x
Breaking News
More () »

10 About Town: Trick-or-treating events, fall festivals and outdoor performances

The cooler weather expected this weekend is perfect for these fall-themed events.

Friday, Oct. 16, 2020

Enjoy a spooky Friday night listening to ghost stories around a bonfire during ‘Heath Scares’ at James White’s Fort. The fireside chat begins at 7 p.m. and will last about two hours. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-15.  

The Tennessee Stage Company said that the first round of ‘Shakespeare OFF the Square’ at Ijams Nature Center was such a success that they’re doing it again. Macbeth runs the first three weekends in October. Admission is $15 for anyone over the age of 13. Bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket to sit on because the production is performed outside.

Little Ponderosa Zoo in Anderson County is hosting four nights of trick-or-treating. Tickets must be ordered in advance at $8 per person. The spooky nights at Oct. 16, 17,23 and 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Historic Harriman is known to hold some haunting tales, and you can hear some of them during a spooky walking tour on Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and groups will be limited to 10 people.

Take a trip to see the leaves changing in Sevierville for the Wears Valley Fall Festival happening Friday through Sunday. The event includes plenty of kids’ activities, crafters and vendors, and live entertainment. Admission is $3.

BOO! At the Zoo combines not-too-scary Halloween fun with animals at Zoo Knoxville. There will be giant inflatables, a boo choo train and a Baba Yaga Haunted Forest. The event runs Friday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person.

RELATED: Boo! At the Zoo kicks off at Zoo Knoxville Friday

RELATED: White-tailed deer find rescue at Little Ponderosa Zoo

Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020

Keep your community clean with a ‘Saturday Spruce Up’ hosted by Keep Knoxville Beautiful. Volunteers will beet at 405 W Oldham Ave. on Saturday at 10 a.m. to pick up litter along Second Creek. You can sign-up online.  

Knoxville’s annual Parade of Homes event runs the first three weekends in October from noon to 5 p.m. each day. Guests will be able to tour several homes virtually and in-person. 

The Market Square Farmers' Market is in a new location this year. On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., shop local produce, art, meat and more at Mary Costa Plaza outside the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. The first hour is reserved for elderly and immune-compromised shoppers.

The annual October Sky Festival is Saturday in Oliver Springs; the small town that served as the location for filming the 1998 movie ‘October Sky.’ There will be live performances, a classic car drive-in, and a chance for kids to make and launch their own rockets during the festival.

See the historic Tennessee Theatre from a perspective normally not shown to guests. Every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the theater is hosting 90-minute tours through the Grand Lobby, stage, dressing room, projection booth, attic and other unique areas. Tickets cost $25 per person.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020

The Knoxville Opera is hosting a free Opera Regatta on Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m. Performers will travel downstream to Duncan Boat Dock from Volunteer Landing singing Broadway musicals, Disney classics, and traditional opera pieces.

The Eastside Sunday Market is every week from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Walter Hardy Park on MLK Jr. Ave.  Shop seasonal produce, handmade crafts and homemade food.

Get outside and get moving during an all-levels modern dance class at Morningside Park. Participants will be spread out at least six feet apart. A $10 donation is encouraged. The class is every Sunday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Oct. 25.

The Knoxville Track Club’s six-pack beer run series that was originally scheduled for the spring, is back on. The weekly run series concludes on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Alliance Brewing Company.

Sprint for the Prints 5K kicks off on Sunday to raise money for The Precious Prints Project that provides a fingerprint charm to families who’ve lost a child. This year, the event is virtual, and participants have one week to complete their miles.

Before You Leave, Check This Out