Calendar of Events

May 17: Children’s Festival of Reading, World’s Fair Park, 10:00-3:00

The Children's Festival of Reading is held on the third Saturday in May to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer. The event launches summer programming at the Library and features children's book authors and illustrators, storybook characters, science demonstrations, storytellers, musicians, arts & crafts, a parade of books, and more than 50 community organizations. Last year, more than 11,000 guests attended. In its 19th year, the Festival has become a mainstay event for a generation of families. This year, it is set for May 17 in World's Fair Park with award-winning authors and illustrators including:

Kate Messner, New York Times bestselling author of The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, Capture the Flag and Over and Under the Snow

Vivian Vende Velde, award winning author of fantasy, science fiction, and spooky tales including Heir Apparent, Never Trust a Dead Man and Cloaked in Red

Kevin Lewis, the mastermind behind Chugga Chugga Choo-Choo and My Truck is Stuck

https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/

The Knoxville Museum of Art is proud to announce Electricity for All, a thought-provoking exhibition exploring the complex relationships between technology, information, and power. Framed by the historical context of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)—a transformative New Deal program launched in the 1930s to bring electricity to the region —Electricity for All delves into the profound social and cultural shifts that took place across the Tennessee River Valley. While the TVA promised progress and prosperity, it also produced disruption and displacement that continues to linger. This exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the dualities of technological advancement, and the costs that inhabit our need and desire to progress.

Taking its name from one of TVA’s original promotional slogans, Electricity for All features work by contemporary artists who grapple with the legacy and ramifications of innovation. Some imagine utopian futures powered by technology’s democratizing potential; others sound a cautionary note, revealing the pitfalls of surveillance and decentralized authority. Still others manipulate digital materials and metaphors to explore the poetics of power in an interconnected world.

Artists: Jim Campbell, Petra Cortright, Daniel Canogar, Nathan Hylden, Beryl Korot, Frederick Hammersley, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Amor Muñoz, Iván Navarro, Marilène Oliver, Mimi Ọnụọha, Trevor Paglen, Nam June Paik, Elias Sime, Jered Sprecher & Sam van Strien.

For additional information and updates, follow the Knoxville Museum of Art on social media: Facebook: Knoxville Museum of Art, Instagram: @knoxvillemuseumofart, X: @knoxart

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org. Admission and parking are free.

5/9 • A Wildflower Affair
5/16 • Evening Paddle
5/16 • Nature Nerd Hike
5/17 • Spring Fungi ID: Beginner Workshop
5/17 • Ijams Field Day: Botany for Beginners
5/17 • Evening Paddle
5/18 • ETNBA Monthly Jam

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6; grounds and trails open daily from 8 AM - dusk. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

The Market Square Farmers Market is an open-air, producer-only farmers market managed by Nourish Knoxville and held every Wednesday and Saturday, May through mid-November in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the Market Square Farmers Market is grown, raised, and/or made by our vendors within a 150-mile radius of Knoxville, TN. Products vary by season and include fresh fruits & vegetables, eggs, honey, pasture-raised meats, edible & ornamental plants, cut flowers, bread & baked goods, jams & jellies, coffee, artisan crafts, and more! We offer SNAP & SNAP Doubling services each market day, Nourish Moves – a free walking incentive program – every Wednesday, and Nourish Kids – a free kids activity – on the 2nd Saturday of each month.

Every Wednesday, May 7 – November 19, 2025, 10 AM – 1 PM
Every Saturday, May 3 – November 22, 2025, 9 AM – 1 PM
*** NO MARKET on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

https://www.nourishknoxville.org/market-square-farmers-market

The 2025 Epiphone Student Guitar Design Exhibition & Auction includes 20 guitars designed and painted by youth artists from across East Tennessee.

Dogwood Arts Gallery, 123 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902

The 2025 Epiphone Student Guitar Design Exhibition & Auction includes 20 guitars designed and painted by youth artists from across East Tennessee. The exhibition will be on display in the Dogwood Gallery during the month of May and at Southern Skies Music Festival on May 10th. The guitars will be auctioned online to benefit youth art programs at Dogwood Arts.

Participating schools: Bearden High School, Concord Christian School, Farragut High School, Gibbs High School, Home School, Jefferson Middle School, Karns High School, L&N STEM Academy, Maryville High School, and West Valley Middle School.

First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, May 2nd from 5-8PM
Gallery Hours: M-F 10AM-5PM
123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
https://www.dogwoodarts.com/event-details/epiphone-student-guitar-design-exhibition

“Once upon a time, a king had twelve beautiful daughters who danced in secret every night…” The king is mystified by their secret, and issues a challenge to the men of his kingdom – find out what his daughters are up to! Of course, one good-hearted young man succeeds – but at what cost?

Showtimes on Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

https://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/tc-events/12-dancing-princesses/
Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announces a new exhibition, “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art,” opening to the public on January 25, 2025. The project sets a new standard for collaborative exhibition practices at the McClung and represents the museum's most significant renovation in more than 20 years.

"‘Homelands’ is a defining moment for the McClung Museum. It’s the largest project we’ve undertaken in over two decades, but its impact goes far beyond its scale,” said Claudio Gómez, Jefferson Chapman Executive Director of the museum. “This exhibition has challenged us to rethink how we collaborate, bringing in new perspectives and allowing us to honor Native voices in ways that are both respectful and forward-thinking.”

“Homelands” showcases contemporary art by 17 Native artists to emphasize the enduring ties between Native Nations and Knox County. As a result of the exhibition, the museum has acquired 22 new works for its permanent collection.

https://news.utk.edu/2025/01/07/mcclung-museum-to-open-exhibition-centering-native-voices-and-contemporary-art/

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/

The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio show held at noon at Visit Knoxville (301 S. Gay Street) every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with your host Red Hickey… and on Saturday with host Sean McCollough. On Fridays WDVX takes the Blue Plate Special to Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria (200 E Jackson Ave) for “The Big Plate”. Make yourself at home as part of the WDVX family at this this daily free concert series. From blues to bluegrass, country to Celtic, folk to funk, rockabilly to hillbilly, local to international, it’s all part of the live music experience on The WDVX Blue Plate Special.

All seats are free, and visitors may come and go as they please.

Info: 865-544-1029, http://www.wdvx.com