FRIDAY JUNE 15
For the remainder of June, cat and kitten adoption fees at Young-Williams Animal Center, are drastically reduced. All adult cats, ages five months to six years, are available for a $10 adoption fee, and kittens, ages three to four months, may be adopted for a $50 fee. All senior cats, ages seven years and up, are free during the month of June.
The Secret City Festival celebrates 10 years of family fun, great entertainment, arts and crafts, and everything else Oak Ridge. Things get going at 9 am and finish at 7 pm, with a concert from "A1A - The Original and Official Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band". For a full list of events, schedules, locations and tickets, visit www.secretcityfestival.com.
Chuck Brodsky with Poor Elvis will perform on the WDVX Blue Plate Special. The free broadcast begins at noon at the Knoxville Visitor Center.
Mighty Mud invites you to participate in their monthly Raku Firing from 6 to 9 pm. All ages and experience levels are welcome to participate in this event. This is a fun family event, or it could be a great "date night" event. Plus, you will be taking home a beautiful piece of art to decorate your home that you helped create. The class is $30 per person. Visit www.mightymudclay.com for more information and registration.
"All Things Chicago" night is Friday at Smokies Park. Make sure to get to the 7:15 game early, as the first 800 kids 12-and-under will receive a free baseball, courtesy of the US Forest Service and Cherokee National Forest. If you're in the mood for Chicago-style food, the Smokies concessions will be selling some of Chicago's favorite cuisine at Smokies Park.
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center's "Sunset Music Series", now in its seventh year, will premier with a performance by the Early Morning String Dusters. Showtime begins at 7 pm and all shows are presented in the Heritage Center's covered outdoor amphitheater. Admission to the concert is $5 and may be purchased at the door. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available at the concession stand.
Big Ed Caylor will perform at Side Splitters Comedy Club in west Knoxville. Preferred seating is $12 at the door, for the 7:45 and 10:15 show.
Summer Movie Magic returns to the Tennessee Theatre with Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic masterpiece, "The Godfather". Tickets are available for $8 at the theatre box office, or by calling (865) 684-1200. Showtime is set for 8 pm.
Alexia Productions Presents "My Journey thru Dance" at the Clayton Performing Arts Center (Hardin Valley). This year marks the 10th anniversary of Egyptian Nights theater dance show with Egyptian Belly Dance, Bollywood, and Hip hop dance. Featuring the international dance artist Mohamed Shahin of Cairo Egypt, Alexia and the Alexandria Dancers and Greg Carney hip hop artist in a one night performance only. Admission is $20 advance, $25 at the door and $15 for students. For more information, call (865) 898-2126.
Ijams Nature Center invites you to their program, "Night Lights in Flight". Come experience new firefly moments with your family during this night time program. They'll explore the world of firefly chatter in South Knoxville. The fee for this program is $5 for members and $8 for non-members. Call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.
Cutthroat Shamrock will perform at Preservation Pub on Market Square. Mac Comer and the Coo Cool Kidders will open the show at 10 pm.
SATURDAY JUNE 16
The Secret City Festival celebrates 10 years of family fun, great entertainment, arts and crafts, and everything else Oak Ridge. Things get going at 8 am and finish at 7 pm, with a concert from .38 Special and guest Mic Harrison & the High Score. For a full list of events, schedules, locations and tickets, visit www.secretcityfestival.com.
Oak Ridge's Historic Jackson Square will host the "14th Annual Lavender Festival" from 8 am to 3 pm. The festival will feature information and products related to gardening, cooking, health and aromatherapy. There will be plants and herbs for sale as well as arts and crafts. Children's activities will include blow painting, seed planting, a sachet workshop, and more.
The Mayor officially designated Saturday as "Stanley's Day" to support local business/economy...and they're having a 3-day, 75th Anniversary Sale with all inventory 15% to 50% off! Although their sale is Fri-Sun, you'll want to join them on "Stanley's Day" Saturday for behind-the-scenes tours and live music. They'll also have lunch (pulled-pork BBQ), drinks, and snacks available for purchase; a portion of the proceeds goes to local non-profits such as Knoxville Botanical Garden, Ijams Nature Center, and Paws Program.
The 2012 Big BBQ Bash is going on at The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson. The event is an amateur barbecue cook-off and fundraiser for the Helen Ross McNabb Center. Amateur BBQ teams are invited to "smoke up or shut up" by cooking their best plates of barbecue. Categories include pulled pork, ribs, chicken and "anything goes." Admission to Saturday's Big BBQ Bash, is free to the public. Competing BBQ teams may charge a fee per plate to the public on Saturday. Area favorite, Steel Kickin' Band, will take the stage from 10 am to 2 pm, for a live musical performance. A variety of vendors will also be set-up to feed and entertain guests of all ages.
Joshua P James & the Paper Planes with Cody Hull and Vertical Limit will perform on the Saturday edition of the WDVX Blue Plate Special. You can be entertained at the Knoxville Visitor Center for free at noon.
Union Avenue Books is hosting an event with Dr. Bill Bass co-author of The Inquisitor's Key. Things should get going at 2 pm in downtown Knoxville. Visit www.unionavebooks.com for more information about the event.
Ijams is hosting a "WalkAbout: Exploring Barred Owl Habitat" on the Ten-mile Creek Greenway at 2 pm. Barred owls live and nest in woods near water, a perfect description of the Ten Mile Creek Greenway in West Knoxville. Join Ijams senior naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales for this pleasant stroll through barred owl country. Meet at Walker Springs Park on Kidder Lane. Free for Ijams and McClung members, $5 non-members. To register call, (865) 577-4717, ext. 110. * Special tie-in program with The Owl & The Woodpecker Exhibit at McClung Museum.
At 3 pm, head to South Knoxville for the "Ijams Scavenger Hunt". You might think you know everything there is to know about Ijams, but you might be surprised. Join Ijams for this scavenger hunt that will lead you to and through some of the hidden secrets of the Visitor Center and trails. Can you follow the clues to fun? The fee for this program is free for members and $5 for non-members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.
Smokies Park will be getting nerdy when the Birmingham Barons roll into town. Myron Noodleman makes an appearance at the ballpark. It's also Pink Ribbon Survivor Night; they'll honor breast cancer survivors with a pre-game ceremony, then raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation by auctioning off special game-used jerseys following the game
The 2012 Knoxville 24 Hour Film Festival is having it's big night at the Bijou Theatre. The films will be shown at 7 pm, with the Awards Ceremony will begin after the last film is shown. The audience will have the chance to vote for their favorite film as well. Regular tickets are $13.50 or you can ride to the red Carpet in a limousine and sit in the VIP Balcony seats for $50. Full festival passes start at $20. For more information, visit www.k24hff.com.
Bo Bice with special guest Reagan Boggs and The Coal Men will perform at The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson. Tickets are available for $15. Show time is set for 8 pm.
The Square Room welcomes Edwin McCain to the stage. Tickets are available for $22. Logan Brill will open the show at 8 pm.
SUNDAY JUNE 17
Summer Movie Magic returns to the Tennessee Theatre with Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic masterpiece, "The Godfather". Tickets are available for $8 at the theatre box office, or by calling (865) 684-1200. Showtime is set for 2 pm.
It's Father's Day on Sunday, and the Tennessee Smokies celebrate for the 5 pm game by paying tribute to everyone's favorite superheroes as part of Superhero Night. Bring a glove and head to the park early, as the Smokies are letting you play catch with dad on the field from 3:30 to 4:30.