Calendar of Events

RICKY SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER CHRISTMAS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16 | 7:30PM

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

Join us for an enlightening evening filled with cultural celebration and learning! This event features storytelling sessions, an educational discussion on the profound meaning of Kwanzaa, and a joyous exploration of the seven principles that embody this rich tradition.

Enhance your public speaking skills with a mini-workshop, and experience the warmth of community as we collaborate with Jack and Jill of America to make this event truly special. Let's come together to honor the spirit of Kwanzaa and foster meaningful connections. RSVP on our website!

https://www.thebottomknox.com/events-1/the-7-principles-of-kwanzaa

We're feeling especially festive this holiday season! Join us for a Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 16th from 1-4pm.
The historic house will open for visitors to casually walk through and enjoy a festive mix of modern and historic decorations to share Yuletide cheer. Mabry-Hazen House’s holiday exhibit titled "Holiday Greetings: A Century of Christmas Cards” will return! Nearly 100 years of holiday cards addressed to the Hazen family will be on display for visitors to learn about this sentimental holiday tradition.

https://www.facebook.com/events/3617288985256649/

Join us on December 15, 16, 22, or 23...

Experience Smoky Mountain traditions and demonstrations while enjoying warm refreshments!!
Duration
Opens up at 5:30pm, and new admissions stop at 7:30pm.

Select dates in November & December.

About
Guests can celebrate the holiday season with family at the Heritage Center’s “Christmas in the Village” by stepping back in time to a pioneer celebration. Living history interpreters will act as guides through the holiday-adorned historic Appalachian village full of handcrafting demonstrations allowing visitors to connect with the spirit and history of Townsend, Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains. Kettle corn and hot cider will also be available for purchase.

What's Included
Appalachian Christmas Village
Living History Interpreters
Hand-Crafting Demonstrations
Craft Stations for Families and Kids

To purchase tickets, just click HERE for more information.
https://gsmheritagecenter.org/events-tickets/

Friday, December 15, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 17, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.

Knoxville Civic Auditorium

East Tennessee’s favorite holiday tradition continues as the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and special guests celebrate the sounds of the season.

Information/tickets: 865-291-3310 or https://knoxvillesymphony.com

Fri, Dec 15 at 7:30 PM - PART 1 - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cathedral-christmas-festival-part-i-featuring-scruffy-city-orchestra-tickets-759890662427
Sun, Dec 17 at 6:00 PM - PART 2 - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cathedral-christmas-festival-part-ii-featuring-tennessee-wind-symphony-tickets-760701898857

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is proud to present its’ Fourth Annual Cathedral Christmas Festival, featuring Scruffy City Orchesatra under the direction of Dr. Ace Edewards, Cantors of the Cathedral, the Cathedral Youth Choir and musicians of the Diocese of Knoxville, with instrumental, choral and all-sing Christmas carols! O Come All Ye Faithful and Sing to the Lord!

Admission is Free: Seating is Limited. (doors open 1 hour before concert) Please Respect our Sacred Space: No Food/Drink/Gum.

The event will also be livestreamed, recorded, and archived access available at https://m.youtube.com/c/SacredHeartCathedralKnoxvilleTN

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
711 South Northshore Drive Knoxville, TN 37919

DEC 15 & 16 | TWO DAYS
The Appalachian Equality Chorus (formerly the Knoxville Gay Men's Chorus) presents "Christmas is a Drag!" as they return to the Historic Bijou Theatre for their annual Holiday Concert Spectacular, featuring performances by the AEC Tenor Bass Chorus you've come to love since 2012, AND INTRODUCING the brand-new Soprano Alto Chorus in their mainstage debut!

Of course, the always-festive Williams sisters will be up to their usual campy shenanigans, trying to DRAG us all out of the holiday doldrums! Wigs will be snatched just before Santa gives his list one last reading. You don't want to miss it!

The show will include performances by both choirs individually and in a mass chorus that will have our holiday risers bursting at the seams!

Please find more info at www.appequalitychorus.org and stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram for all the latest hustle and bustle.

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, https://knoxbijou.org/events/

On Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16, the Museum of Appalachia will host its annual Candlelight Christmas event—a winter celebration that captures the beauty and simplicity of a pioneer Christmas. The event will begin each evening at 4:00 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m.

The centerpiece of this holiday experience is an evening tour of the Museum’s pioneer village. Old-fashioned Christmas decorations will adorn the interiors of the Museum’s authentic log cabins—many of which will be festively lit for the occasion.

