Calendar of Events

If you haven’t heard, you can light up your nights this winter when you experience the all new outdoor lantern light-up at Zoo Knoxville! See a variety of animal lanterns, an enchanted forest, moravian stars, and a snake tunnel! Plus, hot chocolate, spirits, and some authentic Chinese wares! Starting November 27 and lasting until January 3, 2021, nightly from 5-9 PM

*Closed December 24th, 25th, 31st and January 1st.

https://www.zoolightsknoxville.com/

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org

Follow the Peppermint Trail - November 27 thru January 3

Follow the peppermints along the sidewalks in Downtown Knoxville to discover all sorts of treats featuring the favorite red-and-white candy, plus plenty of gingerbread, cinnamon, cranberry, apple spice, and other holiday flavors. From candy cane coffees and hot buttered rum, to eggnogs and peppermint martinis, you'll feel the holiday magic with every sip!

That's not all. Restaurants make holiday cheesecakes, fudge, donuts, cookies, and macarons, and boutiques and gift shops sell holiday t-shirts, soaps, and scented candles.

A list of businesses – and their treats – is below. Come back to this site often as we add new holiday specials.

We're excited to welcome you to the Peppermint Trail, but remember to make health and safety the top priority. Wear your mask (more festive, the better), practice physical-distancing, and stay home if you're sick.

Holiday magic awaits along the Peppermint Trail. Come back to this site often, as we add holiday specials throughout the season. Post photos of your peppermint adventures with #KnoxPeppermint. You’re MINT to be downtown this season! https://www.downtownknoxville.org/holiday/peppermint/

At Central Filling Station, 900 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917

Mark your calendar! Raise the Tree is coming to North Knox! Central Filling Station is hosting the Knoxville-based "Raise the Tree" holiday fundraiser to provide fresh Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands while raising money for local charities. Pay close attention, as there is a big shortage of trees this year. Christmas trees and decorations will only be available the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 27th and 28th from Noon-9p.

10% of all proceeds will benefit local area non-profits, and only premium grade Fraser Firs are sold, along with wreaths and garland. Free delivery available to the Old North Knox and Fourth and Gill Neighborhoods.

Also, join us any day prior to enter the raffle for a chance to win a tree!
https://www.facebook.com/events/4226509784042640

Looking for a reason to get out to the park more? Volunteer with the Friends! We plan on helping with many fun and rewarding events at the park and in the community this year, including:

Volunteers will be needed to sign in participants, share info about the park, help with hikes, and more. http://www.friendsofsevenislands.com/

The Arts & Culture Alliance and the artists of The Emporium Center are pleased to offer an Open Studio Night on Friday, November 27, from 5:00-8:00 PM. The public is invited to attend this free event to peruse the studios of these artists as well as view the November exhibitions (in their final days) at the Emporium.
The Open Studio Night aims to give the public a glimpse into the creative processes used by artists, who are accustomed to welcoming visitors in their working studios. The Emporium’s artists have a wide array of backgrounds, including a banker, a hospital pharmacologist, a police officer, a director of recreational activities at a local senior center, a former modern dancer, and more.

The artists will also use the opportunity to share techniques and inspiration for their media, which include acrylic, digital arts, drawing, fiber arts/weaving, jewelry & clothing, oil, photography, and watermedia.

The Emporium Center’s current artists include: Sheila Chesanow, Derrick Freeman, Connie Gaertner, Judi Gaston, Tobertha Jackson, Diana Kilburn, Katie Kinney, Fritz Massaquoi, Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks, Pam Radford, Chris Rohwer, Robin Rohwer, Gayla Seale, W. James Taylor, and Sandy White.

The Emporium Center is Knoxville’s first true arts center, which re-opened following renovations in 2004. Built in 1898 as the original home of a prestigious furniture company, the Emporium housed a wholesale goods distributor and later became a textile manufacturing facility that fulfilled military contracts. The two adjacent buildings and the vacant lot were the location of the “Parthenon of Country Music,” which served as the home of the WNOX Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round. The 28,000 square feet of flexible use space houses multiple art galleries showcasing local and regional artists with exhibitions that change each month. The Emporium also houses the administrative offices of non-profits Arts & Culture Alliance, Circle Modern Dance, HoLa Hora Latina, Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Tennessee Stage Company as well as studios for fifteen individual artists.

The Emporium is available for private rentals for receptions, fundraisers, dinners, parties, and more and is open to the public Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM with monthly First Friday receptions. Please note, while the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays, it will be open Friday, November 27, from 5:00-8:00 PM for the Open Studio Night. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Coming downtown for Black Friday shopping? Looking for a uniquely Knoxville gift? Swing by our Pop Up Gift Shop in the Lobby on Black Friday, November 27, from 11am-2pm to pick up posters, mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, holiday ornaments, and more.

We will also be collecting toys such as board games, crafts, etc., for Beaumont Magnet Academy’s Holiday Assistance Program. BMA is an elementary arts school with a Theatre program, and a partner school of the Theatre. Your unwrapped gift will help make holidays bright for students in need. Gifts for all ages and things families can do together is much appreciated.

Masks and social distancing are required while shopping.
https://www.tennesseetheatre.com/event/74715413/pop-up-gift-shop/

Every evening at dusk from Nov. 24 through Jan. 1, thousands of lights come on at Founders Park at Campbell Station for the annual Light the Park event.

