Calendar of Events

The first annual Tennessee Pirate Fest is a daytime, family-friendly costume-play event being produced by Darkhorse Entertainment, LLC, and will be held at the Tennessee Medieval Faire site in Harriman--just 30 miles west of Turkey Creek. Patrons will feel transported to the fictional town of Port Royale in the Tortugas, circa 1700-1800’s. “We are throwing a pirate party and everyone is invited,” said Barrie Paulson, VP-Manager & Entertainment Director. “International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day (September 19) was a great warm up to ‘Get Your Pirate On!’”

Patrons are encouraged to dress in costume and enter the costume contest to win a prize. There will be two categories, ages 5-12 and 13+, and winners will be decided by audience applause. Free activities will be available to play, including karaoke by Ward Entertainment, porthole (corn hole), volleyball, tetherball, limbo, stocks, and steel drum. Also, for $2, children may participate in a treasure hunt. Professional entertainment includes the Tortuga Twins, an interactive comedy show; Pirates, Inc., sea shanties; Outlaw Ritual, blues/swamp rock duo; PanEZ, Caribbean steel drum; Three RRR’s, comedy stunt show; Trouble the Waters, Irish musical duo; Captain Anton Neal and the Sirens, sea shanties; and Kombat Kroquet. An entertainment schedule will be available online and at the entrance gate.

The village of Port Royale will consist of interactive street characters--including British red coats, the Governor’s household, and pirates. Merchants will also help create the village, selling custom crafts, festival food, and hot and cold beverages, including beer. The Pirate Fest will be held rain or shine. Ticket prices are $13 for ages 13+, $8 for ages 5-12, and there will be free admission for children 4 and under. Parking is free, and tickets may be purchased with cash or credit at the ticket house on show days. The festival is located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. Festival rules include the following: No sharp weapons or loaded guns (stage weapons must be sheathed and zip-tied); no pets (service animals only); no outside food or drinks; no visibly intoxicated persons will be admitted; no onsite patron camping (for a list of local accommodations, please visit www.roanetourism.com/stay/list/). For more information, please visit www.TNPirateFest.com, call 865-248-8414, or “Like” them on Facebook.

Instructor: Eric Head, BA, Knox Co. Archives and/or Dr. George K. Schweitzer, PhD, ScD.

Students use individual computers to explore the five major genealogical sites: Ancestry, Family Search, Roots Web, Google, and Genealogy in Time. Participants should bring birth dates and birth places of parents and grandparents.

Pre-registration is required and begins September 26. Please call (865) 215-8809 to register.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Tennessee Craft East is hosting Art in the Valley - a Southern Fine Arts and Craft Festival that celebrates the handmade arts of the southeast. This one-day festival on Saturday, October 8, 2016, is a juried event which is open to any artist living in the southern region of the US. All proceeds will benefit Tennessee Craft East.

Date/Time: Saturday, October 8 from 10am to 4pm
Location: Ijam's Nature Center 2915 Island Home Ave. Knoxville, TN 37920

https://www.facebook.com/events/1566690960302550/permalink/1571154703189509/

Art in the Valley is a Southern Fine Arts and Craft Festival that celebrates the handmade arts of the southeast and encompasses all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists. This one-day festival at Ijams Nature Center held on Saturday, October 8, 2016, is a juried event which is open to any artist living in the southern region of the US.
Indoor and outdoor booth spaces are available. Art in the Valley runs in conjunction with American Craft and Tennessee Craft Weeks.

Ijam's Nature Center 2915 Island Home Ave. Knoxville, TN 37920. Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1566690960302550/permalink/1571154703189509/

Saturday, October 8, 2016 is the East Tennessee Plant Swap beginning at 10 a.m. and Pot Luck Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. The event will continue until about 2:00pm.
New Harvest Park—the large shelter. There will be free plants and the opportunity to make friends with others who love gardening.

Everyone is invited to attend the Fall meeting of the East Tennessee Plant Swap.
There is no fee for attendance and no money can exchange hands for the plants. This is a great way to add lovely plants to your lawns and gardens at absolutely no cost.

If you do not have plants to share, you are encouraged to attend anyway. You can bring gardening magazines, small tools, potholders, wind chimes, or any small items gardeners might enjoy. Over the years those new to the meeting have brought canned foods such as homemade pickles or beets, garden signs, books and homemade bags.

For more information: www.easttnplantswap.com.

UT Gardens Fall Plant Sale
Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Mark your calendars for our annual Fall Plant Sale!
A preview sale will be held on Friday, October 7, from 4 - 7 p.m. for all UT employees, Gardens volunteers, and Garden members. Members will also receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases. If you are not yet a member, you can sign up at the sale and immediately receive the discount.

UT Gardens, Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-7151, http://utgardens.tennessee.edu

The Historic Parkridge Neighborhood will be hosting a Home Tour. Present-day Parkridge encompasses the early Edgewood subdivision which contains many houses designed by George F. Barber, Knoxville’s famous 19th-early 20th century, Victorian house architect. This tour features a variety of homes with a focus on Barber-designed houses as part of Knoxville’s 225th birthday bash. Learn about history as you tour beautiful historic homes and experience the Parkridge community. The homes will span the eras from the 1890’s to the 1920s, and are good examples of the ongoing revitalization of the neighborhood. In addition, a walking tour of about 30 homes not open to the public will be offered. The walking tour will focus on the history of the Barber-designed homes and their former occupants.

