Calendar of Events

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Friends of the Smokies: Plein Air Smokies

  • September 27, 2024 — September 29, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Festivals, special events

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/

The Maker City Summit: Make it: Grow!

  • September 27, 2024 — September 29, 2024

Category: Classes, workshops and Meetup

Every maker has the potential to turn their passion into a thriving business. Through workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, you'll learn how to scale your business, attract customers, and build a sustainable brand.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, our diverse lineup caters to makers from every aspect of creativity - from performing arts to fabric arts, illustrators to fabricators, and bakers to brewers.

Join us for a weekend filled with practical insights, actionable strategies, and inspiring stories from fellow makers who have successfully navigated the journey of business growth. Whether you're a part-time hobbyist or a full-time entrepreneur, this summit is your opportunity to gain the tools and knowledge you need to succeed.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded makers, gain invaluable insights, and grow your business your way. Held at the Maker Exchange in downtown Knoxville.
Tickets: https://www.themakercitysummit.org

Kerbela Shrine Circus

  • September 27, 2024 — September 29, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events and Kids, family

Presenting the Hamid Circus Royale at Thompson Boling Arena
9/27/2024 Friday at 7:00 PM
9/28/2024 Saturday at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM
9/29/2024 Sunday at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM

https://www.shrineservices.com/events/Circus.aspx?EventID=11

Greek Fest

  • September 27, 2024 — September 28, 2024

Category: Culinary arts, food, Dance, movement, Exhibitions, visual art, Festivals, special events, Fundraisers, Kids, family and Music

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/

Brickonomicon 2024: Knoxville’s Homegrown Lego and Pop Culture Showcase

  • September 27, 2024 — September 28, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events and Kids, family

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/

16th Annual Scots Irish Festival

  • September 27, 2024 — September 28, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, History, heritage, Kids, family and Music

The 2024 Scots Irish Festival in Downtown Dandridge, Tennessee, on Historic Main Street will open with a free concert: Friday, September 27, 2024 – 6:30 to 9:00 PM and the Festival will continue Saturday, September 28, 2024 – 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM. All activities are free to the public.

On Saturday, September 28th, outstanding Scottish & Irish Entertainers will vie for attention with the Bagpipe & Drum Band Challenge, which will take place along Main Street in Downtown Dandridge. The Color Guard from the Scottish American Military Society will lead the way for the combined pipe bands during the glorious parade at 12:00 noon. An Opening Ceremony will feature patriotic songs by the combined choirs of Dandridge Elementary School, Maury Middle School and Jefferson County High School.

Saturday’s experience will be a trip back in time to enjoy the heritage of the original Scots Irish who settled in East Tennessee ca. 1783, following the Revolutionary War. Visitors will experience Scottish & Irish music, Highland Dancing, Irish Step Dancing, Heritage organizations, Highland Clan booths, Highland Cattle & Black Faced sheep exhibits, Highland Athletic demonstrations, and Storytellers for both children and adults. Scottish & Irish Food, baked goods, meals, and treats will abound, as well as Scots & Irish merchandise vendors. Back by popular demand for 2023 is our fabulous Ale Garden featuring a selection of Scottish, Irish & Mountain ales from Highland Brewing.

The Highland (Main) Stage entertainment will feature bands House of Hamill and The Muckers. On the Lowland Stage, Trip Rogers and Celtic Conundrum will perform along with piper & harpist, Kelly Shipe. Demonstrations of Highland Dancing and Irish Step Dancing will also be presented on the Lowland Stage.

The Pipe & Drum Band Challenge Competition will include the Knoxville Pipes & Drums; the Appalachian Highlanders; and the Memphis Pipe Band. These bands will play twice each during the day, as well as marching in the Ceremonial Parade on Main Street at Noon and as Mass Bands on the Dike at 4:00 PM.

An old-time children’s playground returns this year with a variety of games and activities for the Lads & Lassies. Visitors to the event are welcome to bring leashed, well-behaved dogs to participate in the dog parade down Main Street, scheduled for 11:45 AM.

For more information about the festivities, visit www.ScotsIrishFestival.com or contact Chris Umberger at info.scotsirishfestival@gmail.com. We can also be found on Facebook @Dandridge Scots-Irish Festival, and you are invited to join our Facebook Public Group. The Dandridge Scots-Irish Festival is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Townsend Fall Heritage Festival

  • September 27, 2024 — September 28, 2024

Category: Culinary arts, food, Dance, movement, Exhibitions, visual art, Festivals, special events, Fine Crafts, Kids, family and Music

The foothills of the Smoky Mountains will come alive with the sounds of Bluegrass music, arts and crafts, and the rich traditions of Appalachian cooking at the Townsend in the Smokies Fall Festival on September 27-28, 2024, from 10 AM to 6 PM. This free community event is designed for all ages, offering a family-friendly atmosphere that celebrates the time-honored traditions of the Appalachian region.