Candlelight Christmas will also feature traditional musicians performing throughout the grounds, local artisans and craftspeople, and a variety of family-friendly activities, including wagon rides, visits with farm animals, popcorn stringing, Christmas storytelling, and more. Blacksmiths, spinners, weavers, and other demonstrators will be on-site for historic demonstrations.

To purchase tickets, visit museumofappalachia.org. For more information, email us at museum@museumofappalachia.org or call us at 865-494-7680.

Ijams Nature Preschool Open Houses
12/13 from 6-7:30 PM (In Person)
12/18 from 6-7 PM (Virtual)
Looking for a part-time or full-time preschool? Join us for an open house!
 
Geminid Meteor Shower - Guided Night Program
12/15 • 11:00 PM
Witness the marvelous Geminid Meteor shower during its peak with Ijams naturalists & uncover the wonders of the woods and the beautiful night sky!

Winter Tree ID: Beginner Workshop
12/16 • 11:00 AM
Having trouble identifying local trees without their leaves? With a little guidance, you won't be-leaf how easy it can be! Join an Ijams naturalist to learn the basics of tree ID and species histories, and leave with a larger understanding of tree phenology.
 
Tracks & Scat! Animal Signs in Winter
12/16 • 3:00 PM
During this 2-hour workshop, you'll learn to identify common tracks, scat, and types of animal homes, and read the landscape for other signs of activity and wildlife. This program will be spent entirely outside exploring; please come dressed for the weather!
 
Self Care Sunday Yoga with Hope Irwin
12/17 @ 1:00 PM
Join Hope Irwin for a weekly Ijams yoga class on Sunday. Release all the holiday stress from the past week and get centered for the week ahead.
 
East Tennessee Bluegrass Association Monthly Jam
12/17 @ 2:00 PM
Join the fun at a community jam session for all acoustic bluegrass instruments (no harmonicas or spoons at this time) every third Sunday from 2-5 pm in the Visitor Center.
 
Winter Solstice Wander
12/21 @ 6:00 PM
Join Ijams on the longest night of the year to wander through the woods and celebrate the promise of longer days to come with hot chocolate, s'mores, and friends by a campfire.

Winter Break Camp • Ages 7-12
12/21-22 from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Join us for Winter Break Camp and explore the wonders of nature in cold weather! Campers will search for signs of animal activity and celebrate the the season by learning basic winter survival skills and winter ecology.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6; grounds and trails open daily from 8 AM - dusk. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Circle Modern Dance continues its annual holiday tradition of Modern Dance Primitive Light, a Winter Solstice performance of dance and live music. At the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville TN 37916.

Modern Dance Primitive Light features performance art by area choreographers, dancers, and musicians.

Wednesday, December 13 | 7PM Open Dress Rehearsal
Thursday, December 14 | 8PM
Friday, December 15 | 7PM & 9PM
Saturday, December 16 | 7PM & 9PM

circlemoderndance@gmail.com or www.circlemoderndance.com

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
Free and open to the public
When: Reception Friday, January 12, 2024, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Artists’ talk at 6:30 p.m.
Show: December 10, 2023 – February 7, 2024
Gallery hours: 9:30-4:30 Monday through Thursday, 10-12:30 Sunday
2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

Carol Quinn has painted and exhibited for decades, mostly in the Southeast and in New York City. She began as a watercolorist painting mostly nature and then moved into various mixed media, larger creations, and more abstraction in design. Her work is mainly from experimentation with the mediums and from a passion for exploring color and textures. Her degrees are in Human Ecology from the University of Tennessee. She has been a member of Art Market Gallery since 2018.

Megan Wolfkill explores the nature of queerness as a fractured amalgamation of experiences, expectations, and personal truths. Her paintings tap into her sense of touch and include experimentation with two-sided paintings, mirroring, and iridescent and reflective materials. Wolfkill is pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Painting + Drawing at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, and will graduate in May 2024. She is a finalist in the 2024 Miami University Yeck Young Painters Competition, and recently presented at SECAC in Richmond, VA. Megan has had artwork in numerous juried exhibitions across four states and in many online galleries.

Adapted by Joe Landry
'It's a Wonderful Life' is based on the story, 'The Greatest Gift' by Philip Van Doren Stern

This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve

River & Rail Theatre, 111 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com