Calendar of Events

East Tennessee Bluegrass Association (ETNBA) and Ijams Nature Center are partnering to bring folks together to create music in a beautiful space! 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 (winter hours).

All skill levels are welcome. Pre-signup is requested to get an idea of how many people will participate. Jam sessions will be inside the Visitor Center during the winter months. Chairs will be set up and ready for you to enjoy the show!

Not a musician? Feel free to come out and enjoy the music! Always FREE and open to the public.

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

John Rutter's Gloria is a musical setting of parts of the Latin Gloria. Composed in 1974, it is structured in three movements and scored for choir, brass, percussion and organ. Presented by Church Street's Parish Adult Choir during the 8:30am and 11am worship services, with featured instrumentalists, this festive setting is sure to inspire as we worship through the telling of Christ's coming, his redeeming death, and his triumphant resurrection and ascension to heaven

Church Street United Methodist Church
781 W Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
https://www.facebook.com/events/216624654737770/

MIKE MCGILL'S 11TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
SUNDAY, DEC 17 | 8PM

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

SUNDAY, DEC 17 AT 2:00PM
(DOORS OPEN AT 1:00PM)
Free event

Tennessee Theatre is pleased to welcome the public back to the Theatre for holiday classic presented by FirstBank.

In the 1947 classic It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all - and it's Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence - who then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't been for all his good deeds over the years. Run time is 1 hour 31 minutes. Tennessee Theatre’s House Organist Freddie Brabson will play before the movie starts. Free general admission seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free parking is available behind the Theatre in the State Street Garage.

https://www.tennesseetheatre.com/event/417823/classic-holiday-cinema-presented-by-firstbank-its-a-wonderful-life/

A special Winter show from your fave theatre troupe! Musical selections from White Christmas, Elf, Anastasia and more! Tickets available only at the door: $5 for students, $10 for adults. Come early, enjoy wine and festive tunes!

Held at Knoxville Catholic High School
https://www.facebook.com/tnvalleyplayers/

Time: 11 AM - 5 PM

We at Make It Happen Events & The Stay Weird Market are excited to announce a unique craft market, happening on Jennings Ave. This event marks a special collaboration with Ironwood Studios, Mighty Mud Ceramics Studio, and The Knoxville Community Darkroom. As it's the last event before Mighty Mud and The Darkroom embark on new journeys, we're turning this into a celebratory block party – and you're invited to be a part of it! The market will be set up inside Ironwood (gallery and workspace areas) and outdoors near the Darkroom and Mighty Mud (courtyard and grass).

Food, beer, music, and more!

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

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

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

OPENING NIGHT
December 1, 5 - 9 pm

Lilienthal Gallery cordially invites you to the opening of Flow: Mastering a Brushstroke, which contemplates the meditative dance through which the energetic flow of creativity is transmitted by poetic forms of ink and motion.

ARTIST TALK at 6:30 pm
German artist Sigrid Artmann will discuss her calligraphic process of Absolute Writing, a practice which delves into the intuition of body-soul connection.

DRESS CODE - Minimalistic composition of black and white.

Launching an exclusive, limited-edition brew by Crafty Bastard featuring the work of Sigrid Artmann.

Flow is the synthesis between action and awareness— a state by which all else falls away in favor of the fullest moment of subjective creativity.

CURATED BY ILANA LILIENTHAL AND KELLY FERGUSON
PRESENTING ARTWORKS BY SIGRID ARTMANN, GUO HAI-JIANG, AND ANTHONY HUANG

23 Emory Place
Knoxville, Tennessee 37917
https://lilienthalgallery.com/flow/