Culture
New Poet Laureate + Knoxville Poetry Liberation Front Arrives in Old City
Yesterday as the sun set on Market Square, Knoxville announced its newest Poet Laureate. Linda Parsons is the fifth citizen poet to hold the honorary title, joining the ranks of R.B. Morris (‘16–18), Marilyn Kallet (‘18–20),...
SoKno Sculpt Puts Public Art in the People’s Hands
On a recent humid evening, against a backdrop of towering kudzu monsters, a crowd gathered on Sam Houston Street. The occasion: the unveiling of The Revelator, the first commissioned sculpture through SoKno Sculpt, a new community...
Museum in Motion: Circle Modern Dance’s ‘Shadows & Light’ at KMA
On Saturday night at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Shadows & Light unfolded in real-time as a collaboration between KMA, Circle Modern Dance and composer William Wright. The one-night-only, site-specific performance began with a piece in-the-round...
Downtown Welcomes Its ‘Newtest’ Residents
Downtown has some new residents. Meet Neyland, Nigel, Nya and nine of their sneaky little friends: “Newts in Knoxville.” It’s both a permanent public art installation and a scavenger hunt. Funded by Downtown Knoxville Alliance and...
Business
Big Slate Expands Possibilities of Media Production in Knoxville
As Big Slate Media celebrates 10 years, the company is expanding its capabilities to help brands and groups better tell their story. Co-owner Jonathan Halley recently gave me a tour of their facility off Broadway, next...
The Revival Vintage and Art Shop Opens at 825 Locust Street
Just last week I mentioned that downtown used to have several things it has lost. I specifically stated that where guitars were once for sale in downtown Knoxville, they are no longer available. In an illustration...
XÜL Beer Company Announces Big Change to Kill The Lights Beer Festival for 2025
XÜL Beer Company opened in October 2020. But no pandemic would keep partners Brad, Tara and Bentley from achieving their dream of providing quality beer, sours and a great atmosphere for the community. The brewery...
Sweet P’s Downtown Dive to Close
According to a press release this afternoon, Sweet P’s Downtown Dive will close June 15, while Sweet P’s Uptown Corner will continue operations at the Tazwell Pike location. Catering operations will also continue. The restaurant opened...
Development
Hey Knoxville, Can We Think Big?
When was the last time you heard someone say, “Wow! Have you seen what they are doing in Knoxville?” I’ve heard people say something similar about Big Ears, but they are usually expressing their incredulity that...
Downtown Knoxville: What Is Missing? What Has Been Lost?
I can tell you fancy, I can tell you plain You give something up for everything you gain Since every pleasure’s got an edge of pain Pay for your ticket and don’t complain -Bob Dylan and...
Downtown Knoxville Development Update, May 2025, Part Two
Yesterday I mentioned the influx of new housing on the downtown market, with multiple new buildings and several older ones converting from apartments to condos. One of the larger conversion projects is the Medical Arts Building...
Downtown Knoxville Development Update, May 2025, Part One
Development continues to move rapidly, with more deals and construction starts and stops to come. I recently dropped the sculpture (now completed) from the list and today I’ll add one and finish off three others. We’ll...
Events
Sun Shines on Martin Luther King Jr. Parade & Juneteenth Celebration
Forty-five minutes before the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade & Juneteenth Celebration was set to step off, rain was coming down in sheets. But parade participants kept the faith and by 10 a.m. the sun...
Bijou, BBQ & the Soul Sounds of Ms. Mavis Staples (Plus a Dose of Future Bijou Plans!)
On Saturday, June 28, the Bijou Theatre offers its annual Jubilee celebration and fundraiser presented by the Lawson Family Foundation. Each year the event celebrates the history of our beautiful little jewel box concert hall, delivers...
Blount Mansion Celebrates 100 Years of Not Becoming a Parking Lot
In 1925, Knoxville almost pancaked a monumental piece of history for … a parking lot. Blount Mansion, built in 1792 by Governor William Blount, was the center of early Tennessee statehood. It was the first non-log...
Downtown Knoxville 10-Day Planner (6/15-24/25)
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...
Life
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...
A Word from the New Editor + Reader Survey
If you don’t know me yet, hi, I’m Leslie. And stepping into this role feels like coming home. Here’s the quick-as-I-can-make-it version: I grew up in Fountain City, went to UT, and the day I wandered...
The Times They Are A-Changin’: A Tribute to Urban Guy
Compiled by Leslie Bateman, K.W. Leonard and Heather Ryerson On Sunday afternoon, at a proper-fancy downtown party to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Inside of Knoxville, Alan Sims—aka Urban Guy—stood up and shared some big...