FRIDAY JULY 27
Ijams Nature Center is hosting their family program, "Nature Fun Station". Whether, they are catching bugs in the meadow or planting flowers in the garden, visitors can enjoy a variety of outdoor discoveries. The free event begins at 10 am.
Cabinet with Drew Gibson Band will perform on the WDVX Blue Plate Special. The free broadcast begins at noon at the Knoxville Visitor Center.
The Knoxville Museum of Art continues its "Alive After Five" series with the Chuck Beattie Blues Band. General admission is $8. "Alive After Five" runs from 6 to 8:30 pm.
There is an entire night of entertainment planned at the Clayton Center for the Arts including "Ragtime" presented by The WordPlayers, "A Grand Night for Singing" presented by Norris Little Theatre, "The Dixie Swim Club" presented by Athens Community Theatre, "Tuna Does Vegas" presented by Theatre Knoxville Downtown, and more. Individual tickets are $15, three shows are available for $30, or a six show package is available for $50. Visit www.claytonartscenter.com for more information and tickets.
Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center continues their 2012 Sunset Music Series with the Wild Blue Yonder. Admission is $5 to the 7 pm performance.
Nick Griffin will be performing at Side Splitters Comedy Club. He has appeared on the The Late Show with David Letterman seven times, as well as Conan O'Brien and the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Tickets are $12 at the door for the 7:45 show.
Summer Movie Magic returns to the Tennessee Theatre with a presentation of The Third Man. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children and seniors. Show time is set for 8 pm.
Barley's Taproom welcomes Time Lee 3 to the stage. Show time is set for 8 pm in the Old City.
The Black Cadillacs headline a night of music at the Preservation Pub in downtown Knoxville. Just Say Maybe and Darlingside will open the night at 10 pm. There is a $5 for the show.
SATURDAY JULY 28
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour makes a stop at Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville. The day starts at 8 am, and runs a full 12 hours until the "End of the Year-Tour Party" at the Bijou Theatre. Advance tickets are $7 at www.wakeboardingmag.com or $13 at the gate.
Join River Sports Outfitters at the Outdoor Knoxville Adventure Center for a SUP paddle (standup paddleboard) on the Tennessee River at 9 am. It's free if you have your own SUP or you can rent one from River Sports for $15 which includes SUP, pfd and paddle. All levels are welcome. Call to reserve a spot at (865) 696-2330 or (865) 523-0066.
The Market Square Farmers' Market opens at 9 am. Grab some cash and bring some friends down to support your local farmers and artisans.
The Grainger Tomato Festival kicks off at 9 am on the grounds of the Grainger County Middle School. Admission is free, parking is free, but produce and crafts will be available for purchase. The "Tomato Wars" kick off at 2 pm, behind the VO-Tech building. For more information, visit www.graingercountytomatofestival.com.
Blue Mountain Mist Country Inn will host a "25th Anniversary Smoky Mountain Heritage Festival". There are no admission fees, and everyone is invited to come and join in the fun. There will be an array of live demonstrations of mountain crafts, artists, music and presentations by local historians. Visit www.verticalresponse.com for more information.
Austin Miller with Wilhelm McKay 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.
The outdoor Performing Arts Pavilion at the Oak Ridge Civic Center is hosting a "Teen Battle of the Bands". Eleven local teenage bands will battle it out for a chance to claim the $500 first place title. The free event takes places from 6 to 9 pm.
The Hard Knox Roller Girls are back in action at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The night begins when the Brawlers play host to the 580 Roller Girls, at 6 pm. The Allstars take on the Victory Dolls of Oklahoma City, at 8 pm. Advance tickets are $10, or $12 at the door.
The 10th anniversary season of Tennessee Stage Company's Shakespeare on the Square includes the popular comedy, 'As You Like It'. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed for the 7 pm performance.
The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson presents The Highwaymen Live with special guest Hillbilly Jedi. This tribute to Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson is one you will not want to miss. Tickets are $20 for the 8 pm show.
SUNDAY JULY 29
The 2012 Hummingbird Festival is organized by the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS) and Ijams. The festival offers a hummingbird banding demonstration by bander Mark Armstrong, talks by hummingbird experts Bob and Martha Sargent about the tiny birds' life history, and Chris Mahoney about favored backyard plants that hummers love. Admission is free to the vendor fair (arts, crafts, food, plants) and bargain barn (new or gently used bird and nature related items); $5 admission to the banding demonstration and indoor talks. Children under six are free. All proceeds go to KTOS and the Ijams education department. The event runs from 1 to 5 pm.
Summer Movie Magic returns to the Tennessee Theatre with a presentation of The Third Man. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children and seniors. Show time is set for 2 pm.