First ever Knoxville green concert, a mini bonnaroo |
2010 Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival |
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October 1-2
Glowing balloons, floating balloons. Surfing dogs, talking birds and, well, singing singers.
This year, 24 pilots from 10 different states are joining the festival with their amazing balloons. Various pilots have been with the festival since the first one in 2004, while others are new to the event…and some are even making their very first trip to Tennessee. Be sure to stop by the "Meet the Pilots" session on Saturday, one of the new features that lets you chat with the pilots who make this event "fly."
 Not all balloon festivals feature lighted balloons at night, let alone lighted balloons grouped around a pond, firing up their burners to the beat of music. Definitely stick around for this beautiful display of synchronized music and lights!
The kids will enjoy not only the hot air balloons, they'll also love the special area set aside just for them. There's story readers, arts and crafts, face painting and more.
Tethered balloon rides will give you the chance to experience what it's like to fly in a hot air balloon, but without going more than 50 – 60 feet off the ground.
Returning favorites include the Ultimate Canines, a group of performing dogs, and Einstein, the Knoxville Zoo's very talkative bird.
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Kathy Mattea to perform at Tennessee Fall Homecoming
 Merging history and music, multi-Grammy award winner Kathy Mattea will bring her hot-pickin' acoustic band Coal (also known as the Be Sharp Miners) to the Museum of Appalachia this fall for the Tennessee Fall Homecoming.
Mattea and band will perform on Saturday, Oct. 9, as part of this three-day celebration of traditional mountain, folk, Gospel, and bluegrass music.
One of the oldest and most authentic festivals of its kind in the nation, the 31st annual Homecoming will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct. 8-10, at the Museum of Appalachia.
Mattea's new album, Coal, celebrates her West Virginia coal-mining roots. A top contender for a Grammy award this year, this album is her tribute to "my place and my people."
This will mark Mattea's first appearance at the Tennessee Fall Homecoming.
Also new this year: The Quebe Sisters Band, family band from Texas playing triple fiddles, and Balsam Range, International Bluegrass Music Association nominated Emerging Artist of the year.
Barry Scott & Second Wind, bluegrass Gospel group and Grammy nominee. Barry is a former member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, a perennial favorite also on this year's Homecoming schedule.
Joining the "first-ever" Homecoming lineup is Barry Scott & Second Wind, bluegrass Gospel group and Grammy nominee. Barry is a former member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, a perennial favorite also on this year's Homecoming schedule. Southern Raised, a family band from Missouri, and the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble from Kentucky will give debut performances. [More]
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Upcoming Events at the Palace Theatre |
Call for Entries: 46th Annual Country Market |
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Dixie Bee Liners |
September 11: Tony McManus - Celtic Guitar
Showtime 8:00 PM Tickets $13 in advance and $15 at the Door. Tickets are all Plus Tax.
September 25: Dixie Bee-Liners - Bluegrass / NewGrass
Showtime 8:00 PM Tickets $13 in advance and $15 at the Door. Tickets are all Plus Tax.
October 2 - Pete Huttlinger - Champion Fingerstyle Guitaist
Showtime 8:00 PM Tickets - $13 in advance and $15 at the Door. Tickets are all Plus Tax.
October 9 - Rising Star Blount Habitat for Humanity Fund Raiser Show Time 3:00-5:00 pm Ticket $6.00 or more donation.
November 6 - Claire Lynch and the Claire Lynch Band - Bluegrass
Showtime 8:00 PM Tickets $15 in advance and $18 at the Door. Tickets are all Plus Tax
Event and Performer information can be found at www.palacetheater.com.
All concerts begin at 8:00 PM unless otherwise noted
All Tickets $13 in advance and $15 at the door unless otherwise listed. (Tickets are all Plus Tax.)
The Palace Theater is located at 113 West Broadway, Maryville. TN. For advance tickets 865-983-3330 with Visa or MC or from Murlin's Music World 429 West Broadway, Maryville, TN. |
 Ramsey House Plantation in Knoxville announces a call for entries for its juried Country Market Fall Festival. County Market has traditionally provided Ramsey House Plantation with approximately one quarter of its annual operating budget. It also provides a forum for artists to display and sell their works. Approximately 40 to 60 artists and demonstrators of traditional and non-traditional works make up the vendors stationed on the grounds of Ramsey House Plantation. The deadline for entries to be postmarked is Saturday, September 25, 2010.
The call for entries is open to all artists. Entries must be original works and include such categories as Painting, Photography, Pottery, Basketry, Weaving, Broom Making, Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, and Wood. Vending fees are $75 for field space (you provide tent) and $125 for main tent space. Spaces are 12' x 12'. Visit www.ramseyhouse.org for an application or send photos of works to Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914. For further information, call (865) 546-0745.
