10 About Town: Memorial Day weekend 2018
There are several ways to spend your Memorial Day weekend in East Tennessee. Don't forget to check the forecast before heading to any outdoor events.
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Thursday, May 24
Downtown Knoxville will be a little more crowded this weekend as more than 8,000 students from around the world compete in the Destination Imagination’s Global Finals at Thompson Boling Arena and the Knoxville convention center. The competition goes until Saturday evening.
The city’s Concerts on the Square series is back for another season of live music in Market Square. Listen to live jazz on Tuesdays at 8 or variety music on Thursdays at 7 pm. The weekly concerts are free and continue through August 28th. The Ville Band performs Thursday.
The New Harvest Park farmers market is open every Thursday from 3 pm to 6 pm at 4775 New Harvest Lane.
Listen to live music at Gaither Family Fest in the Smokies Thursday through Saturday at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Tickets are $125 for adults and $35 for children. This three-day musical celebration will include concerts, morning worship services, and some of gospel music’s finest artists and speakers.
Friday, May 25
Dollywood’s Barbeque & Bluegrass kicks off on Friday with performances by The Gibson Brothers and the “Queen of Bluegrass” Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. The park’s foods team will be cooking up barbeque to go along with the good music.
It’s the fourth Friday of the month which means free admission to the Muse Knoxville museum from 5 pm to 8 pm for ‘Family Night.’ There will be multiple planetarium shows at no extra cost.
High School bands will compete to be the best at The Alliance for Creative Excellence Battle of the Bands at The Mill & Mine on Friday at 6 pm. Tickets range from $12 to $15.
Tiny Home designers and creators will be at the Tiny Home Spring Jam on Friday through Sunday in Morristown. One lucky event-goer will win a newly built tiny home. There will be food trucks and tours of incredible Tiny Homes.
Celebrate the end of the school year at Lenoir City's School's Out Pool Bash at the Claire Donahue Aquatic Center on Friday from 6-10 pm. This free event includes music, games, and pool time.
A one-person play called, “Sergeant 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 showtimes, visit http://www.westparkbaptist.org/sergeantyork/
Off-highway-vehicle enthusiasts from all over the world will be in Huntsville, TN for a weekend of riding, sled pulls, and the ever-popular moonshine poker run during the White Knuckle Event. The event runs Friday through Sunday at Brimstone Headquarters at 2860 Baker Highway. