Calendar of Events

THE CIVIL WAR IN KNOXVILLE - JUNE 1, 2018 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
It’s been over 150 years since the battle of Knoxville, one of the most sharply divided cities during the civil war. Occupied by both sides with recruiting offices set up on Gay Street on the same day, Knoxville was home to spies, street fights, and family feuds that outlasted the war. Visit the downtown sites and then get an overview of the battles and fortifications from the observation deck of the Sunsphere. Meet on the porch of the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street.

SHADOW SIDE 2 - JUNE 1, 2018 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
The lively entertainment section now known as the Old City wasn’t always so friendly. The neighborhood has a history of dark times and dark deeds, and the remnants aren’t just in the architecture. Formerly known as the Bowery, the district was home to saloons, dance halls, pool rooms, and bars, where famous gunmen, thieves, ladies of the evening, and troublemakers of all kinds bumped elbows with naïve travelers and honest working folk. Life here was violent—and often short. Meet in front of The Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain, 418 S. Gay Street.

THE EARLY YEARS - JUNE 2, 2018 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Step back over two centuries and visit Knoxville’s founders as you listen to the stories of the settlement of White’s Fort and establishment of the capital of the Southwest Territory at the headwaters of the Tennessee.
Meet on the porch of the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street.

KNOXVILLE’S MUSICAL HISTORY - JUNE 2, 2018 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Knoxville’s story has always been set to music, from the time when the poetic rhythms of the native Cherokee tribes still echoed in the hills and the ballads of the Scots-Irish settlers were sung around campfires on the riverbanks. Immigrants from all over the world brought new instruments and tunes to enliven the song and East Tennessee became known as a home to musicians of every genre, whether classical, jazz, R&B, rock-n-roll, Americana, or the avant-garde sounds of ska, techno, and whatever’s unveiled at this year’s Big Ears Festival. Meet in the Knoxville Visitor Center, 301 S. Gay Street.

For the above tours: Adults: $15. Children 6-12: $10 (Group rate available). For more information or to book your tour, please visit http://knoxvillewalkingtours.com/. *Proceeds from these tours help to support the Knoxville History Project.

BIKE BOAT BREW & BARK – VOLUNTEER LANDING RIVERWALK TOUR - JUNE 2, 2018 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Completed over 20 years ago, Volunteer Landing interprets, with permanent marble markers, the city’s complex relationship with its famous river–with quotes from famous authors and short narratives about early settlers, the Civil War, and Tennessee football, as well as a statue commemorating a complicated treaty with the Cherokee signed on that site. Author Jack Neely, of the Knoxville History Project, did the research for those stone markers, and will offer this annual guided tour. Spots are limited, register for this free tour here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bike-boat-brew-bark-june-2-2018-tickets-44116940958