Knoxville — Thursday, May 3
Adopt a Golden Knoxville will host its annual "Goldens in the Gallery" event at the Emporium Center on Thursday at 6 p.m. Enjoy a live art auction, food and more. Tickets and information at adoptagoldenknoxville.org
The Tennessee Smokies baseball team hosts the Birmingham Barons for several home games this weekend. For tickets and times visit www.milb.com. Sunday is family fun day.
“Beautiful,” the live musical about music legend Carole King is playing at the Tennessee Theatre until May 6. Tickets range from $44 to $84. For show times, visit tennesseetheatre.com.
May the fourth be with you! The Blount County Public Library is putting your Star Wars trivia knowledge to the test on Thursday at 7 p.m. Compete in teams for gift certificates and prizes.
“Sherlock’s Last Case" is running at the Theatre Knoxville Downtown. The play runs through May 6 with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15.
As part of the Dogwood Arts Festival, you can now experience 12 guided hikes this season through historic parks or through the woods to see beautiful wildfires among the dogwood trees. Guided hikes will go on now through May 26.
Flying Anvil Theatre takes a comedic look at love, bad breakups and revenge in “Carrying a Torch,” a cabaret-style musical. There are performances Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online at flyinganviltheatre.com.
The New Harvest Park farmers market is open every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. at 4775 New Harvest Lane.
The Oak Ridge Playhouse is performing “A funny thing happened on the way to the forum” April 27- May 13. This irreverent comedy is set in the time period of ancient Rome. Tickets and showtimes available at orplayhouse.com.
Urinetown, the Musical, is playing at the Clarence Brown Theatre on the campus of the University of Tennessee from April 18-May 6. The comedy is about citizens who revolt against a government that’s put a ban on private toilets due to a 20-year drought. For show times and tickets, visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.
Friday, May 4
It's First Friday. Head downtown to enjoy shops, restaurants and entertainment. The fun starts at 5 p.m.
The Knoxville Opera is performing "Aidi," an epic love story set during the time of ancient empires, on Friday and Sunday at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Shows are Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. You can purchase tickets to the shows or a pre-show brunch or dinner at knoxvilleopera.com.
The Music in the Mountains spring parade in Pigeon Forge is Friday! Enjoy floats, entertainment, and larger-than-life-sized balloons. The parade begins at 6 p.m. with Carl Ripken Jr as the grand marshal.
Camperfest returns to Kodak on Friday and Saturday for a fun weekend of live music and fellowship at Dumplin Valley Farm. Gates open on Friday at 4 p.m. The event takes its name from the original WDVX Broadcast Camper Studio. Purchase tickets at www.wdvx.com.
The "Farragut Food & Wine Festival" is Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the old Kroger Parking lot at 11240 Kingston Pike. Taste samples from local restaurants and pair them with wines and beers.
Three Knox County magnet schools with host a spring showcase on Friday through Sunday to display the talents of their students and the dance and arts programs. The showcase begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Sunday in the Austin-East Performing Arts Auditorium at 2800 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Admission is $5.
University of Tennessee baseball team hosts the University of Kentucky for at triple hitter this weekend. Games are Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. On Sunday, kids 12 and under get free admission.
Paws among the Blooms is Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Stanley’s Greenhouse in South Knoxville. Tickets cost $25, and the proceeds benefit Knox PAWS (Placing Animals with Seniors). The evening will include live music, plants, a silent auction and hors d’oeuvres. Dogs are welcome.
Pick out spring flowers, vegetables and herbs at the Knoxville Botanical Garden plant sale at the Historic Mule Barn in the Center for Urban Agriculture. The sale is open on Friday from 2 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Enjoy margaritas and monarchs at Ijams Nature Center for “Taste of Nature” on Friday at 7 p.m. You’ll learn about the monarch butterfly and its migration.
Nearly 2,500 hot rods, muscle cars and trucks will take over Chilhowee Park this weekend for the Street Rod Nationals South. The gates are open Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. Admission cost $6 to $17.
A one-person play called “Seargent York: The Play” is playing at the HUB student center on the campus of West Park Church on Middlebrook Pike. The play depicts the life of Alvin York, the most decorated Army soldier WWI, and admission is free. For more information on show times, visit westparkbaptist.org.
The Navitat ziplining park at Ijams Nature Center is lighting up its treetops with twinkling lights for "Navitat at Night." During the spring season, Navitat at Night will be offered every Friday and Saturday night. The event lasts from 6 to 8 p.m., and costs $34.95 to $44.95 depending on your age.
