Calendar of Events

Voices of the Past Fall Candlelight Tour at Historic Ramsey House, October 25 and 26,
6:00 - 9:00 PM.

More information and tickets at: Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org

Jubilee Community Arts and Traditional Irish Arts of Knoxville present a night of Irish music at the Laurel Theater featuring The Murphy Beds, Friday, October 25 at 8 pm, sponsored by Boyd’s Jig & Reel.

Eamon O’Leary and Jefferson Hamer (aka The Murphy Beds) present traditional and original folk songs with close harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements on bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin. In 2021 they released their second album, titled “Easy Way Down”, which The Irish Echo called “an incredible collection of songs delivered with grace and ease.” They have toured extensively throughout Europe and North America, with performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Alaska Folk Festival, Milwaukee Irish Festival, WGBH Boston’s Celtic Sojourn, Doolin Folk Festival (Ireland), and Unamplifire Festival (London).

Eamon and Jefferson began playing together at traditional music sessions in New York City. They shared an interest in collecting, arranging, and performing songs from Irish, American, Scottish, and English traditions. As they began to collaborate — first in larger ensembles, but most enduringly as a duo — they also recognized an affinity for other more contemporary idioms. Whatever the source — songs of the Irish travelers, Arkansas spirituals, or their own compositions — their arrangements feature the same carefully wrought interplay of voices and strings.

Eamon started playing Irish music while growing up in Dublin. When he moved to New York City in the early 90’s, he immersed himself in the city’s traditional music scene and traveled widely, performing with many of the great players in Irish music. In 2004 he and fiddler Patrick Ourceau released the album Live at Mona’s. Eamon has taught at many traditional music programs around the world and also records and performs original music. His last solo album, All Souls, was released on Reveal Records in 2018. Other recent recordings of note include The Alt with John Doyle and Nuala Kennedy, and The Immigrant Band, a joint old-time and Irish endeavor with John Doyle, John Herrmann, and Rafe and Clelia Stefanini.

Jefferson is a guitarist, songwriter, and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. He has recorded albums with Sarah Jarosz, Anais Mitchell, Session Americana, Kristin Andreassen, JKLOL, Laura Cortese, and many others. His self-produced solo release from 2018, Alameda, features eight original tracks with contributions by John Fatum, Jeff Picker, Sarah Jarosz, Hannah Read, Dylan Foley, and Tim Britton. In 2013, he and Anais Mitchell won a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Child Ballads, a collection of new adaptations of English and Scottish folk songs. Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote, “A gifted guitarist and singer, Hamer is able to hit close harmonies and weave gorgeous instrumental lines.”

$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.

Fall Heritage Days at the Museum of Appalachia October 24, 25, 31, and November 1,
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Families are invited to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Southern Appalachian traditions & pioneer demonstrations of the fall harvest season.
Dozens of demonstrations and activities for people of all ages!

Tickets at: https://wwwmuseumofappalachiaorg.ticketleap.com/fall-heritage-days-2024/

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

Our most popular event returns! As the evenings grow darker and the first hint of winter hangs in the air, the western world enters the season of the dead. It is a time when ghost stories, dark tales, and mysterious happenings rise up to help us understand death and the unexplained.

Along with the historic house museum and family history, Mabry-Hazen House also preserves this darker history of Americans' experiences with death, burial, and Spiritualism.

For the sixth year, Mabry-Hazen House will exhibit those macabre, yet fascinating cultural moments during their immersive A Victorian Séance Experience.

https://www.mabryhazen.com/season-tickets

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

Registration is now open for the East Tennessee Preservation Conference, a regional resource and networking opportunity for civic leaders, history enthusiasts, and professionals to provide education about East Tennessee’s historic sites and how we can all work together to preserve our shared history. This year’s theme, “The Intersection of Preservation & Progress”, will explore trends and resources related to affordable housing and building density with a focus on adaptive reuse in our rapidly growing communities.