Festival-goers can enjoy traditional and contemporary Bluegrass music, clogging, and square dancing performances, while also exploring art and craft booths showcasing local talents. There will be numerous demonstrations of Appalachian skills, old-fashioned kids’ games, and delicious Southern food, including crowd favorites like fried pies and kettle corn.

This year, the festival has moved to a new location:
Townsend Event Center, 7930 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Townsend, TN 37882
Located next to the Townsend Visitor Center, all events will now be held at this central venue.

Come join the fun and experience the authentic spirit of the Smokies!
https://www.smokymountains.org/townsendfallfestival/

Hispanic Film Festival: The Return

  • September 25, 2024 — October 1, 2024

Category: Film, Free event and Virtual

Join us for the fifth edition of the Hispanic Film Festival on the UT campus featuring independent award-winning films in Spanish with English subtitles! Two films are available online at https://pragda.com/sfc-event/university-of-tennessee-knoxville-2/
Username: SFC@UniversityofTennesseeKnoxville / Password: SFCUniversityofTennesseeFall2024

The Return (Costa Rica, 2012) a film by Hernán Jiménez [Available from September 25th to October 1st]
Un traductor (Cuba, 2018) a film by Rodrigo Barriuso and Sebastián Barriuso [Available from October 9th to October 15th]

Pictures courtesy of Pragda. Contact Betsabé Navarro (bnavarro@utk.edu). Website: https://tiny.utk.edu/filmfest

Nightfall Acres: Sunflower Fest

  • September 25, 2024 — September 29, 2024

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

FLOWERS - HAYRIDES - PHOTO OPS - FLOWER MAZE - FARM ANIMALS - FOOD
Step into a world of vibrant fields filled with sunflowers and zinnias, perfect for capturing breathtaking photos. Stroll through the blooms, enjoy a scenic tractor-pulled hayride, and make unforgettable memories.
NEW FALL 2024: The zinnia field will be replaced with a charming small pumpkin patch to take beautiful photos with two large sunflower fields as a backdrop.
Create your own floral masterpieces by picking sunflowers and zinnias, then gather them in chic French Market Metal Flower Buckets or classic glass mason jars to bring a piece of this beauty home.
There's even more to enjoy! Visit the Snack Shack for a cool treat of Dippin' Dots Ice Cream, challenge your friends to a game of Corn Hole, or unwind by the creek.
NEW IN 2024: Experience more acres of farm fun with an added kids play area, friendly farm goats, and an enchanting sunflower maze. Cross our new walking bridge over the serene creek, perfect for selfies and family photos. Don't miss this explosion of color, fun, and photogenic bliss at Sunflower Fest, where every moment is a memory waiting to bloom!

Schulz Brau: Oktoberfest

  • September 21, 2024 — October 13, 2024

Category: Culinary arts, food, Meetup and Music

Willkommen to Schulz Brau! Oktoberfest is our biggest festival of the year here at our Brewery and Biergarten! Meticulous planning goes into creating this special 2-week celebration of Bavarian culture. We proudly follow Munich traditions to offer our guests an authentic and fun experience. Prost!

BARREL-TAPPING CEREMONY
21.SEPT – 5AM-9AM
TICKET SALES TBA

https://knoxvilleoktoberfest.com/

Discover Columbus' Ships

  • September 20, 2024 — October 6, 2024

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

Welcome to Sanger Ships LLC and our two Columbus replica ships - our original Niña, the most historically accurate replica of a Columbus Ship ever built, and our newer Pinta.

The Niña is a replica of the ship on which Columbus sailed across the Atlantic on his three voyages of discovery to the new world beginning in 1492. Columbus sailed the tiny ship over 25,000 miles. That ship was last heard of in 1501, but the new Niña has a different mission. We are a floating museum, and we visit ports all over the Western Hemisphere.

Pinta was recently built in Brazil to accompany the Nina on all of her travels. She is a larger version of the archetypal caravel and offers larger deck space for walk-aboard tours and has a 40 ft air conditioned main cabin down below with seating. Pinta is available for private parties and charters.

Both The Niña and Pinta will be touring together as a new and enhanced ‘sailing museum’, for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the ‘caravel’, a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world.

http://www.ninapinta.org/schedule.html
At Calhoun's On The River, 400 Neyland Dr, Knoxville, TN 37902

Clarence Brown Theatre: Cry It Out

Category: Comedy and Theatre

BY MOLLY SMITH METZLER
THE LAB THEATRE

Acclaimed writer Molly Smith Metzler ('Shameless', 'Orange is the New Black', and 'Maid') brings us a new comedy about the challenges of parenthood. This heart-warming comedy finds divergent young mothers strike up a friendship during precious nap time. The comedy takes a sharp and honest look at the power of female friendship, the paradox of working motherhood, and the effects that economic and social class has on parenthood in America. 'Cry it Out' captures the audience with laughs, a little rage and the bonds of early parenthood.

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com

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