During Light the Park, a slate of socially-distant activities will be offered, including grab-and-go items and storybook trails. A calendar detailing events will be available closer to the event. For updates and more info, check out the Visit Farragut Facebook event page for Light the Park.

Park restrooms will be open until 10 p.m. during the light display, except on Dec. 25.

The Town of Farragut and Visit Farragut are hosting the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/366965894349125/

Beginning Monday, Nov. 23, downtown Knoxville will be decked out in lights and greenery—including Krutch Park’s forest of twinkling trees and the 42-foot Christmas tree in the Krutch Park Extension on Gay Street—in time to serve as the background for fun family photos and selfies.

The Holidays on Ice skating rink will relocate from Market Square to the Civic Coliseum. The larger rink will allow skaters additional space to practice physical distancing while skating on the same ice where Knoxville Ice Bears play hockey. Starting Friday, Dec. 11, Holidays on Ice will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday with extended hours during Knox County Schools’ winter break. The full schedule will be posted at www.HolidaysOnIce.com.

Market Square will shine with new, peppermint-themed lighting displays provided in partnership with the Downtown Knoxville Alliance. Downtown visitors should look out for Window Wonderland decorations and special holiday treats on the menus and shelves of businesses participating in the Peppermint Trail.

The City of Knoxville and the Knox County Public Library present Drive-In at the Midway Holiday Edition with free movie screenings at Chilhowee Park.

 Friday, Nov. 20: “Elf” (PG, 2003)
 Friday, Dec. 4: “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” (PG-13, 1989)

Admission is free, but attendees must pre-register at https://www.knoxlib.org/movies.

“Our Drive-In at the Midway screenings earlier this fall were fun and very successful,” said City of Knoxville Special Events Director Judith Foltz. “We wanted to create that opportunity for families again for the Christmas season.” The holiday series is sponsored by Pilot Company.

The drive-in format allows attendees to watch movies on a 40-by-22-foot screen from the comfort of their vehicles or parking spots while maintaining pandemic protocols. Each vehicle may bring in the number of passengers for which it is rated (number of seatbelts). Each reserved space includes an adjacent parking space to accommodate blankets or lawn chairs. Guests will need an FM radio to receive the film’s audio from an FM transmitter.

Moviegoers must adhere to the Five Core Actions recommended by the CDC and Knox County Health Department to reduce the risks of spreading COVID-19:

 Wear a mask when moving about the grounds.
 No physical gathering or interaction of any type between households within the designated parking lot footprint.
 Masks and hand sanitizers will be available on site.
 If you feel sick, or know you’ve had contact with someone positive for COVID-19, please stay home.

For more information about Christmas in the City activities, visit KnoxvilleTN.gov/Christmas.

Running November 6 thru December 11, ‘Sites & Sounds from Big Ears’ hosts the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival, a 15-act series highlighting many of the most compelling artists from that nation’s fertile musical scene.

Big Ears is teaming up with Musikkprofil Booking & Management, Oslo’s Sentralen performing arts center, and Hes & Falck to present the series which launches on Friday, November 6 and spans five weeks of programming. Big Ears is the exclusive North American presenter of the festival — the only place in the US, Canada, and Mexico where you can stream the series.

Norway has been home to a rich jazz landscape for decades, an ecosystem that has been documented notably over the years by ECM Records. The festival offers a multi-faceted portrait of the country’s unique jazz scene, over seven double-bill concerts, featuring artists including pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, saxophonist Tryvge Seim, guitarist Eiven Aarset, and trumpeters Mathias Eick and Nils Petter Molvær, plus an evening with pianist Tord Gustavsen — as well as many other essential Norwegian jazz artists. Each performance has been elegantly filmed on-site at the Sentralen in Oslo, Norway.

https://bigearsfestival.org/norwegian-digital-jazz-festival/

The public is invited to the opening reception of the Art Guild at Fairfield Glade’s annual People’s Choice Art Show. This event will take place on Friday, November 6, 2020 from 5-7 p.m. at the Plateau Creative Art Center, 451 Lakeview Dr. in Fairfield Glade. All in attendance can view over 80 show entries and cast their ballots for their favorite artwork. If unable to attend the reception, the public can come during regular hours between November 6 through the 25 to vote. Atlas Real Estate of Crossville, Tennessee is sponsoring this event. Cash prizes will be awarded to First through Fifth Place winners at the Awards Ceremony on December 4, 2020.

A unique feature of this year’s art show is that all award ribbons were handmade by a small group of the Art Guild’s talented artists. Each ribbon will be a treasured small piece of art for the winning artists.

An assortment of beverages will be served at this free reception event, weather permitting. Stonehaus Winery is providing a selection of fine wines. The Art Show will feature all genres of art. Please visit the PCAC to see all of this fabulous artwork from November 6th through December 4th. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Hours: Mon-Sat 9 AM - 4 PM. Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Ongoing beginning First Friday Nov 6th.

"Art Thru The Window" Broadway Studios and Gallery. Featuring our 6 new resident artists!

Vincent Drake
Jes Distad
Laura Gasparrini
Larry Blount
Melinda Adams
William Holbert

24/7 viewing safely through the glass! Purchase info will be listed on the window.
1127 N. Broadway, Knoxville TN 37917

https://www.broadwaystudiosandgallery.com