Tickets are $10 per person if purchased in advance and $12 on the day of the event. Children under 12 are admitted for free. Parking is available at the Ashley Nicole Park, 620 Winona Street, 37917. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Last Days of Autumn Brewery, Three Rivers Market, or online at www.parkridgecommunity.wordpress.com. Tickets may be purchased until 4:00pm the day of the tour at Ashley Nicole Park. Walking is necessary and many houses have steps. Parkridge is a bike-able neighborhood and tour-goers are welcome to ride bicycles. More information is available at historicparkridge@gmail.com, or 865-406-4364.

Activity: Wouldn't you like to know? Cost: $16 - CALLING ALL GOOD SPORTS!
Here's the deal. You purchase a ticket to a mystery event. Show up to The Central Collective at the specified date and time, and be ready for anything. Past events have included: a live studio game show, an egg drop competition, and a garden party in a castle. These are events for folks who are curious, adventurous, and like trying new things & meeting new people. Worried that you won't be able to participate because of food/alcohol restrictions, physical ability or other preferences? We'll do our best to give you the information you need to decide if this month's Good Sport Night is right for you. If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to give us a shout! If you show up and cannot participate for an unforeseen reason, we're happy to give you a credit for a future Good Sport Night.

At The Central Collective, 923 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-236-1590, info@thecentralcollective.com, www.thecentralcollective.com

Alan Sims, author of the award-winning blog, "Inside of Knoxville" will lead back-to-back workshops for the Knoxville Writers Guild on Saturday, Oct. 8, on writing and caring for a blog and maintaining a social media presence.
Sims will lead "Blogging Basics" from 10 a.m. to noon and a more advanced session, "Branding Your Blog" from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Both workshops will be held at the Central United Methodist Church at 201 E. Third Ave. Attendees should enter off of the large parking lot behind the church. Free and accessible parking is available.

"Blogging Basics" will be a repeat of a popular workshop Sims led for KWG last spring. "Branding Your Blog" will be a more in-depth look at specific issues related to maintaining and growing a social media presence. Participants are welcome to take one or both sessions. "Blogging Basics" or some blogging experience is recommended before taking "Branding Your Blog."

Cost of the workshop is $50, with members receiving a 40 percent discount and student members a 50 percent discount. You can join the nonprofit KWG at the time of registration for discounts on this and future workshops. To register, visit knoxvillewritersguild.org or pay in person the day of the event. We can no longer accept payments in the mail.

Sims's blog, "Inside of Knoxville," twice won "Best Blog" from the Metro Pulse. He also won "Best Blog" from the Knoxville Mercury and the Blank Newspaper, and was recently voted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame.

Knoxville Writer’s Guild: Meetings take place at Central United Methodist Church, 201 East Third Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee. The public is invited to attend. A $2 donation is requested at the door. www.knoxvillewritersguild.org

The UT Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be at the U.T. Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Ave. in Oak Ridge. Fall is the ideal time to add plants to the landscape. To help satisfy that need, Beaver Creek Nursery, East Fork Nursery, Riverdale Nursery, Sunlight Gardens, as well as the UT Arboretum Society’s members and friends, will offer a variety of high quality plants at this sale.

Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted for payment. Retired U.T. horticulture professor Dr. Will Witte, the “Answer Man”, will be on hand to answer your plant questions. Returning with his popular hot dogs, burgers and lemonade, refreshments will sold by Dano’s Hot Dogs of Oak Ridge.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society has existed for 51years as a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the objectives and programs of the University of Tennessee’s 250-acre Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Proceeds from this sale and other Society fund-raising events go toward the operating expenses and endowment fund for the UT Arboretum. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, and the UT Arboretum Endowment Fund, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org. For more information on the Plant Sale, call 865-482-6656.

R&M Tribute Entertainment returns to Oak Ridge to present Elvis, Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill & Barry Gibb Tributes at the historical Grove Theater on Saturday, October 8 at 7:30 PM. The Grove Theater is located at 123 Randolph Road, Oak Ridge, TN. Admission for adults is $15.00, 12-6 years old $5.00 and 5 years and under are FREE. Tickets can be reserved in advance or purchased at the door at 6:30 PM. For reserves seats or more information contact Missy at (865) 684-6082 or tribute.entertainment@yahoo.com. At the conclusion of the show the performers will be available for photos.

Ronnie Miller is originally from Knoxville, TN. He is a multi-award winning, country and gospel entertainer, singer, and performer with over 15 years of experience in the music business. Ronnie has won several local and national singing awards in Country and Gospel music. He is also an Elvis Tribute Artists that was inducted into National Elvis Organizations. Ronnie will be performing Johnny Cash and Barry Gibb tributes. Brandon E is from Athen, TN. He will be performing a ‘70’s era concert style tribute to Elvis. Levi Elvis (age 5) from Bluff City will join Brandon during his tribute to Elvis. His favorite Elvis song is Jail House Rock. D. J. Phillips from Knoxville will be performing a tribute to Tim McGraw. Hannah McMillan from Knoxville will be performing a tribute to Faith Hill.

R&M Tribute Entertainment hosts monthly Elvis & Legendary tribute shows at the historical Grove Theater and other local theaters. For additional show dates contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082 or tribute.entertainment@yahoo.com.

Open Show 2016, Juried exhibition by regional artists, through November 5th.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org