Calendar of Events

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Drive-Thru Live Nativity at the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue

  • December 17, 2024
  • 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event and Kids, family

Experience the true meaning of the season with a heartwarming Drive-Thru Live Nativity at the Zoo and Rescue, 629 Granite Road in Clinton! On Tuesday, December 17th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, journey through a beautiful depiction of the nativity story, brought to life by volunteers and live animals in a serene and festive setting.

This family-friendly event is completely free, thanks to the generosity of the Zoo and Rescue and our community sponsors. It’s our way of giving back and sharing the joy and wonder of the holidays with all.

Come and be part of this magical evening from the comfort of your vehicle. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful moment to reflect or a festive outing with loved ones, the Drive-Thru Live Nativity is the perfect addition to your holiday traditions.

We can’t wait to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/TheLittlePonderosaZoo/about

HoLa Hora Latina: Bazaar and Member’s Art show

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Festivals, special events, Fine Crafts and Free event

Featuring the annual Holiday Bazaar with locally made and imported artisan crafts, accessories, holiday cards, ornaments, alebrijes, tamales, and more. We will also feature our Annual Members Show which showcases artwork by local artists!

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

Holidays on Ice

  • November 29, 2024 — January 5, 2025

Category: Festivals, special events, Kids, family and Meetup

Whether with family, friends or on a date you'll love skating in the heart of Downtown Knoxville in Market Square! Join us at Holidays on Ice presented by Home Federal Bank to make memories that will last long after the holidays are over. Enjoy skating under the stars and twinkling lights while listening to music every night. The rink opens the day after Thanksgiving and will be open through January 5, 2025.

Ice rink is located in Market Square in front of the Knoxville Chamber at 17 Market Square in Downtown Knoxville. The ice rink will be closed during inclement weather, please check the Holidays on Ice Facebook page to stay updated.

Admission price includes entry fee, skate rental and unlimited time on ice!
Adult: $12, Children Age 12 & Under: $9
Season Pass Adult: $50, Season Pass Children Age 12 & Under: $35

Regular Hours
November 29, 2024 - December 22, 2024
Monday through Thursday: 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday: 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Extended Hours
December 23, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Monday through Thursday: 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday: 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Special Holiday Hours for Christmas & New Years
Christmas Eve: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
December 26: 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
New Years Eve: 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
New Years Day: 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Parking is free at all city-owned garages after 6 p.m. on weekdays and throughout the weekend, except for specific special events. City-owned garages include the Locust Street Garage, the State Street Garage and the Market Square Garage. https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/special_events/knoxvilles_holidays_on_ice

Schulz Brau Brewing: Christkindlesmarkt

  • November 29, 2024 — December 22, 2024

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

Schulz Brau Brewing's Christkindlesmarkt. Our market takes place five consecutive Saturdays & Sunday before Christmas and allows the community to come together for a bit of shopping, drinking, socializing, and celebrating after a long year. The Market will take place every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY, November 29 thru December 22.
The Market hours are: Friday, 3:00 - 8:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday,
11:00 AM- 8:00 PM at 126 Bernard Avenue.
This is a free, family friendly, rain or shine event.

Christkindlesmarkt is our take on a traditional German Christmas Market. Original markets date back to as far as the late Middle Ages and are a hotspot for German holiday culture. With the growth in business, we hosted our first ever Christkindlesmarkt in 2021 and it was a holly jolly time!

Choosing to incorporate as many traditional Chriskindlesmarkt practices as we could ended up being a great decision. Some of these practices include serving Gluhwein, having Polka bands play traditional Christmas songs, obtaining vendors with only handcrafted products, and providing a variety of German sweets for purchase.

There is much more culture and history of Christkindlesmarkt to uncover. Let’s hope we debut more & more traditions each year!

https://www.schulzbraubrewing.com/

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center: Christmas in the Village

Category: Culinary arts, food, Festivals, special events, History, heritage and Kids, family

We are excited to announce our schedule for the 5th annual Christmas in the Village festivities at the Heritage Center! If you're interested in a taste of Appalachian Christmas traditions, complete with living history demonstrations, evening tours of our historic structures, and warm refreshments, don't pass up your opportunity to visit with us this holiday season! The official event dates are listed below, and village entry takes place between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm each evening!

November 29-30
December 6-7
December 13-14
December 20-21

Purchase tickets directly by visiting our website and clicking on the Tickets and Events tab, then look for the link to Christmas in the Village. Adult tickets are $15 each, Senior tickets are $12 each, and Children (ages 5-12 years) are $10 each. Kids under 4 are free. In case of bad weather, please call ahead to double-check that we are open that night. If you have questions or need additional information, please feel free to call the office at
865-448-0044 during normal business hours. We look forward to seeing you during this year's Christmas in the Village!

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

Town of Farragut: Light the Park

  • November 25, 2024 — January 1, 2025

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, Kids, family and Meetup

From dusk to 10 p.m. nightly Nov. 25-Jan. 1, thousands of holiday lights will twinkle along Campbell Station Road as part of Light the Park. The fun begins with Countdown to Light the Park from 5:30-7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25. Stick around to see Santa flip the big switch, illuminating thousands of holiday lights! Live entertainment, crafts and refreshments will precede this joyous occasion.

A new addition to this year’s event is a 53’ by 33’ synthetic ice rink that will operate from Nov. 22 to Jan. 4 at Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza!

Children can get their wish lists directly to Santa by using the giant mailbox at Founders Park. Letters must be mailed by Monday, Dec. 16. Be sure to include a return address—you may get a response from the big man himself!

There will be giveaways, food trucks and caroling scheduled throughout Light the Park. Learn more by following Farragut Parks & Rec on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Pearl City Holdings & Historic Downtown Clinton: Pop Up Christmas Markets

  • October 3, 2024 — December 21, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Festivals, special events, Fine Crafts and Free event

Historic Downtown Clinton, along with Pearl City Holdings, is hosting a one-of-a-kind indoor Christmas pop up market every Thursday-Saturday in October, November, and December.
At 341 Market Street
https://www.historicdowntownclinton.org/about

Knox Makers: Open Hack Night

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event and Technology

Tuesdays, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Open Hack Night – Public Welcome

Open hack nights are a chance for people to come out to Knox Makers and hack on anything at any skill level. You can come out to practice a new programming language, get help working on your personal projects, or try your hand at using the 3d printer. You might just come out to see what other folks are working on and lend a hand. If you know anyone who has been curious to come out to Knox Makers, please invite them along!

Like all other Tuesday nights, this event is free and open to the public. Our night will begin with a Show and Share where attendees are encouraged to bring out the projects they have been working on. This is a great time to request feedback for the future direction of your project, or you can just bring out something you want to show off. We hope to see you there!

Knox Makers: 116 Childress Street, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: https://knoxmakers.org/events/

Knoxville Walking Tours

  • January 1, 2024 — December 31, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events and History, heritage

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/