Calendar of Events

Shop the Old City Market! On West Jackson Avenue. The Old City Market transforms the historic Old City into a curated, outdoor market showcasing artists, crafters, and creative makers.

First Friday Markets: Apr 4 · May 2 · Aug 1 · Sep 5 · Oct 3 · Nov 7 · Dec 5, 5PM to 9PM

Sunday Markets: Apr 13 · May 18 · Rhinestone Fest June 7 · June 15 · July 20 · Aug 17 · Sep 21 · Oct 19 · Nov 16 · Small Business Saturday Nov 29, 11AM to 4PM

https://oldcityknoxville.org/market/

On the Oak Ridge Reservation, located in east Tennessee, over 1100 vascular plants, 72 fish, 34 mammals and over 200 bird species have been observed. The public is invited to nature walks designed to highlight not only the rich flora and fauna diversity of the reservation, but also to demonstrate the work being done to sustainably manage and conserve this resource. Walks will take place on several locations across the Oak Ridge Reservation beginning in late winter through late summer. Reservations must be made in advance by noon the Thursday prior to each walk by contacting Nick Oldham 865-341-3670 (oldhamnv@ornl.gov). More information about these walks is available by contacting Trent Jett at 865-574-9188 (jettrt@ornl.gov).

Wildlife Sampling Techniques and Identification- Freels Cabin
Date: Saturday, June 7
Location: Meet at the parking lot behind (i.e., south of) the ORISE building at the corner of Bethel Valley and Pumphouse Roads.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Leaders: Sarah Darling and Nick Oldham (ORNL)
Limit: 25 (children are allowed)
Recommendations: We will discuss and learn about the wildlife that live on the Oak Ridge Reservation by learning skull and skin identification. Discussion will also include management techniques and monitoring methods such as passive trapping and camera and acoustic sets. We will have a collection of life-like skulls, scat, and track for participants to see up close. We will also have real furs and skins for everyone to see and touch. The walk will be held at the historic Freels cabin. Walking will be through fields and over level dirt/gravel roads (very limited distances). Dress in layers, wear sturdy shoes, and bring sunscreen, bug spray and water. No pets please.

By Greg Allen, Directed by Shelby Frye

Having opened in 1988 and still playing today as the longest-running show in Chicago history, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind is an ensemble experiment in presenting “30 Plays in 60 Minutes.” Each two-minute play is performed in random order with an interactive audience. An onstage 60-minute timer keeps everyone honest. This collection of 90 comic, tragic, political, personal, and abstract plays gives you the chance to program your own evening of 30 Neo-Futurist plays to reflect the lives and experiences of your own ensemble. Go!

Performances are Thu-Sat 7:30 PM and Sun 3 PM

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 800 S. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival has announced the dates of this year’s events, featuring three nationally acclaimed storytellers for performances on June 6 and 7. The annual festival returns live to the Historic Grove Theater, 123 Randolph Road, Oak Ridge.

The storytellers are:
• Anne Shimojima, whose folk tales from around the world and historical stories enlighten, educate, and inspire audiences, appearing for the first time in Oak Ridge.
• The Rev. Robert B. Jones Sr., an inspirational storyteller who celebrates history, humor, and the power of American Roots music, returning to the festival by popular request.
• Bil Lepp, a Flatwater Festival crowd favorite and an award-winning storyteller, author, recording artist, and History Channel host, who spins humorous, family-friendly tall tales and stories.

Each show is unique, as these storytellers will perform different stories at each of the events, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, and continuing with three more shows at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7. Most performances will be at the Historic Grove Theater, and free events will be at the Oak Ridge Senior Center and the American Museum of Science and Energy.

The festival was inspired by the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tenn., where all three of this year’s storytellers have appeared. Tickets may be purchased online at https://events.humanitix.com/2025-flatwater-tales-storytelling-festival/tickets or at the Flatwater Tales web site, https://flatwatertales.com, or in person with cash or check at Calamity’s Coffee, 219 Jackson Square, Oak Ridge. Individual tickets for each of the four shows in which all three storytellers will perform are $15 for each show, or $45 for a ticket for all four shows for the cost of three.

