Calendar of Events

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Light Up Lakeshore Park

  • November 28, 2021 — January 2, 2022

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, Kids, family and Science, nature

The lights will go on Sunday, November 28 with a kick off celebration in the Park from 4-8 PM.

Lakeshore Park will be shining bright this holiday season. Trees throughout the park will be lit through sponsorships. There will be vendors and activities for the entire family. Kick off celebration is on Sunday, November 28 and lights remain until January 2.

https://www.visitknoxville.com/event/light-up-lakeshore/18337/

Knoxville Museum of Art: 16th Annual East TN Regional Student Art Exhibition

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts, Free event and Kids, family

The Knoxville Museum of Art proudly presents the 16th Annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition Friday, November 26, 2021-Sunday, January 9, 2022. Now a long-standing tradition, the exhibition showcases the strength and diversity of art education programs in East Tennessee, celebrates talented middle and high school students, and supports arts education.

Middle and high school students from East Tennessee have the opportunity to display their talents in a juried exhibition and receive recognition for their accomplishments in a professional art museum environment. This event is generously sponsored by Carton Service, Inc., Home Federal Bank, the Rotary Club of Knoxville, the Guild of the KMA, Sarah Stowers, and Ann and Steve Bailey.

Students, family, friends, and the public are invited to a reception and awards ceremony Tuesday, December 7, from 6 pm-8 pm at the Knoxville Museum of Art. Welcoming remarks will be made by the Mayor of Knoxville, Indya Kincannon. The event is free and open to the public. Those who wish to attend the reception should register in advance at www.knoxart.org/exhibitions/etrsae-2021/.

The East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is open to 6-12 grade students attending public, private, or home schools in 32 counties across East Tennessee. Categories for the competition include ceramic, drawing, digital imagery/video production, mixed media, painting, computer graphics, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Participating schools were invited to submit up to 15 artworks per teacher, and each school will be represented by one winning work of art.

Approximately 347 works of the more than 712 entries in this highly competitive show made it through a rigorous jury process. The Best in Show winner will receive a purchase award of $500, and the artwork will become a permanent part of the permanent collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Education Collection.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5pm, Sunday 1-5 pm, closed Mondays. Information: 865-525-6101, https://knoxart.org/

Zoo Knoxville: Zoo Lights

Category: Festivals, special events, Kids, family and Science, nature

Zoo Lights, presented by Chick-Fil-A Knoxville, is back and better than ever. This illuminating holiday experience is complete with vibrant animal lanterns, mythical creatures and tree lights all while you enjoy festive food and drinks. The spectacular display has doubled in size to snake through the entire length of the zoo. Add a little light to your nights this winter beginning November 26th and flickering through January 9th!

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org

Christmas in the City: Holidays on Ice

  • November 26, 2021 — January 2, 2022

Category: Festivals, special events and Kids, family

Take a skate on Knoxville's open air ice skating rink. Whether with family, friends or on a date you'll love skating in the heart of Downtown Knoxville in Market Square! Join us at Holidays on Ice presented by Home Federal Bank to make memories that will last long after the holidays are over. Enjoy skating under the stars and twinkling lights while listening to music every night. There may even be a panda sighting by our Holidays on Ice Mascot, 'Peppermint Panda'!

Ice rink is located in Market Square in front of the Knoxville Chamber at 17 Market Square in Downtown Knoxville. You can reach the Ice Rink by phone at 865-215-4423.

The ice rink will be closed during inclement weather, please check the Holidays on Ice Facebook page to stay updated.

Admission price includes entry fee, skate rental and unlimited time on ice!
We accept cash, Visa and Mastercard.
Adult: $12, Children Age 12 & Under: $9
Season Pass Adult: $50, Season Pass Children Age 12 & Under: $35

November 26, 2021 - December 17, 2021
Monday through Thursday: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Extended Hours
December 18, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Monday through Thursday: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Special Holiday Hours for Christmas & New Years
Christmas Eve: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
December 26: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
New Years Eve: 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
New Years Day: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

More information available at www.knoxvillesholidaysonice.com.
For more information on the year's Christmas in the City celebrations, go to www.knoxvilletn.gov/christmas

Farragut Light the Park

  • November 23, 2021 — January 2, 2022

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, Kids, family and Science, nature

Light the Park is back to help usher in the winter holidays as the span of N. Campbell Station Road is illuminated by over 100,000 sparkling lights. The display will start at the commuter lot next to the Town of Farragut welcome sign and continue to Founders Park at Campbell Station, the Farragut Community Center and Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza. Lights come on every evening at dusk from Monday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 2. Restrooms at Founders Park and the plaza will stay open until 10 p.m. nightly, except for Dec. 25, when restrooms are closed.

