Calendar of Events

This incredible eco-friendly and sustainable runway show returns to Ijams on April 21 from 6-9 PM!

Last year's event featured 17 designers and 65+ models who showcased eco-friendly, sustainably sourced, and upcycled fashions around the newly renovated Universal Pond. The 2024 event will be even bigger and bolder, and includes a two-part runway with the theme of Punk vs. Funk! You'll see 100+ looks created by 25 designers (and there may be surprises in store)!

Fleurish 2024: Punk vs. Funk

Tickets go on sale March 1. Get yours today because this event will sell out!
https://www.ijams.org/event-details/special-event-fleurish-2024-a-sustainable-fashion-event
 
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

Daytime Docs is a monthly film series featuring documentaries that bring awareness to diverse perspectives and life experiences through the power of visual storytelling. All the films shown in the series are also available on library streaming services Kanopy and Hoopla.

April 21: Life Animated (2016) – The story of Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who couldn't speak for years, and how his family learned to reach him through cartoons

Knox County Public Library: 500 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-215-8750, www.knoxcountylibrary.org/

FREE FOR ALL coffee concert featuring Zofia Glashauser - violinist
Emi Kagawa on piano

Sunday, April 21 @ 3:00 at the First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge

For more information, please call 865-483-5569 or visit https://orcma.org

SCRUFFY CITY SINGS CONCERT SERIES
Musical Theatre Mixer
April 21, 7-9pm at Pretentious Beer

A fundraising concert for First Take Co. Featuring:
Alana Mara, Ashton Kidd, Emily Weaver, Chip Morris, Ci Ci Teasley, Xandria Cross, Livi Fenech, Ethan Graham Roeder & Maggie Tharp

Guest Performances:
The Clarence Brown Theatre
Tennessee Valley Players
The WordPlayers
Theatre23
River & Rail Theatre Company
Michael Ray

Special Performance by Maggie Tharp

Cost: $10-$30, sliding scale
Tickets: https://firsttakeco.simpletix.com/w/1191

APRIL PRESERVATION NETWORK
Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.

Sign up for a walking tour of Fountain City’s charming and historic Smithwood neighborhood. Enjoy springtime and stories of days gone by with Knox Heritage’s Hollie Cook and Jennifer Montgomery of Local Lore Knoxville. Parking will be at Smithwood Baptist Church (4914 Jacksboro Pike). NOTE: Please enter the parking lot via Jacksboro Pike.

Please RSVP by Friday, April 19 at https://www.knoxheritage.org/events/smithwood/

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

The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present Poetry Xfit hosted by Alexa White. This generative workshop event will take place on Sunday, April 21st from 2 to 4 pm EST via Zoom. Join us at the link tiny.utk.edu/sundress with the password “safta”.

Poetry Xfit isn't about throwing tires or heavy ropes, but the idea of confusing our muscles is the same. You will receive ideas, guidelines, and more as part of this generative workshop series in order to complete three poems in two hours. A new set of prompts will be provided after the writers have written collaboratively for thirty minutes. The goal is to create material that can be later modified and transformed into artwork rather than producing flawless final versions. The event is open to prose authors as well!

Alexa White is a mixed-race, neurodivergent writer and graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she earned her BA in creative writing and studio art. While attending, she won the 2022 Bain-Swiggett prize for traditional poetry forms and her poetry and art has appeared in The Phoenix, the school’s literary and arts magazine. Alexa lives in Knoxville, her semi-hometown, and is the Grants Manager at Sundress Academy for the Arts. She takes delight in backroads, quarries, and the last few seconds of sunset and redefines her bedtime nightly. https://www.facebook.com/events/7435369526502096

This concert features UT jazz students performing in small combos playing classic and original music.

Sunday, April 21 at 6:00pm

Natalie Haslam Music Center, Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall
1741 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/small_jazz_ensemble_3136

Knoxville Opera is thrilled to announce the expansion of its annual Rossini Festival to a two-day extravaganza on April 20th and 21st, 2024. For the first time in its history, the festival will span two days, promising an even more vibrant and enriching experience for the East Tennessee community and visitors from afar.

The Rossini Festival remains Knoxville Opera’s premier International Street Fair, celebrating the rich tapestry of music, food, art, and culture in East Tennessee. With non-stop entertainment across four outdoor stages featuring opera, classical, jazz, gospel, ethnic music, ballet, modern dance, and more, there's something for everyone. The festival also boasts scores of food vendors, artisans, and activities for children, making it a perfect family outing. Admission is free, reflecting the festival's commitment to community inclusivity.

