Calendar of Events

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra presents a lunchtime performance at The Square Room in downtown Knoxville. Tickets for the one-hour concert are $15 in advance/$20 at the door and include a boxed lunch from Café 4. Seating is general admission and is limited; doors open at 11:30 a.m.

Details TBA.

At The Square Room, located behind Café 4 in Market Square, downtown Knoxville. Tickets and information: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

Join the Knoxville Swing Dance Association for their annual holiday party in downtown Knoxville!
7:30 pm beginner drop in less
8:15 pm Social Dancing

$3 general admission, $2 local students and KSDA cardholders. Normal time, normal price, special venue! And receive a discount at the soda fountain/ice cream bar equal to the price of your admission! Please support the venue!

At the The Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain, 418 S Gay St SW, Ste 104, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902. Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1082892081802734/

Hosted by Fourth United Presbyterian Church, 1323 N Broadway St, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917

We welcome Andre Canty to speak to us on Voter Suppression Issues and how we can come together to combat racism and bigotry here in Knoxville. Canty is a member of the Development team at the Highlander Center and has been an activist in our city for many years. Here is his bio:

André is a native of Knoxville and a graduate of South Doyle High School. He began his undergraduate work at Middle Tennessee State University and later transferred to the University of Tennessee and graduated with degree in English Literature. He was the instructor for the Odd Fellows Scholars Program in Knoxville, where he taught students in grades 7-12 to illustrate Black history in the East Knoxville area through written material and digital storytelling. He’s the former President the 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville. He is a writer with publications in the Knoxville News Sentinel, Knoxville Writers’ Guild, Huffington Post, and various other sources. His interest in social justice started as a junior at Middle Tennessee State University. Canty also serves on the board for KnowHow Knoxville and the Save Our Sons initiative with the City of Knoxville.

Come on out December 14: 6-8, in the Gathering Hall at Fourth United Presbyterian Church! Snacks, drinks and childcare provided. All are welcome! Andre Canty to Speak on Voter Suppression and Racism

Join us at Balter Beerworks, 100 S Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37902, for food and drink to benefit Bike Walk Knoxville/Tennessee. Bike Walk Tennessee president, Anthony Siracusa, will update us on biking and walking issues regionally and across the state. The 2017 TN legislative session will likely be of interest to all of us as biking and walking funding may be at risk.

https://www.facebook.com/BikeWalkKnoxville

Thanks to our friends at West Hills Flats & Taps who have designated December 14th as Dogwood Arts Donation Day. Make plans to eat lunch, have a happy hour and/or eat dinner at West Hills Flats & Taps because 10% of the day's sales will be donated to Dogwood Arts. Enjoy great food with friends at this favorite gathering place all while supporting Dogwood Arts. The Dogwood Arts staff will be set up at West Hills Flats & Taps all day working and will be available to chat with the community about our plans for 2017 and beyond. Our official beer sponsor, Cherokee Distributing Company has secured Yee-Haw Brewing Company [presenting sponsor of Rhythm N’ Blooms Music Festival] to take over the taps for the day, as well. We encourage the media, the public, city officials, volunteers, and all to support Dogwood Arts with their attendance.

"Donation Day came about because giving back to the community is a core concept of our businesses. We know the non-profit world is challenging and we enjoy having the opportunity to help when we can. We chose to kick off Donation Days with Dogwood Arts because for over 61 years Dogwood Arts has been a vital part of the Knoxville community. That many years of service requires a team with a lot of heart and a lot of energy. We appreciate all the hard work the Dogwood team does and very excited to kick off Donation Days with them."
- Bryan Howington, Owner, West Hills Flats & Taps

West Hill Flats & Taps, 7403 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919. To learn more, visit www.dogwoodarts.com or call (865) 637.4561.