Shop Farragut and the Town of Farragut will kick off Light the Park with the 9th annual Countdown to Light the Park. Take in this seasonal spectacle from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22, at Founders Park, where the lights will be turned on with a flip of a switch at approximately 6:30 p.m. Additional parking will be available at the Farragut Community Center (239 Jamestowne Blvd.), the community center and the plaza.

Light the Park will offer special events every single day through Dec. 23. There will be gift giveaways from local vendors and organizations, caroling at the park and local food trucks serving up delicious holiday cheer. A calendar detailing all activities can be found at farragutparksandrec.org/lightthepark.

Santa’s mailbox will continue to usher all wishes directly to the North Pole! Letters can be placed in the mailbox at Founders Park for delivery by elves to the North Pole beginning Monday, Nov. 22. To receive a reply from Santa, please mail letters by Dec. 20 and include a return address!

If your group or organization is interested in passing out goodies or caroling, contact Special Event and Program Coordinator Brittany Spencer at 865-218-3376 or at bspencer@townoffarragut.org.

For more information and updates, see the Light the Park event on the Town of Farragut Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/townoffarragut

John C. Hodges Library: Exhibition by Kara Lockmiller

  • November 4, 2021 — February 4, 2022

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

http://www.klockmillerart.com
I am a chromesthete which means I see a vast array of real colors in my mind when I listen to music. I like to think of it as my own personal light show. My goal for each portrait is to let you glimpse music and musicians the way I do. There is a kinship between color and music – both can say what words can not.

I paint in shadowed hues using the grisaille technique. After sketching out my musician in a grayscale underpainting, I add opaque and translucent acrylic colors according to what I see when I listen to their music. They come together like puzzle pieces on my canvas. I DO NOT use editing software or trace my portraits. They are hand drawn according to their highlights and shadows.

I began painting for others in 2017 as an outlet to share all the mesmerizing colors I see. While I can remember the lyrics to almost any song I’ve ever heard, I am most fascinated by the people who pen them.

My 10+ years as a journalist and graphic artist left me with a great understanding of design principles as they relate to color.

I think Wassily Kandinsky said it best: “Lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting and … stop thinking. Just ask yourself whether the work has enabled you to walk about into a hitherto unknown world. If the answer is yes, what more do you want?”

John C. Hodges Library, 1015 Volunteer Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37996

Arts in the Airport

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

For the past twelve years, the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville and the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (McGhee Tyson Airport) have partnered to present a biannual exhibition entitled “Arts in the Airport”. This juried exhibition was developed to allow regional artists to compete and display work in the most visited site in the area. The selected art features contemporary 2- and 3-dimensional artwork.

View and purchase artworks at https://www.knoxalliance.store/product-category/airport

www.knoxalliance.com/arts-in-the-airport

Boyd's Jig & Reel: Music Jam Sessions

  • October 21, 2021 — December 31, 2022

Category: Culinary arts, food, Free event and Music

OLD TIME JAM, TUESDAYS AT 6.30PM, HOSTED BY SARAH PIRKLE
This strings only* session is the sound of the Appalachian legacy that richly indwells the soul and soil of Knoxville. The musicians sit together and pick and strum familiar tunes on fiddles, guitars, and bass. We play Old Time fiddle tunes mostly, everyone jams at once and there are no breaks. Open to all lovers and players of music. We welcome dancers but please no tap shoes, as it can interfere with the session. No need to build up the courage to join in, just grab an instrument off the wall and take a seat.
*No percussion instruments please.

IRISH SESSION, 1ST AND 3RD THURSDAYS AT 7.15PM
From the low central valleys to the high coastal mountains, music fills the pubs of Ireland. Guitar, harp, bodhran, flute, accordion, and dulcimer are the celtic sounds of old that combine to create a traditional and lively atmosphere every other Thursday night. Musicians play to enjoy and to preserve the cultural heritage that the Scots-Irish brought to America generations ago. Come and listen or join in! (Thanks Jason for the video!)

SCOTTISH SESSION, 2ND AND 4TH THURSDAYS AT 7.15PM
A proud tradition, Scots love nothing more than music and drink. The drink is strong and the music is steeped in the history of the green highlands and rocky cliffs. Whether lyrics or no lyrics, every song tells a story. The hills of East Tennessee are a home away from home for this style. Pull up a chair to listen or play along every other Thursday night.

BLUEGRASS JAM, FIRST AND FOURTH SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 3 P.M., HOSTED BY PERRY COOPER
It’s true that Bluegrass has roots in traditional English, Scottish, and Irish ballads and dance tunes. That’s why the Bluegrass Jam Session is a great fit for the Jig and Reel crowd. Come listen to acoustic string instruments as one or more instruments take their turn playing melody and improvising around it. As one instrument plays melody, the others will perform accompaniment. It’s an improvised jam session for all you pickers and grinners out there.