The Knoxville Museum of Art’s Alive at Five concert series is going now with live bands performing every Friday evening from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in World’s Fair Park. For more information about tickets and performers visit knoxart.org.
The East TN Farmers Association Farmers Market at Lakeshore Park is open every Friday from 3-6 p.m.
The Knoxville Children’s Theatre will perform 14 live performances of “Ann of Green Gables,” which tells the story of an unwanted orphan growing up in Nova Scotia. The performances are May 4 through May 20, and tickets cost $10 to $12. For show times and tickets, visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com
The two-day Townsend in the Smokies Spring Festival features bluegrass and mountain music, arts and crafts, and cast iron cooking. Admission is free, but it costs $10 to park, and the parking fee benefits the Townsend Volunteer fire department. The festival opens at 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at 7906 East Lamar Alexander Parkway.
Hancock County Middle and High Schools are hosting a rodeo on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The event will be at 2443 Highway 131 in Treadway, Tennessee.
Saturday, May 5
The Clinch River Spring Antique Fair is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Historic Downtown Clinton. More than 100 antique dealers will line the streets to offer a wide range of collectibles. There is also a kick-off party on Friday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. with food and live music from the Wild Blue Yonder Band.
The Tennessee Pottery Festival will be at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Buy different styles of pottery and other goods made of clay. Admission is $5.
Light up the night at the Glow Trot 5K race at William Blount High School on Saturday night. Runners will be decked out in glow sticks and will run campus and special “glow zones.” The cost is $15 to $35.
Kick off National Police Week with the Knoxville Law Enforcement Memorial Run (LEMR) 5K on Saturday at 8 a.m. at Sequoyah Park. The proceeds will go towards establishing a local law enforcement memorial in Knoxville.
The Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival is on Saturday at Roan Mountain State Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be live entertainment, handmade crafts and old-time folkway demonstrations.
Morristown West High School is hosting a Panther Prowl 5K on Saturday at 9 a.m. to benefit Area 10 Special Olympics. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/141285306693203/
Girls on the Run is hosting a 5K on Saturday at West High School. The organization helps promote physical activity in young girls while teaching them life skills. The race starts at 10 a.m. For more information about the event, how to register and volunteer opportunities, visit gotrknoxville.org.
The public splash pads will open for the season on Saturday. Stop by Carl Cowan Park, New Harvest Park Powell Station Park, Market Square, Volunteer Landing, World’s Fair Park, Krutch Park or McFee Park during daylight hours.
There is a 5K and one-mile fun run on Saturday at 8 a.m. to benefit the Knoxville Ladies of Charity. The L.E.A.P race will take place on Neyland Drive in downtown Knoxville. Additional race information can be found at https://ladiesofcharityknox.org/leap5k/.
Learn how to grow irises with two workshops on Saturday at Stanley’s Greenhouse. The first workshop is at 10 a.m. with the second starting at 2 p.m. The event is hosted by East Tennessee Iris Society.
Not all superheroes wear capes. Sometimes they wear tennis shoes. You can raise money for the Pregnancy Resource Center in Maryville by running or walking in the Superhero life walk and 5K at Sandy Springs Park at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero.
The Museum of Appalachia will host its sixth annual Barn Dance on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The evening includes horse-drawn wagon rides, a southern buffet and old-time musical entertainment. Tickets cost $125.
The Market Square Farmers' Market is officially open. Stop by Saturday, anytime from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for eggs, honey, herbs, baked goods and more.
The East TN Farmers Association Farmers Market at Jackson Square in Oak Ridge is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.
The Glenmore Mansion in Jefferson County is hosting a spring garden party on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with flower and plant vendors. Lunch will be available as well as live music and guided tours of the mansion.
Sunday, May 6
Discover new bike routes through scenic neighborhoods and greenways along the dogwood trail with a guided family-friendly bike ride on Sunday. Meet at Suttree Landing Park in South Knoxville at 3 p.m., and you’ll ride along the Tennessee River, the greenway to Ijams Nature Center, and through the historic Island Home neighborhood.
The Sundress Academy for the Arts will present its May installment of the Sundress Reading Series on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Hexagon Brewing Company. This reading will feature Chris Barton, Gwin E. Kirby, and Pamela Schoenewaldt.
The Douglas J Aveda Institute is hosting a Catwalk For Water Fashion Show on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Relix Variety Theatre. Stylists will blend fashion with recycling for a recycled couture theme. The proceeds from the event go towards the Tennessee Clean Water Network. Doors open at 6 p.m.
There's a pub crawl on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. in downtown Knoxville, benefiting century Harvest Farms Foundation. A $20 wristband gives you access to special discounts at participating locations.