Calendar of Events
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum: Green Thumb Gala
Category: Culinary arts, food, Festivals, special events, Fundraisers and Science, nature
Sunday, September 28, 2025
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Save the date for the Garden’s largest annual fundraiser, Green Thumb Gala. This celebration of the Garden’s accomplishments brings together supporters for an evening of music, food, silent and live auctions.
Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914. Hours: Gardens open daily from sunrise to sunset. Information: 865-862-8717, www.knoxgarden.org
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: Mozart & More
Category: Kids, family and Music
The Knoxville Symphony opens the Roy Cockrum Chamber Series with Mozart’s dramatic Symphony No. 40 alongside Strauss’ dazzling Horn Concerto No. 1 featuring principal horn Jeffery Whaley.
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Jeffery Whaley, horn
FLORENCE PRICE: Octet for Brasses and Piano
RICHARD STRAUSS: Horn Concerto No. 1
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Symphony No. 40
At the Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com
Tri-Star Arts: Featuring John Douglas Powers
Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event
MAIN GALLERY & PROJECT SPACE
John Douglas Powers — Sep. 5 - Oct. 25, 2025 / reception Sep. 5, 2025
Tri-Star Arts at Candoro Marble Building, 4450 Candora Drive, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-5. Information: https://tristararts.org/visit
McClung Museum: Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art
Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts, Free event, History, heritage and Kids, family
The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announces a new exhibition, “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art,” opening to the public on January 25, 2025. The project sets a new standard for collaborative exhibition practices at the McClung and represents the museum's most significant renovation in more than 20 years.
"‘Homelands’ is a defining moment for the McClung Museum. It’s the largest project we’ve undertaken in over two decades, but its impact goes far beyond its scale,” said Claudio Gómez, Jefferson Chapman Executive Director of the museum. “This exhibition has challenged us to rethink how we collaborate, bringing in new perspectives and allowing us to honor Native voices in ways that are both respectful and forward-thinking.”
“Homelands” showcases contemporary art by 17 Native artists to emphasize the enduring ties between Native Nations and Knox County. As a result of the exhibition, the museum has acquired 22 new works for its permanent collection.
McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Tu-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-4. Information: 865-974-2144, https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/
Knoxville Walking Tours
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 https://knoxvillewalkingtours.com/