Culture
Down the Rabbit Hole (& Onto the Stage) With Knoxville Children’s Theatre
Things are getting “curiouser and curiouser” at Knoxville Children’s Theatre. With Alice in Wonderland Jr., KCT puts its own stamp on the Disney musical by handing the reins, er, flamingo mallets to a young cast that...
The Play’s the Thing: Tennessee Stage Company Opens 35th Season of Shakespeare
Shakespeare poses timeless questions—about love in Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing, jealousy and suspicion in Othello, and war and leadership in Henry V. His explorations still resonate today, and our ability to reframe...
Deconstructing Landscapes Debuts at Lilienthal Gallery
Traditional art often focuses on landscapes and, as much as any place on earth, East Tennessee offers some of the most beautiful landscapes available for artists to capture, as they have done for generations. But has...
Could a New Arts Center Be Our Next Major Civic Project?
Note from the editor: I recently spoke with Jason Hardy, general director and CEO of Knoxville Opera, about what it takes to keep the arts thriving in a growing, evolving city like Knoxville. One theme that...
Business
Meet the Kingpins of Knoxville’s Ice Cream Truck Empire
Helloohhh!! Every time I hear an ice cream truck’s off-key siren song approaching, my mind begins to race—not just about which frozen treat I want, but with questions: Is there just one truck or a hundred?...
Downtown Knoxville Veterinary Opens at 27 Emory Place
Downtown Knoxville in 2025 has lots of things: Lots of bars, restaurants, hotels, condos and more. But amid all of that, a simple walk around the downtown or neighboring areas is sure to reveal the obvious:...
Third Annual Crown Pitch Competition Backs Black Entrepreneurs
Economic development conversations tend to focus on landing big companies or chasing the next unicorn startup, and they tend to overlook the businesses that actually fill our neighborhoods. The places where we meet for tea, seek...
Award-Winning Knoxville Fine Violins Grows, Approaches Fifth Anniversary
It’s one of many misses on my part, as I confessed to Wesley Rule, co-owner (along with his wife Lauren) of Knoxville Fine Violins at 207 Clinch Avenue. When he opened in the heart of the...
Development
How the Politics of Growth Transcend the Left–Right Divide
A note from the editor: At IOK we tend to leave politics to other outlets (you do subscribe to Compass, right?). But we cover development—which often plays out in political arenas, even if the debates don’t always...
Cut Off Again: Federal Grant to Reconnect East Knoxville Slashed While Pedestrian Bridge Moves Ahead
It’s a tale of two bridges, and two very different visions of connection in Knoxville. One was a plan to stitch East Knoxville back into the fabric of the city, reversing decades of harm from urban...
Downtown Hotel Updates: The Facts (Not the Myths, Rumors & Gossip)
There’s lots of hotel talk around downtown. Some of it is true. Some? Meh. One company, Vector Hospitality, Inc, previously announced the construction of three hotels: an AC by Marriott on Walnut, a Tempo by Hilton...
UT Moves Forward with Maplehurst Deal, Promises Community Input
Yesterday, the UT Board of Trustees voted to move forward with “buying an option to buy” Maplehurst, an eclectic 5.6-acre neighborhood on the eastern fringe of campus. The university is not buying the property, which includes...
Events
Downtown Knoxville 10-Day Planner (7/13-22)
Welcome to the 10-Day Planner! If you want your event included, please create a Facebook event, invite editor Leslie Wylie Bateman via the “invite” button on the event page (you’ll have to friend her), and it...
Downtown Knoxville 10-Day Planner (7/6-15)
Welcome to the 10-Day Planner! If you want your event included, please create a Facebook event, invite editor Leslie Wylie Bateman via the “invite” button on the event page (you’ll have to friend her), and it...
Downtown Knoxville 10-Day Planner (6/29 – 7/8/2025)
If you want your event included, please create a Facebook event, invite Leslie Wylie Bateman via the “invite” button on the event page (you’ll have to friend her), and it will be included. We need enough...
‘Knoxville Is Gayer Than You Think’: A SoKno Pride Recap
SoKno Pride lit up Sevier Avenue on Saturday like a glitter bomb in a dive bar. What began as a small grassroots gathering five years ago is now the city’s biggest Pride Month celebration, since Knox...
Life
You Don’t Have to Break the Law Anymore to Swim at Augusta Quarry
Good news, you little felons: Augusta Quarry is back open for business. No more pretending you “didn’t see the sign.” As of yesterday, you can cannonball into that ice-cold, emerald-green bliss totally legally—with plush amenities like...
Ghost Walking With the Fallen Fireman’s Memorial Monument
Most towns and cities have statues and memorials of all kinds, but for me it’s the unique ones that not only inform the feel of a place, but also convey some local history. The most Knoxville-centric...
What’s Up There? ETHS Downtown Home Tour Offers a Glimpse Inside
East Tennessee Historical Society’s annual Downtown Home Tour offers a unique opportunity to see what urban living has to offer. This year’s event was held on Saturday, June 14. Amelia Bartlett takes us on a voyeuristic...
Ghost Walking Around the Lamar House
Down on the 800 block of Gay Street it’s generally a lot quieter than a couple of blocks farther north. With the quiet end of a federal building on one side, and a towering office tower...