Calendar of Events

Seniors age 65 and over are invited to enjoy free admission to Knoxville Zoo on Senior Day. To redeem free zoo admission, visitors age 65 and over simply need to check in at the Gentry Griffey tent that will be located at the zoo’s ticket windows the day of the event and show proof of age. “Knoxville Zoo is a popular destination for kids, but our first Senior Day gives us the opportunity to welcome visitors who may be a bit more mature but still enjoy spending a day at the zoo. The appreciation for wildlife and wild places is ageless,” said Knoxville Zoo CEO and President Lisa New. Knoxville Zoo encourages senior groups to take advantage of Senior Day presented by Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel and Crematory for an autumn outing.

Knoxville Zoo, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.knoxville-zoo.org

The Historic Homes of Knoxville are pleased to invite the public to a luncheon on Thursday, October 1, 2015, at 12:00 PM at The Foundry to celebrate the founding of the City of Knoxville 224 years ago. Tennessee Department of Tourist Development commissioner Kevin Triplett will be the featured speaker. Knoxville's key leaders will come together to celebrate and promote the city and its most precious properties, including Blount Mansion, Crescent Bend House & Gardens, Historic Ramsey House, James White’s Fort, Mabry-Hazen House, Marble Springs State Historic Site, and Historic Westwood. Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the Historic Homes.

Kevin Triplett, was appointed to Gov. Bill Haslam's cabinet as commissioner of the Department of Tourist Development in March of 2015. Triplett, 49, was most recently vice president of public affairs for Bristol Motor Speedway. Prior to joining BMS in 2005, he worked in various roles for NASCAR, ultimately serving as managing director of business operations, guiding the operation and administration of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series. He has twice been named one of NASCAR’s “25 Most Influential” by The Charlotte Observer. From 1992 until 1994, Triplett represented General Motors Parts (GM Goodwrench and AC Delco) in NASCAR, specifically Richard Childress Racing and Ken Schrader Racing and their drivers, including Dale Earnhardt. Prior to his NASCAR tenure, he covered sports for the Bristol Herald Courier and The Gaston Gazette in North Carolina. He is a graduate of East Tennessee State University and has served on the boards of a number of community organizations including Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol Chamber of Commerce, Bristol Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rotary Club of Bristol, ETSU at Bristol Advisory Council, Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Also a farmer, Triplett is a member of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association. Triplett and his wife, Jill, have two children, Lucas and Sarah Grace.

The Historic Homes of Knoxville are uniformly significant in Tennessee’s accession as the 16th state in 1796. Apart from the paramount importance of their preservation, each house museum offers regular tours, events, and educational opportunities that benefit the community at large. For more information on the Historic Homes of Knoxville, visit www.hhknoxville.org.

The luncheon will be held at 12:00 PM at The Foundry, 747 World’s Fair Park Drive in downtown Knoxville. Visit Knoxville’s Kim Bumpas will introduce the main speaker. Advance single tickets are $50; a table of ten is $500. Advance reservations are requested by September 24 via www.knoxtix.com or (865) 523-7543.

Please join us Thursday, October 1, for a lecture by Lorrie Fredette. Fredette creates site-specific investigations that examine beauty, harmony, and comfort to comprehend the incomprehensible aspects of infection, pandemic and the plague. Her pieces have been exhibited nationally and internationally including solo and group exhibitions in the US and Europe. Exhibition venues include Cynthia –Reeves Project (Brattleboro, VT), Art Southampton (Southampton, NY), Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ), Bank of America Headquarters (Charlotte, NC) Mass MoCA (North Adams, MA), Cape Cod Museum of Art (Dennis, MA) and Jyvaskyla Art Museum (Jyvaskyla, Finland) Fredette holds a BFA in sculpture from the Herron School of Art / Indiana University. Cynthia-Reeves in New York represents her work.

https://www.facebook.com/events/491784320974158/

Room 109 of the Art + Architecture Building, UT Campus. Free admission. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

This musical performance showcases the talents of Pellissippi State’s Music faculty members.

At the Clayton Performing Arts Center, Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Thursday, October 1, the hit country duo, The LACS, are on fire. The record-breaking “Outlaw In Me 2015 Tour” that kicked off in February is coming to Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, TN The LACS will be performing their catchy new single, “Rooster” as well as “God Bless a Country Girl,” from their new album. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and show is at 9:00 p.m. Presale tickets are $10 for ages 18 and up. For additional information visit http://cottoneyedjoe.com/event/the-lacs/.

Ensemble recital
James R. Cox Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Bldg.

