Calendar of Events

10th Annual Mayapple Marketplace at Ijams Nature Center
This celebration of all things spring will take place on Sunday, March 30, 2025, from 10-3 PM at Ijams. If you’re a local maker, artist, plant nursery, farmer, or gardener, this is your chance to showcase your spring products. The marketplace will feature native plants, garden essentials, nature-inspired goods, handmade items, art, delicious food trucks, and more.

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

5:00 PM at Knoxville Civic Auditorium
“Four men for God and harmony.” – Elmore Magazine

Rooted in the soaring traditions of gospel, soul, and sacred song, the union of Dedicated Men of Zion and the Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir promises a performance of pure spiritual elevation. Hailing from Eastern North Carolina, the Dedicated Men of Zion bring a fervent, harmony-rich sound steeped in the sacred quartet tradition—testifying voices that channel the raw power of faith, struggle, and redemption. The Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir, a dynamic ensemble known for its electrifying performances and deep connection to the city’s musical heritage, adds a lush, full-bodied choral energy to the mix.

Together, these two forces unite in a powerful collaboration that merges the intimate, testifying spirit of quartet gospel with the expansive, soul-stirring grandeur of a mass choir. Expect a performance filled with deep grooves, impassioned call-and-response, and an unwavering devotion to the joyful, redemptive spirit of gospel music. This special Sunday performance will be presented free and open to the public.

https://www.knoxvilleopera.org/events

Join us for an afternoon of community storytelling, celebrating the great women who have dedicated their lives to education and mentorship! This year's annual tea party is held in honor of Christi Kirk, our beloved community leader who led a life of love, service, and dedication to her family and community.

We invite attendees to bring along a poem, passage or story written from their favorite female authors, we also invite attendees to share stories of women who have empowered and still inspire them.
https://www.thebottomknox.com/events-1/womens-history-month-tea-party-3

Special thank you to our event sponsors: Coffee & Chocolate and Magpies Bakery!

The Bottom, 2340 E Magnolia Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: thebottomknox@gmail.com, 865-444-5915 or www.thebottomknox.com/

Adapted by David Wood, From the book by Roald Dahl

Performances: March 29 @ 2:00 pm & 5:00 pm and March 30 @ 2:00 pm

Roald Dahl’s much-loved story follows the vain attempts of three farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean (one fat, one short, one lean), to get rid of the wily fox who regularly steals food from their farms. Despite their efforts to do him in by any means possible, the hapless farmers are outwitted at every turn by the Fantastic Mr. Fox, who ultimately devises a plan to ensure full stomachs for his family and friends – all of whom celebrate with a sumptuous feast.

FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
https://www.orplayhouse.com/

This year’s lineup features ANOHNI and the Johnsons, genre-bending bassist Esperanza Spalding, folk-pop innovator Rufus Wainwright, and sitar prodigy Anoushka Shankar. In addition, festival favorite Bèla Fleck, cinematic post-rock maestros Explosions In The Sky, legendary bluesman Taj Mahal, plus over 150 additional performances, discussions, panels, and films will unfold across four days in 12+ venues nestled throughout historic downtown Knoxville. Full lineup and passes at https://bigearsfestival.org

At its heart, Big Ears is a celebration of how music and culture can bring us all together. It is in that spirit that we offer the Big Ears experience to everyone in a series of free concerts all weekend long, the Knoxville Museum of Art to the Visit Knoxville Visitors Center. These are some really special performances. We hope you’ll encourage your friends and neighbors to join us!

Dedicated Men of Zion & Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir
Sunday, March 30 / Knoxville Civic Auditorium / 5p
Experience a powerful and uplifting musical collaboration as the Dedicated Men of Zion join forces with the Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir for a special Sunday performance at Big Ears. Nearly a year in the making, this joyous celebration of gospel music’s rich heritage and lasting spirit is not to be missed. While the event is included as part of the offerings for festival pass holders, Big Ears is excited to open this special event to the public. Reserve your free ticket at the link below and be part of this unforgettable performance!

Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Museum of Art will be free and open to the public all weekend. The museum will host performances by artists by Bríghde Chaimbeul, Kalia Vandever, eucademix (Yuka Honda), Carlos Niño Salon’s Night 1 and Night 2, Allison De Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, June McDoom, Fred Moten & Brandon Lopez, Larry & Joe, and Mivos Quartet. The museum will also host Laraaji & Arji OceAnanda’s Laughter: The Best Medicine Playshop and in addition to Pangrok Sulap’s exhibit at RED Gallery, the collective will be doing live printmaking sessions throughout the festival weekend at Knoxville Museum of Art’s South Garden.

