Knoxville has a rich and diverse arts and culture calendar that ranges from annual traditions we know and love and to unique one-off events and exhibitions that fly beneath the radar. “The Eight Great” is our curated list of calendar highlights presented monthly with Hellmouth Magazine, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to publishing quality cultural commentary. Vol. 2 is out now! Check it out: Website | Instagram
Well, well, well, looks like everybody’s comin’ out in June! (Happy Pride Month, babes.) The air is hot and you are too. Let’s get into the month’s can’t miss sizzlers.
FRIDAY, JUNE 5th
Coat of Many Colors @ Dogwood Arts Gallery • 5–8:00 pm • FREE
Curated by YNST (You’re Not Seeing Things) Magazine, fellow amplifiers of arts & culture in Appalachia
Coat of Many Colors invites artists of any physical medium from across Appalachia to explore how members of the LGBTQ+ community express, own, wear and live out their personal & collective identity as queer people. The exhibition opens just in time for the Old City’s 6th annual Rhinestone Festival, celebrating legendary musician and longtime LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton.
SATURDAY, JUNE 6th
Marble City Opera in the Park @ Lakeshore Park Marble Hall • 7:00 pm • FREE
Enjoy the summer air and world-class singers at this free event, provided to you by the grassroots-funded Marble City Opera. Their mission is to engage a diverse audience through intimate and accessible opera productions by producing American Chamber Opera and innovative performances in non-traditional venues that are relevant and vital to our community.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12th
The Gathering Space @ Cherry East • 4- 8 pm • FREE
An art installation that moves beyond a simple exhibition. Textile and ceramics artist LaKesha Lee crafts a material language through her works, telling stories with every stitch, and weaving together histories and memories in the threads. The audience is invited to share tea with the artist, surrounded by an array of mixed media works.
FRIDAY + SATURDAY, JUNE 12-13th
Summer Book Fest @ Various Old North Knox locations • Various ticket prices
Do you like books? Do you like to party? Knox Social Club presents pre-games and post-games to BookTok IRL, a ticketed day full of panels, meet & greets, live entertainment, and photo ops with special guests, book boyfriends, voice actors, drag performers, burlesque, BookTok creators, influencers and more.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17th
The Queen Film Screening @ Central Cinema • 6:30 pm • FREE
Presented in collaboration with SoKno Pride is this vital snapshot from queer cultural history. This ground-breaking 1968 documentary takes us backstage of the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant to kiki with the contestants as they rehearse, throw shade, and to transform into their drag personas. Featuring activist Flawless Sabrina, Terry Southern, Larry Rivers, and even Andy Warhol, this film introduced audiences to the world of competitive drag.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19th
MLK March/Parade and Juneteenth Celebration @ Chilhowee Park to Dr. Walter Hardy Park • Parade 10 am, festivities 11 am-3 pm
This annual parade, organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission of Knoxville, celebrates freedom, heritage and community, followed by a celebration in the park with food, music and activities. Also commemorating Juneteenth: “… And Then I Became Free: Stories of Emancipation at Mabry-Hazen House,” a series of special tours at Mabry-Hazen House (1711 Dandridge Ave.) Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th.
FRIDAY + SATURDAY, JUNE 19-20th
Smoky Mountain Quilters Show @ Knoxville Expo Center • Friday 9-5 pm, Saturday 9-4 pm • $10
Expect to hear some good stories and learn about the heritage (and vibrant contemporary community) of quilting. Along with the dizzying display of delicate craft, the Quilt Alliance will be recording stories for their “Go Tell It! Project.” The project gathers oral histories from artisans to preserve their stories for study and research by current and future generations. Anyone can do a Go Tell It! interview: quiltmakers, quilt appreciators, recipients of quilts, quilt collectors, curators or historians.” If you’ve got some dull shears, you can even bring them to be sharpened by an expert.
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