Culture
East Tennessee Historical Society Presents History Hootenanny August 20
Each year for many years, the East Tennessee Historical Society, in conjunction with the Knox County Public Library has presented a history fair in Krutch Park. Disrupted by the pandemic, the groups have re-imagined the event...
Knox Heritage Gains New Leadership and Focus
Founded in 1974 as Knoxville Heritage, Knox Heritage did not have a paid director until 2003. With the recent decision of Todd Morgan to move to another challenge, the board of the organization turned to Christine...
Big Ears Team Expands
If you didn’t know, you’d likely be surprised that the organization that brings the Big Ears Festival to Knoxville each March has operated with only three full-time employees. Executive Director Ashley Capps is supported by Director...
Eric Sublett’s Life and Art Explored at UT Downtown Gallery
How do you sum up a life that was both integral to a creative community while largely unknown outside those at the center of that moment in history? An attempt to present glimpses of the person...
Business
New Campground, The Drop Inn, Opens Soon Beside Urban Wilderness
A new campground is opening soon in an amazing spot bordering Ijams, Marie Myers Park, and Baker Creek Preserve. Just off the road at 4507 Sevierville Pike, the site includes sixteen wooded acres with wetlands. Trails...
Brynn Gonzalez Adds Spa to Lox Salon
There are two spaces beneath Lox Salon at 103 West Jackson Avenue, one of which is occupied by ACF Jewelry, which opened in January 2021. The other space remained vacant past the point that other spaces...
Artist Paris Woodhull to Open Studio and Retail Space on the 100 Block of Gay Street
Local artist, long-time downtown figure, and friend to many, Paris Woodhull is taking a big step in her career. She will open a space at 121 South Gay Street. The space, which most recently included Painting...
Valley Fresh Kitchen Opening In Marble City Hall
(Ed. Note: Today’s article is written by contributing author Heather Ryerson.) The Moody’s are at it again. Paul and Ashley Moody emerged onto the Knoxville food truck scene with the ever popular Lanai Hawaiian Food Truck...
Development
Development Details Emerge for Downtown Sites
516 and 520 Vine Avenue After a period of semi-quiet, several items of interest for downtown development have emerged. Some of the details involved announced developments while others portend possible future development. Taken together, the three...
An Updated Look at Downtown Knoxville Density
From time to time since 2014, I’ve used a graphic on this website that shows how dense downtown buildings were packed in around the mid-1930s and how much density we lost between then and 2014. Over...
Can We Sustain More Downtown Hotels?
I get questions all the time. For years a consistent thread of those questions has been about issues surrounding the homeless population. There are popular questions about parking and a downtown grocery store. When we experienced...
Century Building Appears to be Headed for Complete Redevelopment
I’m sorry about the qualifier in the caption, but I’m a bit cautious when it comes to the Century Building. It’s a beautiful building that, by all rights of downtown development, should have been a slam-dunk...
Events
Irish Fest Celebrates on a Lovely Night
Thirteen years living downtown and I’d never been to Irish Fest until this weekend. Was it the August heat that kept me away? The trek up the hill or that it falls in travel season? I’m...
Downtown Knoxville Ten Day Planner (8/14 – 8/23/2022)
If you want your event included, please make a Facebook event, invite me (Alan Sims – you’ll have to friend me) and it will be included. I need enough lead time that the list can be...
Downtown Knoxville Ten Day Planner (8/7-8/16/2022)
If you want your event included, please make a Facebook event, invite me (Alan Sims – you’ll have to friend me) and it will be included. I need enough lead time that the list can be...
33rd Annual Kuumba Festival Delivers Joy
That’s really the best word for it: Joy. Joy in the dancing, the drumming, and the smiling faces of so many children who had worked so hard to prepare for their performances. The festival, which skipped...
Life
Metro Drug Coalition: Growing to Meet Current Needs
In the articles I’ve written over the last year regarding homelessness in the city, one of the themes has been the issue of drug addiction and the perception that it has increased and is more open....
We Must Have a Better School Board
I’ve never endorsed political candidates on this webpage. I’ve interviewed them a number of times, and covered events and forums, always attempting simply to present the facts and urge every eligible voter to get out and...
COVID-19: 7/18/2022 Update
It was just over four months ago that I gave the most recent COVID-19 update. While I’m not picking up regular COVID updates again, it seemed a good moment to bring up the topic once more....
An Opportunity to Help a Downtown Friend
Many of you know Art Carmichael. As much as anyone, he is a part of the fabric of downtown. A downtown resident for years, I first met Art, I believe, at the Just Ripe Half Birthday...