THIS DECEMBER, River & Rail Theatre Company will premiere a new original folk musical titled, The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby. Written by Tennessee-based award winning recording artist Don Chaffer and NYC-based playwright Chris Cragin-Day. The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby surprises virgin-believing and non-virgin-believing audiences alike, engaging this this oft-told story with a sincerity and humanity that bursts with imagination and wonder.

Performed at East Jackson Ave in the Old City, 111 East Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915. River & Rail Theatre Company, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 106, Knoxville, TN 37902. Tickets & Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

With a variety of local holiday and winter farmers' markets there are so many opportunities to continue eating seasonally, shopping locally, and supporting your local farmers, local artisans, and local craft producers. Grow Oak Ridge will open their new Oak Ridge Winter Farmers Market at St. Mary's School in Anderson County. With a bounty of local farms and producers in attendance, folks in Anderson County and the surrounding areas will have an indoor market to shop every Saturday, 10 AM - 1 PM (closed Dec. 24th & 31st).

https://www.facebook.com/events/1550346168601296/

Popcorn balls and paper chains… fruits and nuts in their stockings … carols by the fire... a cedar tree cut in the nearby woods- that’s the Christmas most rural Appalachian children knew. And it's the Christmas we recreate each year throughout the Museum village at our special.... Join us as we recreate a meaningful holiday of simpler times. Traditional trees and hand-made decorations, typical of austere pioneer days, transform the Museum’s authentic log buildings.

Wander through the village and marvel at the simple treasures of their settlement days. In the one-room, dirt-floored “Dan'l Boone” cabin, strings of popcorn and cotton bolls circle a dormant tree; Paper chains and other ornaments trim the tree in the Little Tater Valley Schoolhouse. Sweet gum and sycamore balls are strung throughout the Mark Twain Family Cabin, and a traditional silver star tops a native red cedar Christmas tree in the turn-of-the-century Peters Homestead House. Apples, nuts, homemade toys, and oranges fill stockings hung in the cabins. Pick up some stocking stuffers in the Museum Gift and Antique Shop, which features everything from hand-crafted ornaments, locally made muscadine and moonshine jellies, and beautiful pottery, along with baskets, quilts, and plenty of Appalachian specialties. Or just come and enjoy a homemade southern country lunch in front of the warm fireplace.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716 (16 miles north of Knoxville at I-75, exit 122, then one mile east). Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

Featuring oil paintings of Downtown Knoxville by Inna Nasonova Knox and wood designs by Nelson Ziegler. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., December 2, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk with complimentary refreshments.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Th & Sa 11-6, Fri 11-9, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net or www.Facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery

4th Annual Uncommon Core - Exhibition & Performance
Opening Dec 2, 6-10 PM with awards at 8 PM

More events at http://ijams.org/events/. Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. The Visitor Center, including exhibits, gift shop, offices and restrooms is open M-Sat 9-5 and Sun 11-5. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

The District Gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition celebrating the city of Knoxville and its importance in the lives and hearts of local artists. Featuring the work of Cinamon Airhart, Mike C. Berry, Gary Dagnan, Connie Gaertner, Kathie Odom, and Joe Parrott, My Knoxville: Interpretations of Home is a personal and compelling collection of landscapes, memories, and city scenes dedicated to the place we’re proud to call home.

Join us First Friday, December 2 from 5-8 p.m. to meet the artists and enjoy a very special evening of festive food from Gourmet’s Market. Experience fine art in the gallery, and enjoy our annual Stocking Stuffers Sale with special offers on handcrafted gifts for the holidays as a part of The District in Bearden’s annual Holiday Open House. Also, don’t miss an exclusive group artists’ demonstration held in the gallery on Saturday, December 3 from 1-4 p.m.

The District Gallery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-F 10-5:30, Sa 10-4. Information: 865-200-4452, www.TheDistrictGallery.com

"Handmade and Hand Printed" exhibit by Nashville artist Emily Tuttle

Opening reception Friday, December 2, 6-8pm

The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Hours: M-F 9-5. Call ahead for holiday hours. Information: 423-581-4330, www.rosecenter.org