Several free programs will be offered.

Bil Lepp will present a “Taste of the Tales” 10 a.m. June 6 at the Oak Ridge Senior Center, 1405 Oak Ridge Turnpike, for ages 18 and up, as a gift to residents from the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival and the City of Oak Ridge.

Anne Shimojima will share the history of her Japanese American family’s three generations of life in America since 1909, including the incarceration camp drama faced in the 1940s, with her story, “Looking Like the Enemy: An American WWII Story.” This free event at 3 pm. June 6 will be at the American Museum of Science and Energy, 115 E. Main St., Oak Ridge, presented by Flatwater Tales, AMSE, and the Oak Ridge Historic Preservation Association.

Oak Ridge Historian Ray Smith will once again offer his free Historic Tour of Oak Ridge for both visitors here for the festival and residents from 12:30-2:45 p.m. on June 6. Participants are asked to register for the free performances at the ticket site, as space is limited.

FRIDAY JUNE 6, 5-9PM
Central Street will be closed from Jackson Avenue to Willow for the ballgame. We're kicking off Rhinestone Fest with a square dance, a pop-up fashion show, and more within this footprint!

SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1 - 8PM
We will have a Dolly themed market with 40 - 50 vendors on Jackson Avenue in the parking lot across from the Daniel. Central will be closed for music, costume contests, clogging, a "Dolly" performance and more!

Details TBA
CONTACT US: oldcitymarketknox@gmail.com
WWW.OLDCITYKNOXVILLE.ORG

Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, the tragic tale of infidelity and homicidal revenge

Two performances on Thursday, June 5, 2025 and Saturday, June 7, 2025 at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Tickets are available now at MarbleCityOpera.com

Marble City Opera’s Executive Artistic Director Kathryn Frady said, “The bandshell pavilion at A.K. Bissell Park evokes the image of a circus tent used by the commedia dell'arte troupe when they arrive in town. Members of the chorus will be on stage as well as intermingled with the audience to create an immersive atmosphere for this timeless opera.”

Tenor Edward Brennan will sing the role of Canio, the head of the troupe who portrays the clown Pagliaccio. Soprano Kathryn Frady plays Canio’s unfaithful wife Nedda, who portrays Colombina in their show. Baritone Daniel Spiotta plays Silvio, a villager who is Nedda’s secret lover. Baritone Brad Morrison plays Tonio, who addresses the audience during the prologue and portrays Taddeo in the troupe. Tenor Cody Boling plays Beppe, who portrays Colombina’s lover Arlecchino. The orchestra will be conducted by Andy Anderson. Kathryn Frady is the stage director. Lauren Lenz is the assistant director.

Eligible for Penny4Arts tickets (up to three 3 youth may attend per paying adult)
Marble City Opera: 865-226-9756, www.marblecityopera.com

The Nief-Norf Summer Festival is a multidisciplinary new music festival that brings together performers, composers, improvisers, scholars, and music technologists for collaboration and exploration of contemporary music within an immersive environment. Hosted in Knoxville, Tennessee, the festival provides opportunities for masterclasses, workshops, and performances with world-renowned faculty at the state-of-the-art Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. Nief-Norf fosters an incredible community of contemporary musicians who create, collaborate, experiment, and problem solve in exploration of what it means to be contemporary musicians and perform for a modern audience.

https://www.niefnorf.org/summerfestival

Electricity for All examines the complex relationship between technology, information, and power through the historical framework of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a key New Deal initiative from the 1930s that introduced electricity to the Tennessee River Valley. The featured artists provide diverse perspectives on the social implications of technological advances, questioning the histories that were lost and the new narratives that emerged. Organized by the KMA.

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.

Observations and Imaginings - Watercolors and Drawings by Susan B Miller and Michael Pardee
The Schilling Gallery, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 South Northshore Drive
865-584-3957 or www.wpcknox.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 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.