and educate at Vienna Coffee House, 212 College St, Maryville

SMSA members: Cuz Headrick, Jim Eastin , Kathleen Mavournin, and Janice Brooks-Headrick FREE parking. Coffee & Desserts available. Donations for Benefit of SMSA in Schools programs. www.smokymountaintellers.org Call 865-429-1783 for info.

Announcing Grand Opening event for Violettes by Becky cards at the Hallmark Store in Turkey Creek. If you can't make it, please stop by in November or December and make a small card or print purchase in the next month. It will help the business to expand to more stores!

• Becky's brother from Berlin, Germany will be there with his trumpet to greet people. Paul's new (under construction) web site: http://paulbrody.net. Bring your instrument to come jam with him. Chat about his museum installation, music journalism and theater projects or discuss Berlinisms.

• Light snacks provided.

• Who ever rings up the highest bill on Becky's products (cards and prints) will win an opportunity to be painted into a "Shower Virtuoso" painting. (Other scenes and people choices negotiable).

• Becky has created a set of 8 East TN note cards for Hallmark and a set of 4 wacky Xmas cards. (Her Chanukah card will also be available at the event only).

• On opening day, Becky will be there with all her cards and prints. After that Hallmark's selection of over 20 cards and 4 Larger prints will still be available.

• CHARITY: For three new cards available, Becky will donate $1 per purchase to the Knox County School Music Programs. At the moment, Brickey-McCloud Elementary School has shown the most interest in this program. There is already $70 to give them to start. The three new cards are two children's Birthday cards and one of my East TN cards. Recent sales indicate that folks are interested in the East TN Funds Card without knowing I am donating from the sales!

• Links to the Birthday Cards and East TN Cards are: Birthday Card 1 Birthday Card 2 East TN Fundraiser Card other East TN Cards

• IN SUMMARY, the more you purchase at that store, the more possibility to expand, and the more we expand, the more funds are earned for the schools. I am glad to change the funding card selection as new and/or more popular cards are for sale.

Becky Chaffee, Owner, Violettes by Becky - whimsical music gifts
www.ViolettesbyBecky.com
Supporting Youth Music Education

An intimate house concert at Historic Westwood is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience Knoxville’s world-class musicians in an unforgettable setting. On Saturday, November 18, enjoy a delicious cocktail supper and spirited libations while experiencing a private house concert featuring Cruze Contreras and Sam Quinn of Black Lillies fame. The Black Lillies’ story is one of hard work and highway miles … a story that traces their evolution from a group of friends making music in songwriter and frontman Cruz Contreras’ living room into what is now one of Americana’s biggest success stories: an internationally-renowned band of roots-rockers, armed with songs that blur the boundaries between folk, soul, red dirt country, blues and jazz. http://knoxheritage.org/uncategorized/in-the-artist-studio-house-concert-with-cruz-contreras-and-sam-quinn/

Knox Heritage, at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org