Culture
Make Room: ‘Her’ Opens at Lilienthal Gallery, Showcasing Women Who Take Up Space
Ilana Lilienthal, of Lilienthal Gallery, is easy to spot in a crowd. Across the foyer of the Knoxville Museum of Art, I see her, looking tonight like art itself: asymmetrical, architectural, cinematic. It’s the annual Keep...
Dogwood Arts Unveils New Signature Event: Knoxwalls Murals & Music Festival
Dogwood Arts is adding a new entry to its growing list of community art traditions. The first Knoxwalls Murals & Music Festival will take place Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in...
Your Field Guide to FILM FEST KNOX 2025
FILM FEST KNOX returns Nov. 6-9, transforming the Regal Riviera into a showcase of independent film. Now in its third year running, the festival features three full days of film programming as well as regional and...
Mighty Musical Monday & a Tribute to Dr. Bill Snyder
If you are downtown today around noon, stop by the Tennessee Theatre for the latest Mighty Musical Monday. Founder Dr. Bill Snyder passed away on September 23; Urban Guy interviewed Dr. Snyder in 2018 on the...
Business
Kennedy Concepts Announces Gay Street Projects (Former Babalu & Frothy Monkey); Mimosas Grand Opening
Kennedy Concepts is poised to take a prominent spot in Downtown Knoxville’s dining scene. Already owning/operating The Kennedy that opened in 2024 and Café 4 on Market Square, Kennedy Concepts is announcing two future Gay Street...
Flock Brings Beer, Wine & Warmth to Sutherland Avenue
Flock Beer & Wine opens TODAY in the former Albright Grove space at 2924 Sutherland Ave., and they are ready to be the new neighborhood hangout. You can feel the warmth and welcome the moment you...
Dulcie’s Cafe Brings Kingston, Jamaica to Knoxville, One Plate at a Time
If you’ve passed the 100 block of Gay Street lately and caught the scent of jerk chicken or curry drifting from a small counter spot, meet Dulcie’s Cafe. The family-run Jamaican kitchen has a story that...
Urban Outposts: West Knoxville’s Coffee Boom, Part 2
Back in August, I introduced my first contribution to the new series Urban Outposts, spotlighting three of West Knoxville’s newest coffee destinations: Camp Honey Coffee and Provisions, U Brew Coffee Lounge, and Petty Coffee. Each brought...
Development
Major News for Knoxville: Women’s Suffrage Museum Coming to 706 Gay Street
A list of what to do in downtown Knoxville will get an intriguing new addition as the Suffrage Coalition announced that it has raised $2,000,000 to purchase 706 Gay Street, closing on the property at full...
AJ, Vintage Cal, and . . . Valet Parking?
We’ve all been waiting for news on a range of downtown projects and no two have been more anticipated (ok, maybe the tower on the river) than the AJ and Vintage Cal (formerly known as Marble...
Downtown-ish Development Updates, Part 1: RiverHill on the Rise
I had coffee with Alan yesterday morning, in the cool shade of his balcony overlooking Krutch Park. I’m grateful to have IOK’s founder as both a sounding board and an encyclopedic resource for all things downtown...
Phase 3 Opens as First Creek at Austin Redefines Affordable Housing in Knoxville
It’s June, and it’s the kind of hot that makes you wonder if the ice cream truck coming towards you is real or some kind of desert mirage. A young girl bursts out of her front...
Events
10-Day Downtown-ish Planner, Nov. 2 – 11
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 need to friend her), and it...
10-Day Downtown-ish Planner, Oct. 26 – Nov. 4
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 need to friend her), and it...
10-Day Downtown-ish Planner, Oct. 19-28
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 need to friend her), and it...
ETCDC Celebration of Design: A Toast to 55 Years of Volunteer Impact
For 55 years, the East Tennessee Community Design Center (ETCDC) has run on a simple engine: generous people giving their time and talent so great ideas can find their footing. On Wednesday, the annual Celebration of...
Life
Is This Love That We’re Feeling? One Knox SC Playoff Soccer Comes to Town
Knoxville loves winners, and we might just be getting swept off our feet again. (Or perhaps it’s just a hard, clean slide-tackle.) We’ve been flirting with soccer for years, and have even been fortunate to enjoy...
The Ghosts Next Door, Part III: Knoxville Is Alive
Early in October, contributor Ripley Scott sent out a call for real-life stories of paranormal experiences — and our readers delivered. Read “Part I: SoKno Edition” and “Part II: Outside of Knoxville.” Part III takes us...
The Ghosts Next Door, Part II: Outside of Knoxville, Looking In
Early in October, contributor Ripley Scott sent out a call for real-life stories of paranormal experiences — and our readers delivered. Read “Part I: SoKno Edition” and stay tuned for Part III this Friday, just in...
The End of the Line: An Excerpt from ’25 Tales: Even More Appalachian Ghost Stories & Mysteries’
In the spirit of Halloween, today we’re sharing an excerpt from “25 Tales: Even More Appalachian Ghost Stories & Mysteries,” edited by Terry Shaw and published by Howling Hills Publishing. “The End of the Line” takes...