Calendar of Events

The Oak Ridge Art Center's Open Show is a juried mixed-media exhibition open to all artists. It is intended to showcase exceptional work produced throughout our region. Over $4,000 in awards are available. The 2024 juror will be David Underwood, Professor of Art and Director of Exhibitions at Carson­ Newman University.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

JOHN CAPARULO'S MAD CAP COMEDY WITH ROCKY DALE DAVIS
SATURDAY, SEPT 28 | 8:00PM

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

The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is pleased to announce that our annual Blue Ribbon Country Fair will return on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10 am to 4 pm. We are honored to have Big Meadow Family Campground as the 2024 Title Sponsor.

In the tradition of old-time county fairs, we will have lots of livestock (pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, etc.), outdoor activities like the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Toss, and all-around fun for the whole family. Living history demonstrations will be taking place throughout the day, including open-hearth cooking, wood-turning, and blacksmithing sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Don't forget to get registered in one of our many competitions and maybe you can take home a Blue Ribbon!

Make sure to visit the Townsend Artisan Gallery's tent with the kids to make a take home craft. Say "Hi" to Scottie Mayfield at the Pick TN Products area and enjoy some complimentary ice cream. Enjoy music from Steve Brooks, Brand New Box of Matches, and the students of JAM! Sheepshearing and Goat-milking demonstrations are happening throughout the day. This Event is free and Parking is a $20 donation to the Heritage Center.

865-448-0044. https://gsmheritagecenter.org/ 
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center | 123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend, TN 37882

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Join Executive Director of Mabry-Hazen House Patrick Hollis for his new downtown Knoxville walking tour exploring the infamous Gunfight on Gay Street!

As we approach the 142nd anniversary of the gunfight, you will have the opportunity to hear the full story and events leading up to the day Joseph Mabry, Thomas O'Connor, and Joseph Mabry Jr. lost their lives while visiting relevant locations in downtown Knoxville.

Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com

Saturday, September 28 at 8 pm

The Cincinnati-based ensemble Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle perform within a wide range of genre -- from traditional mountain music to Music Row, blues-gospel to classic country. “We play music that we connect to, whether it’s an old find or a new line. We want it to mean something, every time.”

The members of Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle are: Matt Wabnitz (Lead guitar, lead vocal), Casey Campbell (Drums/percussion, vocal), Scott Risner (mandolin, vocal, resonator guitar, tenor banjo), and Bill Baldock (bass, vocal).
https://www.pricehillhustle.com/

$20 at the door, $15 General Audience Advance, $14 JCA members, students & seniors 65+
Tickets available at TicketLeap (https://jubilee-community-arts.ticketleap.com), by mail or at the door 30 minutes prior to show.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present its ninth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UT Arboretum Auditorium and surrounding grounds, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. Activities include the UT Insect Zoo, two butterfly tents, educational speakers and children’s activities. The UT Arboretum will be closed for parking to regular visitors on the day of the Butterfly Festival, Saturday, September 28 until 3 p.m. The regular parking lot is closed, and all parking areas will be dedicated to the Butterfly Festival. This change is being implemented for the safety of Butterfly Festival visitors and staff. Important information on parking this year: Parking will be in designated areas of the UT Arboretum adjacent to the event and on a first come first served basis. The entrance fee is $5 cash fee (to facilitate entry) per carload. The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine. We have Accessible Parking available on a first come first served basis. Please have your placard clearly visible when you enter the Arboretum for the Butterfly Festival to assist our parking staff in directing you. A shuttle service will also be available from the regular parking areas for those needing assistance.
Children’s craft activities will be available at a cost of a $1 ticket per activity or $10 for all ten crafts. Payments can be made with cash or credit card. Children of all ages will enjoy experiencing the UT Insect Zoo, a travelling exhibit of insects. The goal of the Insect Zoo is to have fun while sharing knowledge of insects with others to help them appreciate the important role of insects in our environment. The Insect Zoo highlights preserved and live insects and arachnids (scorpion, tarantula, etc.) found in Tennessee and throughout the world. Two butterfly viewing tents, staffed by graduate students at the University of Tennessee Entomology and Plant Pathology department, will be open for a closer look at butterflies. Educational presentations will take place inside the air-conditioned auditorium. Lucas Coe-Starr will speak at 10 a.m. on “Fall Bird Migration in East Tennessee.” Stephen Lyn Bales will speak at 10:50 a.mm .on “The Mystery of Monarchs.” A free pollinator plant will be provided by a local native plant nursery, Tennessee Naturescapes, for each family as long as the supply lasts. Additional pollinator plants will be available for purchase.