This year's entertainment highlights include the sensational band Teen Spirit, set to deliver an electrifying performance on Saturday night at 8 pm. Their concert is bound to captivate audiences of all ages. Following this, the festival will transition into a unique Silent Disco experience on Market Square, capping off the night with an epic celebration of music that promises to be unforgettable.

Back by popular demand, the Journey Around the World offers festival-goers an enchanting quest through opera and international fairytales. With three tracks available, including two child-friendly fairy tale adventures and a 21+ track for adults seeking a downtown journey, participants will collect stamps and solve riddles to unveil their fairy tale ending and win exciting prizes.

In 2024, the Rossini Festival will elevate its offering with the new VIP Experience. This premium option grants exclusive access to a private oasis where guests can enjoy food, fine beverages, and private restroom facilities. The VIP experience is further enhanced with special events, including wine tastings, cheese pairings, and a mesmerizing performance by the acclaimed artist Flora Hawk.

Knoxville Opera: 865-524-0795, https://www.knoxvilleopera.org/rossini/

The public is invited to experience three spectacular private gardens during the Dogwood Arts Spring Featured Gardens event next weekend, April 20th & 21st. The event will feature GATOP (God’s Answer To Our Prayers) in East Knoxville, Anderson Estate in South Knoxville, and the Hopkins Cottage Garden in West Knoxville. Each garden is unique in design and offers a variety of plant material and special features. From an enchanting cottage garden to a 20+ acre property complete with water features, outdoor sculptures, and the largest collection of conifers in the Southeast — this year’s Featured Gardens showcases the full range of natural beauty present in our community.

Website: https://www.dogwoodarts.com/featuredgardens
Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/4VfYYw4cn

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

A translation of a French-language play, Art is set in Paris and revolves around a discussion between three friends–Serge, Marc and Yvan. When Serge buys a large and very expensive painting for 200,000 francs. However, the canvas is completely white with just a few white lines. While Serge is very proud of his latest painting, the reaction of his friends does not mirror his own sentiments. Marc responds with shock and anger, labeling it as a “piece of white sh#t”. But does he dislike the painting, or Serge’s independent thought?

In turn, Yvan acts as the peacemaker, trying to mediate the hostility between his friends. While he laughs about the ridiculous nature of the painting with Marc, he also reassures Serge that he likes the white canvas. However, his attempts at brokering peace fail and Serge and Marc’s anger is redirected him. As the discussion moves from the theoretical to the personal, the three friends are forced to ask questions not only about the nature of art, but about the nature of friendship. As they attack each other about their various personal failures, Serge, Marc, and Yvan risk ruining their friendship forever.

Fri. Apr 19th 2024, 7:30 pm
Sat. Apr 20th 2024, 7:30 pm
Sun. Apr 21st 2024, 3:00 pm
Thu. Apr 25th 2024, 7:30 pm
Fri. Apr 26th 2024, 7:30 pm
Sat. Apr 27th 2024, 7:30 pm
Sun. Apr 28th 2024, 3:00 pm
Thu. May 2nd 2024, 7:30 pm
Fri. May 3rd 2024, 7:30 pm
Sat. May 4th 2024, 7:30 pm
Sun. May 5th 2024, 3:00 pm

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 800 S. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

4/19 • Forest Bathing Workshop
4/19 • Pickin' on Nature: 18strings and Blue Ridge Gathering
4/20 • Early Morning Birding: Spring Migration
4/20 • Spring Fungi ID: Beginners Workshop
4/20 • H.A.L.T Dog Adoption Event at Ijams
4/21 • ETNBA Monthly Bluegrass Jam
4/21 • Fleurish: A Sustainable Fashion Event and Fundraiser
4/22 • Nature Nerd Hike
4/24 • Becoming a Community Scientist
4/25 • Nature Nerd Trivia
4/26 • Big Night Hike- Bioblitz Edition

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

865-567-8103
bhsmarketingcrew@gmail.com

Bearden Theatre will unveil Treasure Island as adapted by Bryony Lavery at the Bearden High School Auditorium on Friday, April 19th and Saturday, April 20th, at 7:00 pm and Sunday, April 21st at 2:30 pm.

A beloved classic novel by Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island is timeless entertainment for children and adults alike. This production offers a perfect blend of suspense and excitement that will appeal to young adventurers and seasoned theatre-goers alike.

Navigate the tumultuous waters of loyalty, ambition, and friendship. Join Jim Hawkins and a cast of unforgettable characters for an expedition that promises to be as perilous as it is exhilarating. This play includes acts of violence in it as a way of storytelling. View discretion is advised.

Running time of 1 hour 45 minutes. Recommended for children ages 10 and up. Tickets are available at www.beardentheatre.com. $15 general admission tickets to pre- order on the website or at the door