Calendar of Events

Celebrate the holiday season with Mabry-Hazen House during their annual Christmas tours on Saturday, December 11th, 2021 from 5-8pm and Sunday, December 12th, 2021 from 2-5pm.

Mabry-Hazen House will be decorated in the spirit of the holiday, historically-inspired refreshments will be served, and there will be a few surprises as well. On Saturday evening, carolers will perform traditional favorites. The historic house will open for visitors to casually walk through and enjoy a festive mix of modern and historic decorations.

Mabry-Hazen House’s holiday exhibit titled "Holiday Greetings: A Century of Christmas Cards” will return! Nearly 100 years of holiday cards addressed to the Hazen family will be on display for visitors to learn about this sentimental holiday tradition. Reproductions of Christmas cards from the collection will be available for sale.

Tickets are not required to attend, but donations are deeply appreciated. The event is free for members and children under 13; a suggested $5 donation is encouraged for all others. A $5 donation enters individuals into drawing for a door prize for a limited-edition porcelain replica of Mabry-Hazen House. A perfect addition to any Christmas village! (Winners will be notified the following day)

Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com

KGMC returns to the stage this December with an unforgettable Holiday Extravaganza – Slay, Belles! The Williams Sisters—Marge, Minnie, Mary Jane, Miranda, and Margot—join us for a drag-filled trip through the magic and mess of the holiday season. This is a concert that you will definitely not forget!

Saturday, December 11 @ 3:00 & 7:30 pm
Bijou Theatre, Knoxville
Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Sunday, December 12 @ 4:00 pm
ETSU’s Martin Center, Johnson City
https://knoxgmc.org/

Jubilee Community Arts presents a virtual concert on Facebook & Youtube.

Bluegrass mandolin
Saturday, Dec 11, 8 p.m.

Mandolinist Don Cassell—a long-time supporter and member of JCA—has played with several area groups including Strange Company, Fletcher Bright and the Dismembered Tennesseans, the Tennessee Sheiks, the New Dismembered Tennesseans, the Don, Don and Po Show and Dondo Dando. In this performance he will be joined by longtime music collaborators Nancy Brennan Strange and guitarist Don Wood. They will be playing acoustic swing, jazz, bluegrass, country and original tunes.

There is no charge for this event but tips are encouraged!

The mission of Jubilee Community Arts is to promote, preserve and present the performing arts of the Southern region and to nurture the cultural milieu responsible for the birth and evolution of these and related art forms.

https://www.facebook.com/LaurelTheater
https://www.youtube.com/user/LaurelTheater

Jubilee Community Arts at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. For information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org

Presented by Visit Knoxville and Bike Walk Knoxville
Saturday, December 11, 2021
5:30 pm-8:30 pm
Jackson Ave in the Old City

Bike Walk Knoxville is so excited to be working with our partners at Visit Knoxville to plan for Tour de Lights 2021! This fun, free, and family-friendly bike ride through downtown and North Knoxville is a great way to spread some holiday cheer, and we can't wait to see everyone back out on the streets to celebrate the season. More than 1,000 people participate in this fun, free 5-mile bike parade through downtown, 4th & Gill and Old North Knoxville. Many spectators watch along the route. Participants decorate their bikes and themselves to try to win one of the coveted awards.

This festive bicycle ride for all ages is a Knoxville tradition. Visit https://www.bwknox.org/tourdelights

For more information on the year's Christmas in the City celebrations, go to www.knoxvilletn.gov/christmas

Book of the Month: Perfect Black

"Crystal Wilkinson combines a deep love for her rural roots with a passion for language and storytelling in this compelling collection of poetry and prose about girlhood, racism, and political awakening, imbued with vivid imagery of growing up in Southern Appalachia. In Perfect Black, the acclaimed writer muses on such topics as motherhood, the politics of her Black body, lost fathers, mental illness, sexual abuse, and religion. It is a captivating conversation about life, love, loss, and pain, interwoven with striking illustrations by her long-time partner, Ronald W. Davis." - Bookshop.org

Dec. 11th at 6:00pm, author Crystal Wilkinson will be giving an author talk at The Bottom! RSVP HERE
https://www.thebottomknox.com/events-1/crystal-wilkinson-author-talk-perfect-black

Perfect Black is our newest Book It At The Bottom subscription pick -- if you're not a part of our subscription program but still wish to get a copy of the book, you can purchase it on our online shop!

The Bottom, 202 Randolph St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: thebottomknox@gmail.com or https://www.thebottomknox.com/

Beannachtaí na Féile 2021

Every year (except 2020) the Knoxville Irish Society holds a festive gathering to celebrate the the holiday season. The KIS board and members would like to see you and your family at our holiday party at Finn's Restaurant and Tavern on Saturday December 11th 2021 @ 6pm. The KIS Board also strongly recommends that attendees wear a facemask while at Finn's regardless of vaccination status.

Finn's will provide some complimentary food items and discounts on other food items for KIS members only. Finn's also has Happy Hour until 7pm on Saturdays.

Like past years, we'll also learn a few facts about Christmas in Ireland, as well as play a game of Dirty Santa so please bring a WRAPPED, family-friendly gift under $10.00 in order to play (handmade gifts are also welcome).

When: December 11th at 6:00pm
Where: Finn's Tavern at Baker Peter's Home
Finn's Address: 9000 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923
https://www.facebook.com/events/1418694805194906/

December 11 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Daniel Clay has been a woodworker for 16 years and teaching chip carving for three years. This class he will walk you through a beginner's course of chip carving your own holiday ornament. Tools and materials provided. Register for the class here!

$80

Able Trade, 203 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. https://weareabletrade.com/

Add a little bluegrass to your holiday cheer with Ijams and East Tennessee Bluegrass Association!
Dec 11, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

'Tis the season to join Ijams Nature Center and East Tennessee Bluegrass Association for a Bluegrass Holiday Concert featuring Evie Andrus and her elves! This family-friendly event takes place in the multipurpose room at the Visitor Center. Chairs will available for attendees--no need to bring your own!

Enjoy the Ijams beer garden and indoor concessions, which include all your favorite toasty beverages, such as hot chocolate, spiced ciders, hot teas and more.

Tickets are $8 for individuals (13+), $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under. Want to save a little money and bring your friends along? Get a 4-pack of tickets for $30. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

The Contemporary Dance Ensemble ‘Holiday Spectacular’ is a holiday performance filled with excitement, laughter, and emotion. Enjoy the passion of the season with dance numbers ranging from the graceful lyrical to the ever-popular upbeat HipHop. The antics of Santa, Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch combined with the athleticism of the dancers are sure to please even the most humbug of audience members!! Come and join us for an evening of joy and delight. A must for your Holiday Season!

500 Howard Baker Jr. Avenue Knoxville, TN 37915
Tickets: 865-215-8999 | Administrative Office: 865-215-8900
https://knoxvillecoliseum.com/event/oak-ridge-academy-of-dance-holiday-spectacular-2/

The WordPlayers and the Arts at Pellissippi State will present this classic, C.S. Lewis story on Dec. 10 @ 7:30 PM and Dec. 11 & 12 @ 2:30 PM. Performances are at the Clayton Performing Arts Center, on the main campus of Pellissippi State Community College, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville. Tickets range from $8-$16 and may be purchased online at pstcc.edu/tickets and at the door. For more information, please see www.wordplayers.org or call 865-539-2490.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette, faithfully recreates the magic and mystery of Aslan, the great lion, his struggle with the White Witch, and the adventures of four children who inadvertently wander from an old wardrobe into the exciting, never-to-be-forgotten Narnia. All ages will enjoy this story of love, faith, courage, and giving.

Facebook: The WordPlayers
Twitter: @wordplayers
Instagram: wordplayers

On Friday, December 10 and Saturday, December 11, the Museum of Appalachia will host its sixth annual Candlelight Christmas event—a winter celebration that captures the beauty and simplicity of an Appalachian Christmas. The event will begin each evening at 4:00 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m.

The centerpiece of this holiday event is an evening tour of the Museum’s pioneer village. Old-fashioned Christmas decorations will adorn the interiors of the Museum’s authentic log cabins—many of which will be festively lit for the occasion.

Candlelight Christmas will also feature a live Nativity scene, traditional musicians performing throughout the grounds, local artisans and craftspeople, and a variety of family-friendly activities, including wagon rides, visits with farm animals, popcorn stringing, Christmas storytelling, and more.

Kids can make ornaments and decorate cookies at the Children’s Craft Station. Blacksmiths, spinners, weavers, and other demonstrators will be on-site for historic demonstrations.

Tickets must be purchased in advance for this limited-capacity event.

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

It takes more than Santa's elves to make a merry Christmas. Ring in the Holiday Season with the Holiday Open House and Craft Fair at Rose Center Council for the Arts.

Join crafters who come from all over the Southeast to display and sell their handcrafted creations to the residents of the Lakeway Area. You'll see all kinds of trinkets and treasures, from necklaces, bracelets, handmade soaps and creams to handmade knives.

The Holiday Open House and Craft Fair is free and open to the public.
The open house will feature live music from 6:15pm to 8:00pm on Friday, December 11th, and will include finger foods prepared by the Rose Service Guild.

Rose Center Council for the Arts is located at 442 W. Second North Street in Morristown, TN. Info: 423-581-4330 or https://www.rosecenter.org/holiday-open-house-and-craft-show