Register today for the East Tennessee Preservation Conference, October 24 & 25, at the East Tennessee History Center.
Tickets: $80 for current Knox Heritage members & $100 for non-members. https://www.knoxheritage.org/2024conference/

THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION RESPONSE TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, Thursday, October 24 at 5:30PM
This event is free and open to all community members (with or without conference registration). Kindly RSVP by October 21.
https://www.knoxheritage.org/events/2024conference-541/?blm_aid=99440641
At East Tennessee History Center

Nearly every city in America is experiencing a severe shortage of affordable housing. All too often historic districts are identified as the major cause of this crisis. The reality is, however, that historic and older housing need to be at the center of any affordable housing strategy. This session will focus on why and how historic preservation is part of the affordable housing solution as well as other findings on the impact of historic preservation in recent years.

$15.00

Join us for a night of terror and intrigue on our Historically Haunting Halloween Tours! Explore Blount Mansion and learn about the chilling history of the Blount family, the city of Knoxville, and beyond!

Let us be your ghastly guide to the afterlife as you encounter the dark and twisted corridors of the house where you'll hear tall tales of ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural phenomena that are prevalent throughout the hills of Appalachia. You may even have the chance to see some of the house's most eerie artifacts, including a Victorian hair wreath, a (possibly) possessed doll, and more.

But beware! The spirits of the house are known to be restless, and they may just make an appearance during your tour. So be prepared for a night of terror and suspense as you explore the hallowed ground of Blount Mansion.

Tickets are $15 a person and are available at the link below.

Tours are available on select nights in October, and tickets sell out quickly, so book yours today!

Tours will be conducted at 8pm, 8:30pm, 9pm, and 9:30pm.

https://blount-mansion.square.site/

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture is excited to announce the special exhibition, Coming into View: Oil Paintings from the Permanent Collection. The exhibition will feature several artworks never before displayed to the public alongside pieces that have been the focus of recent research.

Aligned with the museum’s newly implemented strategic plan, this exhibition underscores the significance of the museum’s ongoing collaboration with students, the university, and external partners. Coming into View explores three key themes—student research, collaboration, and coursework—providing an insider’s perspective on the research efforts conducted behind the scenes on the museum’s permanent collection.

Featuring both beloved “fan favorites” and previously unseen works, the exhibition spotlights paintings central to coursework, internships, and student research projects at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Beyond a mere display of art, Coming into View demonstrates the integral role of students, faculty, and the campus community in deepening the museum’s understanding of its collections.

The exhibition also provides a peek behind the metaphorical museum curtain into the importance of conservation of the museum’s permanent collection. Learn more about the exhibition and stay up to date with exhibition-related programming by visiting https://tiny.utk.edu/ComingIntoView.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-2144. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 12–4 p.m. https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

Storyteller Laura Still helps you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you.

Knoxville has a rich history full of colorful characters and famous, and infamous, figures whose lives have been the inspiration for books, movies, and works of art. Take a stroll through history in beautiful downtown Knoxville while listening to true tales of the heroes, heels, and hardened criminals that are part of the hidden lore of this unique East Tennessee town.

A portion of the proceeds for downtown tours go to help fund the work of the non-profit Knoxville History Project. Many stories are based on the books and stories of award-winning journalist and writer Jack Neely. Knoxville Walking Tours opens a window to Knoxville’s varied past and leads you on a journey through both hard times and high times of a city growing through over two centuries of history.

Tours include:
• Knoxville: The Early Years
• Misbehaving Women
• Civil War
• Gunslingers
• Musical History
• Literary Heritage
• Side Street Shadows Ghost Tours
• Knoxville Botanical Garden
• Old Gray Cemetery
• Side Street Shadows Ghost Tours

Tour on Your Schedule! Rather than posting a calendar, we’re letting you pick the tour and time — subject to availability. Call (865)309-4522 or visit http://knoxvillewalkingtours.com/