Ramsey House was home to an important founding family of Knoxville. Col. Francis Alexander Ramsey played a significant role in the formation of the State of Tennessee, and he along with members of his family were instrumental in bringing Knoxville from a small frontier outpost to a booming city. Completed in 1797, the stone mansion was the first of its kind in the area and once known as "the most magnificent house in the State of Tennessee." It was designed and built by Englishman, Thomas Hope, of Charleston, SC. Ramsey House is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization owned by the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, Knoxville Chapter. |
The Mabry-Hazen House will host annual Boomsday, Bluegrass, and Barbeque Celebration |
 The Mabry-Hazen House will host its annual Boomsday, Bluegrass, and Barbeque Celebration on Sunday, September 5th. On a cool hilltop setting guests will enjoy a great view of Knoxville's premiere fireworks show, good food and live music.
Tours of the historic home will begin at 6pm, and dinner will be served at 7:30. Guided tours of the Museum will begin at 6,7,and 8pm. Alcohol is BYOB.
Tickets are $50 per adult and children under 18 are free when accompanied by a ticket holder. Tickets are limited to 200 adults to ensure a quality event.
There is plenty of parking, and the site offers easy access to I-40 without traffic concerns.
Please purchase your tickets in advance by visiting www.mabryhazen.com
and pay using PayPal or call 865-522-8661 for more information. All proceeds go to the preservation of the historical sites the Mabry-Hazen House overseess
The Mabry-Hazen House Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located on six acres atop Mabry's Hill in Knoxville,TN. Built in 1858 and housing three generations of the same family from 1858-1987, the Mabry-Hazen House served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. This stately, elegant home of the Victorian and Civil War periods showcases one of the largest original family collection in America. |
Heritage Center Announces Fall Music Series |
 Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center's Fall Music Series will present three concerts in September, premiering on Friday, September 3 with a performance by The Grassabillies. All the concerts begin at 7:00 pm and are presented in the Heritage Center's outdoor amphitheater which has a roof over the entire amphitheater so that concerts take place rain or shine.
Hailing from Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains, The Grassabillies are a musical group of family and friends that plays bluegrass music with no rules and no apologies. The star of the show is vivacious vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Kata Hay. A native of Oklahoma, she holds the distinction of being the youngest person to win the Ed McMahon Star Search at age five. She then went on to tour the country, opening concerts and working with such artists as LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Ray Price, Kitty Wells, Mickey Gilley, and Barbara Mandrell. In 2005, she took a job in one of the music theaters in Pigeon Forge, TN, where she met Robbie Helton, her future husband, band-mate, and co-writer. They later became featured performers at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede and formed two bands, Kata Hay & The Blaze and The Grassabillies.
For more information about The Grassabillies, visit www.grassabillies.com
The Fall Music Series is sponsored by PetSafe. Admission to each concert is $4.00 per person at the door, with Heritage Center members admitted free. Food and beverage concessions are available for purchase on site. No coolers, food, drink, or pets are allowed. For more information, call the Center at 865-448-0044 or visit www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Friday, September 3
The Grassabillies
Bluegrass, rockabilly and country
Friday, September 10
Blue Mother Tupelo
Bluesy southern soul and roots music
Friday, September 17
Pistol Creek Catch of the Day
Rockabilly and western swing |
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8th Annual Appalachian Mountain
Photography Competition |
Fountain City Art Center presents
4 Day Fall Festival
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The 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) will open for registration and submissions on Friday, September 17, 2010. Amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age and older are encouraged to submit at www.appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition's close at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 17, 2010.
A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians and attracts entries from across the United States.
Competition Organizers are excited to announce this year's Blue Ridge Parkway Share the Journey® Category theme: The Parkway Tree Project. The areas comprising the Blue Ridge Parkway boast nearly 100 tree species that contribute to ecological zones of unsurpassed diversity. The Parkway Tree Project seeks to bring greater public awareness to the rich natural resources of the region and to document significant trees that contribute to the character, environment, and/or aesthetic of the Blue Ridge Parkway. [More] |
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It's movie time in Tennessee, and you get to pick the flicks! |
On September 10, 2010, Knox County Public Library's popular outdoor movie series will return to Market Square for the seventh year of free family fun in front of the silver screen. Voting for this year's line up will run from August 19-30 on www.knoxlib.org. The winning line up will be announced on September 2.
The ballot includes 20 titles—four movie options for each night—offering great fun for the entire family with themes including "Pick Your Pixar," "Wizards, Werewolves, and Witches, Oh my!," "Fido Friendly Films," and even a "Holy Hitchcock!" evening. As always, all movies are family friendly offerings, rated PG-13 or less.
The series will run for six Friday nights, from September 10 through October 15. The movies begin at dusk (around 8:30 p.m.).
Movies on Market Square is made possible through the generous support of Comcast, Pilot, PetSafe, The Tomato Head, Downtown Knoxville, City People, Metro Pulse, WBIR, B97.5 and Lunar Cinemas. |
Broadway at the Tennessee |
Free Stage Combat Training |
2010-2011 Season
Legally Blonde October 28 - 30, 2010
Fiddler on the Roof December 3 - 4, 2010
Blue Man Group January 10 - 12, 2011
The Color Purple February 18 - 20, 2011
Spring Awakening March 5, 2011
Spamalot May 21 - 22, 2011
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Shake, Rattle, & Role Stage Combat -- A meeting is being held for individuals interested in stage combat. The Wild Thyme Players' stage combat training group, Shake, Rattle & Role is opening training to all interested individuals over age 16.