Visit Knoxville Visitors Center
Visit Knoxville Visitors Center is your destination for all things Knoxville. During Big Ears free programming will include WDVX Blue Plate and Big Plate Specials with special guests, Knoxville Music History with Jack Neely, Critics’ Pick Panel with Ann Powers, Nate Chinen, Ashley Kahn, and Marcus J. Moore, Essential Tremors featuring Ian Lynch, Victoria Shen, and William Tyler a conversatios between Dawn Richard and Marcus J. Moore, Lonnie Holley and Grayson Currin, and Terika Dean & Lance Ledbetter from Dust to Digital, alongside the Gladson Family Band.

The Emporium Center - Wayne White: Big Words
UT Downtown Gallery - Kite Symphony / Star Scores
RED Gallery - Pangrok Sulap
Digital Motif - Violins of Hope

https://bigearsfestival.org/

Reception: Friday, March 28, 5-7pm
Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture | 1715 Volunteer Boulevard

Francis Akosah : Echoes of Heritage: A Journey Through West African Culture
As an artist, I feel a responsibility to share these stories, to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and to honor the beauty and diversity of West African culture. In each artwork, I strive to capture the essence of my heritage, honor the legacy of those who came before me, and inspire future generations to embrace their own cultural identities. My work extends beyond simple documentation. It is a call to action, a dialogue about the profound influence these historical objects have on society. By re-contextualizing these artifacts in a contemporary setting, I hope to have conversations which speak to their significance and relevance today. Through exhibitions, installations, and public interventions, I aim to create spaces for reflection, learning, and celebration of West African cultural richness. This journey is deeply personal to me. It speaks about my cultural roots and highlights the importance of heritage and tradition in shaping our identities. Ultimately, I believe that through understanding, appreciation, and respect for our differences, we can come together as a global community.

LaKesha Lee : Memory to Materials and Objects
My work is an ongoing dialogue between the past, present, and future, centered on honoring self-representation, family legacy, and the resilience of Black identity. I form assemblage collages, sculptural forms, and ceramic works, using found objects and materials that carry traces of lived experiences to display curated memories. These fragments—old photographs, textiles, ceramics, and everyday artifacts—are a material language that explore memory, materials, personal history, and cultural traditions.

Eliza Frensley : Family Obscura
This exhibition explores complexities of family histories and investigates relationships between heritage and personal identity. Through a comparison of both sides of my family, the work challenges the viewer to reflect on the ways in which traditions and the individual experience inform cultural narratives and memory.

Gaby Hurtado-Ramos : Tomorrow Night
Tomorrow Night is an exhibition of prints, drawings, and video dedicated to the glimmers of last night's party and the hopefulness for the next one.

https://ewing-gallery.utk.edu/upcoming-exhibitions/

Home Runs & Home Teams - A History of the National Pastime in Tennessee
Rogers-Claussen Feature Gallery

As Tennesseeans, baseball is in our DNA, and although the game is common to us, it has never remained the same during anyone’s lifetime. Who were among the first to play baseball in Tennessee? How did 31 Tennessee towns come to host a MiLB team? What makes a day at a Tennessee ballpark an iconic experience? Home Runs & Home Teams provides an overview of the national pastime as it has played out in the Volunteer State. For every story included in the exhibition, there are hundreds more–from players to pennants, from bat makers to bat boys–that could have been shared. So as you “round the bases,” think about your connections to the game, your ties to the past. What does baseball mean to you and to your community? What baseball stories should libraries and museums preserve to share with future Tennesseans? Let’s play ball!

601 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902
https://www.easttnhistory.org/exhibitions/home-runs-home-teams/

You can find our full listing of events by visiting our Events Calendar: https://music.utk.edu/events/
Can't attend in-person? Check out our Livestream. https://music.utk.edu/livestream/

Wind Ensemble Concert
Thursday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

Chamber Singers & Concert Choir Spring Concert
Tuesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

Musicology Distinguished Lecture Series: Professor Timothy D. Taylor
Monday, March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

Men's & Women's Chorales Spring Concert
Tuesday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

BY PHILIP DAWKINS
LAB THEATRE

A magical fable with music. This exciting new play tells the story of the Fail family and their seemingly difficult challenge to just stay alive around blunt objects, disappearances and the odd case of consumption. Sometimes you just never see death coming. In this upbeat, tuneful, magical fable you can either worry about the ever-impending death or you can live, love, and sing some songs along the way.

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

The Museum of Infinite Outcomes presents Symbiogenesis: A New Nature in the Anthropocene at Ijams in March!

Sponsored by Arrowmont and part of the AVIFAUNA 2025, this exhibition features the indoor and outdoor works of regional artists that engage the living landscape. A reception is March 9 from 2-5 pm.
https://museumofinfiniteoutcomes.com/avifauna

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

First Friday, 5-8 PM on March 7
Seven Decades in Bloom reflects on the 70-year journey of Dogwood Arts, with an immersive retrospective honoring our rich history, evolution, and impact on the region.

123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Regular Gallery Hours: M-F | 10AM-5PM