UT School of Music: Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public.
The Alumni Memorial Building is located at 1408 Middle Drive on the UT campus. The Natalie Haslam Music Center is located at 1741 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus. *For individual or small group performances, please check the web site or call the day of the event for updates or cancellations: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events

This is going to be a fun evening as we welcome all our new members and show off what all we have been working on here at the house and in the Visitors Center. We encourage all of our members to come and see the new exhibit “The Governor’s House Through the Centuries”, have some wine and stroll through our gardens and have a peek at the newly furnished house. It is a free event and memberships will be available at the door. Drinks and light refreshments will be served.

200 West Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Phone: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

The Knoxville Writers’ Guild is proud to showcase several of its 2015 writing contest winners at the Thursday, Oct. 1 meeting. The event, which will be open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. at the Laurel Theater, at the corner of Laurel Avenue and 16th Street in Fort Sanders. A $2 donation is requested at the door. The building is handicapped accessible. Additional parking is available at Redeemer Church of Knoxville, 1642 Highland Ave.

Out of the many entries received, 14 writers were selected for recognition in the 2015 KWG writing contests. Several will read their winning entries at the meeting, including Oak Ridge High School student, Delaney Thurston. Thurston, who also is one of ORHS marching band's drum majors, won first place in the Young Writers category for her submission titled, "At the End of Tornado Alley," about her experience growing up in Alabama, "where storms tragically take multiple lives every spring has affected me greatly and I hope that my poem can convey to others, who have not had that experience, about how impactful it can be," she said. Gerhard Schneibel, a Maryville resident, won second place in the Novel Excerpt category and said he was excited to read at the program. Amber Hart, who lives in Columbia, Tenn., will read her story, "Living in Shitsville," at the program. The story placed third in KWG's Leslie Garrett Award for Literary Fiction.

The Knoxville Writers’ Guild congratulates all its 2015 contest winners and expresses its thanks to all who participated. A complete list of winners is available at www.knoxvillewritersguild.org. The Laurel Theater is located at 1538 Laurel Avenue.

by John Steinbeck; directed by Paul Barnes. At the Carousel Theatre.

"John Steinbeck’s adventure paints an inspirational portrait of the American spirit and a heartbreaking testament to the bonds of friendship." American Theatre Wing

This classic follows two migrant workers during the 1930s dustbowl depression who drift from job to job across the farms and fields of California, holding fast to their friendship and dream of one day having an acre of land they can call their own.

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Part of the 2015-2016 Broadway at the Tennessee Theatre season!

THE ILLUSIONISTS is produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, MagicSpace Entertainment, Road Show Entertainment LLC, and The Production Office. Conceived by Simon Painter, the show’s creative team also includes executive producer Tim Lawson, director Neil Dorward and creative director Jim Millan.

Full of hilarious magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder, THE ILLUSIONISTS has shattered box office records worldwide and thrilled audiences of all ages with a mind-blowing spectacular showcasing the jaw-dropping talents of five of the most incredible illusionists on earth.

Creative Producer Simon Painter said, “We can’t wait to bring this electrifying show to Knoxville for a truly entertaining experience for the whole family. THE ILLUSIONISTS is the most non-stop and powerful mix of outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on the live stage.”

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Recent works by painter Marie Merritt of Rutledge and potter Millie Derrick of Sevierville will be on display at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 2, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, with complimentary refreshments and music performed by The Accidentals.

Marie Burchette Merritt draws inspiration from the rich history and heritage of her native east Tennessee and southern Appalachia and translates its beauty into stories told on canvas. Her award-winning oil paintings preserve historical characters and pastoral landscapes of vanishing rural farmlands. Keeping with tradition, the University of Tennessee graduate and sought-after instructor combines transparent and opaque paints in time-honored techniques reminiscent of the old masters, to set a mood of reflective observation.

Millie Derrick was born in the small Tennessee town of Church Hill and is an accomplished potter currently living in Sevierville, close to the Great Smoky Mountains. She hand builds functional and decorative clay pieces, each of which has a distinctive signature edging. Millie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from East Tennessee State University and has continued her education at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg. She also conducts pottery workshops for students of all ages in her home studio.

Owned and operated by more than 60 professional regional artists, the Art Market Gallery is a few doors away from Mast General store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery. Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Th & Sa 11-6, Fri 11-9, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

Featuring a wide variety of 2-D and 3-D artwork by our members!
Opening reception Friday, Sept 18, 6:30-8:00 PM

Free and open to the public! Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tu & Th 9-5, W & F 10-5, Sa 9-1. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartctr.com