CELTIC JAM FOR BEGINNERS, SECOND SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 3 P.M., HOSTED BY TIM WORMAN
This session is your chance to enjoy traditional Celtic tunes at a slower pace. Learn as you play alongside host Tim Worman. He is there to guide the group of beginners as they take in the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe. Let yourself get swept up in years of living tradition and hear songs that celebrate life by the sea. All are welcome to Celtic Jam for Beginners. Don’t be afraid to join in on the fun!

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE, THIRD SUNDAYS AT 3PM, HOSTED BY CYNTHIA WEST
Dancing is just as important as the music in the Scottish tradition, and upbeat rhythms make for great foot-stomping. Those that are more experienced can even present a well-practiced jig or reel! Whether you are watching or dancing, 3rd Sundays at Boyd’s are overflowing with energy and fun.

*Jams/Sessions are currently limited to the number of players, so you must contact the session leader in advance if you are interested in playing. If you need assistance reaching them, you can email us at info@jigandreel.com, and we can connect you.*

101 S Central St, Knoxville, TN 37902, www.jigandreel.com, Phone: (865) 247-7066

RED Gallery: Voodoo Rocket by Kevin Bradley

  • October 1, 2021 — December 31, 2021

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

New work from the Voodoo Rocket - Institute of Advanced Typographic Research

We will be open every Friday and a few other dates to be determined (check Social Media).

If you stop by the office of Robin Easter next door, they can provide access during the M-F 9-5 work hours, or after hours by appointment.

https://insideofknoxville.com/2021/10/kevin-bradley-presents-voodoo-rocket-in-the-old-city/
132 W Jackson Ave | Knoxville TN 37902 | www.robineaster.com

Pellissippi State: James Agee Online Reading Series

  • September 30, 2021 — December 31, 2021

Category: Free event, Lecture, panel, Literature, spoken word, writing and Virtual

The annual James Agee Conference for Arts and Literature at Pellissippi State Community College will be held as the James Agee Online Reading Series this fall, after having been canceled due to COVID-19 in 2020.

“By rethinking the conference as an online reading series that will be available on YouTube throughout the academic year, we can reach a wider audience,” said conference founder Charles Dodd White, an author and associate professor of English at Pellissippi State. “We are encouraging instructors to use it in their classrooms, but the entire series is free and open to the public as well.”

White, whose 2020 novel “How Fire Runs” won a 2021 Independent Publishers gold medal for Best Regional Fiction – South, created the James Agee Conference six years ago to give Pellissippi State students an opportunity to attend a scholarly conference while also celebrating the literature, culture and arts of Appalachia.

While the online reading series continues in the spirit of the James Agee Conference, White noted that an online reading series allows Pellissippi State to expand the featured writers beyond Appalachia to the general Southeast. Their readings will be recorded, not live, and will include the authors’ thoughts on writing and publishing in addition to sharing from their books.

The three authors on tap this fall include:

• Crystal Wilkinson, Kentucky’s Poet Laureate and the award-winning author of “Perfect Black,” “The Birds of Opulence,” “Water Street” and “Blackberries, Blackberries.” Her reading will premiere Sept. 30.
• Ravi Howard, author of two books of fiction, “Driving the King” and “Like Trees, Walking,” which won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. His reading will premiere Oct. 30.
• Jim Minick, author of five books, including “The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family,” winner of the SIBA Best Nonfiction Book of the Year Award. His reading will premiere Nov. 30.

For more about each featured author and the link to their readings, please visit www.pstcc.edu/events/ageeconference/.

Leesa Osburn Exhibition at Smilin' Jack's Cafe

  • September 29, 2021 — December 31, 2021

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

I have lived overseas while in the Army and most recently 14 years in Las Vegas, Nevada. The last two years, my family has been getting acquainted with East Tennessee. Knoxville has been so welcoming, it is quickly becoming our home. Mostly, I paint in water based oils in a fairly realistic style. My subject matter is mostly landscapes, seascapes, animals & insects, and pets. I belong to Fountain City Art Guild, Tennessee Artist Association, and Tuesday Painters, a Plein Air Group. To see examples of my work, please see website: www.ArtisticEscape.studio

Smilin' Jack's is open Monday through Wednesday 11-4, and Thursday through Saturday 11-7.
4620 Mill Branch Lane, Knoxville, TN 37938 in Halls Crossroads

McClung Museum: Ornithological Quadrupeds

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Ornithological Quadrupeds features prints from Beauvais Lyons, University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Professor of Art, Beauvais Lyons. Lyons’ whimsical prints, which are a companion display to Between the Hand and Sky: The Art of Elizabeth Gould, draw on the tradition of natural history illustration by artists including Elizabeth Gould and John James Audubon.

The museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. As part of the University of Tennessee, we adhere to UTK's COVID19 policies.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-2144

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