Food trucks include Big Bad Taco, Pelican’s SnoBalls and Rocky Top Hot Dogs. The public is invited to bring refillable water bottles. For your entertainment, sit a spell and enjoy the beautiful music of the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club! The festival will feature a number of local artisans, all offering pollinator-themed merchandise. The Anderson County Master Gardeners will also have a booth staffed with volunteers who can answer your gardening questions. For more information on the Butterfly Festival, contact Michelle Campanis, mcampani@utk.edu. https://utarboretumsociety.org/

All our events are free to 18 and under and we do offer special codes for FREE tickets for college students also! All ticket and subscription prices are available for purchase online at https://www.orcma.org, by phone at (865) 483-5569, by email at office@orcma.org, or at the door.

Special Performances by the Oak Ridge Chorus: Sing & Swing
September 28th at 4pm @ Bissell Park BandShell (with a rain backup plan at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center)

This season, Choral Director Sarah Henrich will also be performing jazz, swing, Broadway, and an original composition by local musician Wendel Werner. The Oak Ridge Chorus, Swing Time Big Band, and special guests from Oak Ridge High School will have you dancing in your seat!

Wendel Werner Plus 4, All Elton John concert, September 28, 2024, 7:00 PM – 8:20 PM
Birdhouse Neighborhood Center, 800 N 4th Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917, USA

FREE concerts, but tips are welcome!
https://www.fourthandgill.org/

Friday evening, September 27th will mark the 26th consecutive year that Maple Lane Farms will open its Corn Maze and other “agritainment” activities that include tractor-pulled hayrides (daytime and nighttime), pumpkin picking, inflatables for the kids, music, corn hole, food vendors, face painting, photo ops, sunflower fields, and other wholesome family fun to the public!

The Maze is located at 1126 Maple Lane in Greenback, just 14 miles south of Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport. The Maze is open weekends from September 27 through October 31. The Haunted Maze begins on weekends starting Friday night Oct 18. Opening hours are the following:

Friday 6pm to 10pm
Saturday 10am to 10pm
Sunday Noon to 6pm, Haunted Noon – 10pm
Haunted Maze Opens nightly, October 18-20, 25-27, 30, 31
Additional Features include: Barn Store Collectibles including Fall/Halloween Decorations, Straw Bales, Cornstalks
Variety of Food and Beverage Vendors
Evening campfires in the Maze Fairway near our Covered Party Tents
Private Parties via Tent Reservation with Fire Pit
Music
Face Painting, Old Time Photo Booth
Numerous Photo Ops, including the Sunflower Fields

Maple Lane Maze is an “authentic agritainment” venue operating since 1999. The farm’s offering continues to be an organic destination for families who love outside adventures mixed with the peacefulness of simply being together sitting around the fire pit and making memories. Many guests have described the farm as a “a fall tradition”. Yes, it is a place seeped deep in tradition. We hope you will join us to start your fall traditions here at Maple Lane Maze. Visit the farm’s website at www.TNMapleLaneFarms.com, Call 865-856-3511 or www.Facebook.com/tnmaplelanefarms/ www.Instagram.com/MapleLaneMaze/

Plein Air Smokies is hosting a week-long event where 20 nationally acclaimed artists will paint in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This weeklong event will come to fruition in downtown Knoxville September 27th-29th. There will be a ticketed soiree at Regas Square, a Market Square Quick Draw, and a public sale.

In addition, there is also a student division in partnership with Fulton High School and Gatlinburg Pittman High. Students will participate in lessons over painting en plein air, followed by a day of painting in Elkmont. Their artwork will be showcased and sold at the soiree, providing them with a unique opportunity to share their talent with the community.
More information at:
https://friendsofthesmokies.org/2024-plein-air-artists/

Plein Air Smokies Collectors Soiree
Friday, September 27, 2024
Regas Square Events
333 W. Depot Avenue
Tickets at:https://friendsofthesmokies.org/pleinairsmokies-tickets/

Greek Fest: on Friday-Saturday, September 27th-28th from 11am-10pm and Sunday, September 29th from 11am-5pm at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Kingston Pike, $3 day pass, $5 weekend pass

St. George Greek Orthodox Church has celebrated its annual Greek Fest since 1977! Originally, the Knoxville Greek Fest was organized to introduce Greek food, culture, and dance to the local community. Greek Fest is one of the most popular events in Knoxville, attracting over 20,000 visitors over the weekend.

https://www.greekfesttn.com/

Join us September 27-28, 2024, for a celebration of Lego builders, collectors and some of the iconic pop culture franchises that have inspired them over the years! Follow Brickonomicon on Facebook for celebrity guest announcements, convention information, and all the latest news regarding the show.

Adjacent to McGhee-Tyson Airport with scenic views of the Smoky Mountains National Park, the Hilton Knoxville Airport Convention Center is a premium event venue located in Alcoa, Tennessee and host to Brickonomicon 2024. Just minutes from downtown Knoxville, the convention center is a versatile, modern space that provides the perfect setting for a wide range of event activities, guest accommodations and attendee amenities.

https://brickonomicon.com/