An informational gathering will be held at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, off Merchant's Drive in Knoxville at 7:00 PM on September 13th. Training will include: Broadsword, Rapier & Dagger, Quarterstaff, Epee, Knife & Unarmed Stage Combat.
Training is free and all equipment and protective gear will be provided at no cost.
Shake, Rattle & Role instructors are members of and train with the Society of American Fight Directors. Workshops will include members of the Silver Stage Players, so seniors are encouraged to participate. |
Books by Knoxville authors |
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Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science
Forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Bass nicely complements his memoir, Death's Acre, with this unnervingly cheerful collection (ably co-written by science journalist Jefferson) of case studies and anecdotes from the field of corpse identification. With careful attention to detail and the occasional darkly humorous aside, the authors describe charred maggot cocoons; the grotesquely dismembered victims of a fireworks factory explosion; and the forensic uses of sonar, scanning electron microscopes and computer databases. Disparaging the CSI effect on jurors who expect DNA testing to be quick and exact,Bass extols the virtues of old-fashioned legwork and gut reactions, though he's always quick to admit when his methods and intuition fall short. The authors keep the narrative flow moving nicely, and Bass's voice is practical, passionate and eminently Southern—and his decades of teaching experience at the University of Tennessee come through strongly in such helpful suggestions as If you decide to murder somebody, don't think that you can completely cover your tracks with fire. Strong-stomached readers who like to get dirt under their nails will gladly follow the UT forensic anthropology team up mountains and into rivers as they put names and faces to long-decayed bodies. 16 pages of b&w photos. |
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Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair, TN
From May 1 through October 31, 1982, Knoxville hosted the world's fair based on the theme "Energy Turns the World." Expo '82 was the first world's fair to be held in the southeastern United States in 97 years, hosting 22 countries and more than 11 million people. Once referred to as the "scruffy little city by the Tennessee River," Knoxville provided one big party for people to visit from all over to witness the live entertainment, parades, displays, exhibits, musical and sporting events, food, costumes, rides, games, and arcades. The news reports of the day declared the "World Came to Knoxville" as it hosted the official international exposition, fully licensed and sanctioned by the Bureau des Expositions Internationales in Paris, France.
Author Martha Rose Woodward is a retired school teacher who developed her interests in journalism as well as television and radio production after she left the field of education. Intrigued by the Sunsphere, a unique tower which was built as a theme structure for the 1982 World's Fair, Woodward began looking into the subject, turning her research into the book Knoxville's Sunsphere: Biography of a Landmark (2007). Images of America: Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair builds on this research and includes more than 200 vintage images. |
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Bicycles sized for all ages are available for rental at the foot of the pedestrian bridge on Volunteer Landing, just across from Calhoun’s. Costs are $10 per person for a two-hour rental, and $30 per person for a day rental.
The bicycle rentals are located in the center of a 16-mile greenway route, which includes Morningside Greenway (begins at the Alex Haley statue), James White Greenway (runs between Morningside Park and Volunteer Landing), Neyland Greenway (Volunteer Landing to the mouth of Third Creek), Second Creek Greenway, (runs north from Neyland into World’s Fair Park), Third Creek Greenway (mouth of Third Creek, through Tyson Park, and passed West High School), Sequoyah Greenway (runs south from Third Creek Greenway into Sequoyah Hills), and Bearden Village Greenway (picks up at east end of Third Creek Greenway and ends at Bearden Elementary School).
Bicycle rental patrons will receive an adventure map of this greenway route through Knoxville. The map shows points of interests to stop along the way, including the Alex Haley Statue, the Sunsphere, the Knoxville Skatepark, and a Native American Burial Mound in Sequoyah Hills.
The map also shows a bicycle route to reach Ijams Nature Center and its 3.6 miles of greenway, which is not yet connected to the 16-mile connection of greenways. Here, bicyclists can view bird exhibits and overlooks of the French Broad River and Meade’s Quarry.
The hours for the bicycle rental facility are Monday – Thursday, 3 p.m. – 8 p.m., Fridays 2 p.m. – 8 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sundays 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. The facility will be opened at any time for bicycle rental groups of four, provided that staff is available.
To rent a bicycle or obtain additional information, please call River Sports at 865-523-0066.
Knoxville Zoo is proud to be among the "Top 60" zoos in the country featured in a new book, America’s Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families by Allen W. Nyhuis and Jon Wassner.
Released in 2008, the book outlines the animals, attractions and exhibits featured at the top zoos throughout the country. The authors visited all sixty of the zoos featured in the book, share their experiences and what makes each zoo special.
Knoxville Zoo also landed on the "Author’s Pick for the Top 25 U.S. Zoo Exhibits." Author Jon Wassner rated Black Bear Falls at Knoxville Zoo number 13.
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This year’s festival will feature many events throughout the day leading up to the fabulous fireworks display.
PEANUTS™ Pumpkin Patch Express Ready to Roll at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad