Calendar of Events

The South Knoxville Branch Library is hosting artwork by Valerie Sigmon during the months of May and June. The show is comprised of colored pencil sketches done at the UT Botanical Garden in Knoxville and the Desert Botanical Garden in Scottsdale, Arizona. The work highlights native spring and summer blooms. Library hours are 10:00 am-8:00 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10:00 am to 5:30 pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The library is located at 4500 Chapman Highway, Knoxville, 37920.

What Brought You Here?
Good Golly Tamale, 112 S Central St., is hosting artwork by Valerie Sigmon during the months of May and June. The show is comprised of mixed media biographical works. The Old City restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 11 am - 8 pm.

Darren Kiely, Thursday, May 1, 7:30 PM at the Bijou Theatre.

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B00623899FA4FCE

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, https://knoxbijou.org/

Mark your calendars for Random Acts of Flowers upcoming Garden Party on Thursday,
May 1 at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens Dogwood Center (2817 Boyds Bridge Pike Knoxville, TN 37914) from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. This event promises an evening of beauty, community, and support for RAF's mission. Enjoy a delightful evening with live music, delicious food, and a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences. We invite you to join us by purchasing tickets or becoming a sponsor. Your participation and contributions directly support our efforts to bring joy and comfort to those in need.

Reserve your spot now and be part of an evening that will leave you inspired and in full bloom! Tickets at: https://randomactsofflowers-bloom.kindful.com/e/random-acts-of-flowers-2025-garden-party

rafknoxville.org

Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM
The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus • Knoxville TN

The Cathedral Concert Series is pleased to present Knoxville Chamber Chorale, under the direction of Dr. John Orr, performing sacred and choral music of William Byrd, Felix Mendelssohn, Randall Thompson, Jacab Narverd, Eric Barnum, and more...

Since 1951, the Knoxville Choral Society has been honored to share a wide range of music with our community. Dedicated to maintaining choral excellence, this group of auditioned musicians performs major choral and orchestral works as well as additional varied styles of choral literature. A small group from the society, the Knoxville Chamber Chorale, is selected by audition to perform at KCS concerts and by invitation in the Knoxville area. The Chorale makes special appearances on local television as well as civic and corporate events.

Admission is Free: Seating is Limited.(doors open 1 hour before concert). Please Respect our Sacred Space: No Food/Drink/Gum.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cathedral-concert-knoxville-choral-society-chamber-chorale-tickets-1320231601259

Thursday, May 1, 2025 9:30am to 10:30am
Thursday, May 15, 2025 9:30am to 10:30am

End your week with gentle yoga at the McClung Museum. Enjoy breathing, relaxing movements, and stretching, with some calm, meditative moments to ease you into your Friday. We encourage you to wear comfortable clothes that you can move in and bring a yoga mat. Forgot your mat or don't have one? No problem! The museum has a limited supply of mats to loan. No experience is necessary.

About the Instructor: Megan Fields just celebrated her 20th anniversary at UT and currently serves as the Director of Public Speaking. She also lives on campus as a sorority house director and enjoys supporting students. In her free time, she teaches yoga and meditation and enjoys reading and hiking. Her life goal is to share mindfulness practices to stay grounded in this fast-paced, distracted culture.

https://calendar.utk.edu/event/copy-of-yoga-at-the-museum

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Tu-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-4. Information: 865-974-2144, https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/

Wednesday, May 1 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Adults-Only (21+)
Who says kids get to have all the fun? Beer & Blooms is your chance to unwind, get creative, and enjoy a lively evening at Muse Knoxville—adults only! Sip on complimentary beer tastings, personalize your own flowerpot, and plant something special to take home—all while enjoying live music and fun, hands-on activities with friends.
What’s Included: Complimentary beer tastings from local breweries
A flowerpot, paints, and a plant to take home
Creative, interactive activities
Live music to keep the vibe just right

Whether you're flying solo or coming with friends, this 21+ event promises a night of creativity, community, and craft brews. Come out and let your inner child play—adult-style! https://114609.blackbaudhosting.com/114609/Beer--Blooms

“Cicada-a-Raida Encore: the Cicadas are Back,” a Zoom Program

Periodical cicadas are rare. Of the roughly 3,400 cicada species on earth, only seven of these live underground as nymphs for 13 or 17 years and all are found in eastern North America. These true bugs are bland as nymphs burrowed underground but emerge as loud colorful adults with red eyes and golden wings. While the cicada’s emergence only happens periodically, it seems to be happening regularly in Tennessee. The fact is that there are 15 different populations called broods. In 2021, it was Brood X that thrilled us. Last year it was Brood XIX and this year it's Brood XI and each year it's in different locations.

Join the UT Arboretum Society via Zoom on Thursday, May 1, 7pm EDT as Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and naturalist/author Stephen Lyn Bales present an overview of these bodacious bugs. The First Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is hosted by the UT Arboretum Society each month. The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link and recording. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org under Programs.

Closed captions are available. Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.
To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.

Immersing your readers in the past - Join KWG member Doug Sofer for an interactive talk about how thinking like a historian can bring authenticity and depth to your work.

7 PM at Addison's Book Store, 126 S. Gay

For more information about the event or the Knoxville Writers Guild, please visit http://knoxvillewritersguild.org or contact info@knoxvillewritersguild.org.

Join us on International Worker’s Day for a FREE screening of this celebrated documentary about one of the most high-profile American unionization efforts of the 21st century, presented by the Knoxville Oak Ridge Central Labor Council.

Through intimate cinema vérité, UNION chronicles the extraordinary efforts of an unlikely group of warehouse workers as they launch a grassroots union campaign at an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York. Led by the charismatic but underestimated Chris Smalls, the diverse band of workers start the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) and embark on a journey against one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world. The odds are stacked against them, as the group finds itself up against a tech industry giant with unlimited resources, without major support from national unions or politicians, and while navigating internal divisions within their own ranks. Filmmakers Brett Story and Stephen Maing document the struggle from day one, offering a gripping human drama about the fight for power and dignity in today’s globalized economic landscape.

“In part because of the empire-sized dauntingness of the ALU’s opposition, “Union” perseveres as a vital and urgent portrait of labor organizing and its enduring possibility at a time when the fight for workers’ rights has never seemed more one-sided.” – IndieWire

English • 2024 • 100 minutes • NR
https://centralcinema865.com/production/free-union/

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

Knoxville Cheese Week!
There’s something every night of the week from April 28 to May 4th!

One day is not enough Cheese! We're making this a week-long event in 2025! Join us for our fourth year for a bigger and multi-day chees-tastic event. We're excited to welcome back our popular sell-out, the Cheese and Cider pairing and dinner, as well as our Knoxville Cheese Fest (sampling event.)

Also new this year! We are celebrating all things Wisconsin! There are so many amazing cheesemakers from America's Dairyland. There are 100 Wisconsin cheesemakers, making it the Cheese State and collectively they have earned more than 5,500 awards across the globe, recognizing the quality of their cheese!

This week-long event offers opportunities to sample the variety of Wisconsin cheeses and pair them with other foods, ciders, beers, and wines.

Tickets at:
https://www.simpletix.com/e/knoxville-cheese-week-tickets-202130#smtx-click

More information and schedules of events at: https://www.knoxvillecheesefest.com/