10 About Town: There's lots going on this weekend in East Tennessee
There are a lot of fun events planned around East Tennessee this weekend.
Thursday, September 27
The Clarence Brown Theatre is performing Alias Grace Sept. 26 through Oct. 14. The production is based on the novel by Margaret Atwood about a woman serving a life sentence for murders she has no memory of committing.
The Knoxville Children’s Theatre is performing Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Kids Sept. 21 through Oct. 7. The play is performed by 21 talented young actors. Tickets are $10-$12.
Friday, September 28
The Fall Festival and Old Timers Day at the Townsend Visitors Center is Friday and Saturday. Enjoy live bluegrass music, clogging, cornmeal making demonstrations, and other Appalachian skills. There’s also an antique tractor show. For a list of activities, visit Smokymountains.org.
Opa! Greek Fest is back. Experience authentic dancing, food, shopping, and more at the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church on Kingston Pike on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
It’s the fourth Friday of the month which means free admission to the Muse Knoxville museum from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for ‘Family Night.’ There will be multiple planetarium shows, and the exhibit floor will be open after hours.
Tour a gorgeous home in West Knoxville as part of Alzheimer’s TN Designer Home & Garden Tour Sept. 26 through Oct. 14. Visitors will see the latest trends in design, furniture, and landscaping. The home is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Day passes are $20.
Dollywood kicks off the fall season with its six-week Harvest Festival, starting this weekend. There will be free gospel concerts at the park that are included with Dollywood admission.
Bring your blanket or lawn chair downtown for the Knox County Public Library’s Movies on Market Square series. Every Friday through Oct. 19, the square will transform into an outdoor movie theater. This week the movie Monsters, Inc is playing.
Enjoy a banjo-pickin' night at the Mabry-Hazen House and Bethel Cemetery on Friday at 6 p.m. for the 2018 Rocky Top PIckin’ Party. Bring an instrument and join the jam sessions and receive a free beer provided by Elkmont Exchange. Tickets range from $5 to $10.
Steve Martin and Martin Short are performing at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $91 to $263.
Taste some traditional Great Smoky Mountain food at the University of Tennessee Visitors Center on Friday and Saturday for the Great Smoky Mountain Food Days. Local chefs will be serving up their specialties and giving demonstrations. Tickets are $80.
The 5th annual Haiti Fest is Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Southern Depot and raises money for a school in Haiti. The fest celebrates Haitian art, food, and culture. Tickets are $10 to $20.
Take an evening stroll through Ijams Nature Center on Friday for the park’s Nature at Night event from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Guests will learn about the noises animals and bugs make when the sun goes down. Tickets are $8.
The National Muscadine Festival is Friday and Saturday in Madisonville, Tennessee. The event is at the Tsali Notch Vineyard and features wine and food pairings, live music, and activities for the family.
Saturday, September 29
Windrock Park in Anderson County is hosting the Southeast Triple Crown Enduro on Saturday, a regional endurance race that attracts racers from all over the southeast. Spectators are welcome.
Take a step back in time at one of the earliest homes and businesses in Anderson County. The historic David Hall Cabin will be open for its annual fall open house on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There’ll be demonstrations of blacksmithing, butter churning and more. Admission is free.
The Blue-Ribbon Country Fair is all day Saturday at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Compete in the rooster crowing competition or race to catch a greased pig. There are several other chances to win a blue ribbon and show off your skills.
As part of Banned Books Week at the Blount County Public Library, the library will turn into a life-size game of “Clue” on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Search the building for clues to a magical Harry Potter themed mystery. There are prizes up for grabs.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede’s annual Whoadeo is on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and features a stick horse competition, carnival, and free refreshments for kids ages three to 12. Each participant also receives a kid’s club backpack and a one-day child’s ticket to Dollywood.
History will come alive at the Marble Springs State Historic Site on Saturday and Sunday. You can enjoy 18th-century demonstrations like spinning and weaving, blacksmithing, and weapons demonstrations. Admission ranges from $3 to $5.
The last weekend of September, alpaca farms across the country open their gates to the public. You can tour the Rocking Chair Farm in Corryton on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be live demonstrations throughout the day. The event is free.
Repticon reptile and exotic animal show is at the Kerbela Shriners all weekend. The doors open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Kerbela Shriners is located at 315 Mimosa Avenue.
Children ages five to nine years old can learn all about insects at Ijams Nature Center’s Nature Explorers event from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The fee for this program is $8.
Check out the HoLa Festival on Saturday and Sunday in Market Square and celebrate the diversity of Latino culture with food, music, dancing, and more.
As part of its 90th-anniversary celebration, the Tennessee Theatre is hosting a prohibition-style party with themed cocktails, dancing, and surprises at the downtown theatre.
The Big South Fork Trail race attracts runners from throughout the region. Racers can choose between a 17.5-mile course or a 10K race that begins and ends at the John Litton General Slavens Trailhead. There is no day-of-race registration, so plan ahead of time. The run begins at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The Scots-Irish Festival is Saturday in Dandridge, Tennessee. Activities include sheep-dogging, and a pipe and drum band playoff. The festival is located on East Main Street.
There’ll be plenty of beer at the SoKno Octoberfest on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $5 and there will be local brewery tents, live entertainment, and other activities set up at Baker Creek Bottoms in South Knoxville.
The Muse Knoxville is celebrating the Worldwide Day of Play by offering free activities between noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday. No museum admission is required. There will be a Ninja Warrior Challenge, chalk drawings, painting, and more.
The UT Gardens is hosting its fall plant sale on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a variety of flowering perennials, evergreens, and swarf and full-size trees available for purchase.
The Downtown Street Festival is back for another year in downtown Lenoir City. There will be a classic car show, live music, arts and crafts, and food vendors set up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Everyone’s a big dill at the Fried Pickle Festival in Madisonville, Tennessee. The free festival is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and features plenty of pickle-themed vendors, games, and competitions.
On Saturday, local design firms will be collecting unused materials to donate to the Zero Landfill initiative that repurposes them for area teachers, crafters, and artists. Zero Landfill is looking for expired samples, hardware, paint chips, fabric, etc. If your business is interested, email Jessica Laura at Jessica@SWAinc.com.
Sunday, September 30
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Classic series will transport you to Paris on Sunday afternoon with classics by Joseph Haydn. The concert is at 2:30 p.m. at the Bijou Theatre. Tickets range from $12.50 to $35.
It’s encouraged to play in the street on Sunday for Open Streets Knoxville’s North Knoxville block party. A portion of Broadway Avenue will be closed to give people a chance to walk, ride bikes, or hula hoop down the street.
Alison Krauss is performing at the historic Tennessee Theatre on Sunday as part of the theater’s 90th-anniversary celebration. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $65 to $250.
The Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble is performing an hour-long show at the Amphitheater at World’s Fair Park on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event will be donated to “Hope 4 Hattie,” which raises money for the 14-month-old daughter of TCDE alumna and Knox County Teacher Melissa Halter who’s battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Take a break from your busy life and unwind at Ijams Nature Center’s mindfulness walk on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mindfulness walks are slow and calming. This month’s walk is at High Ground Park.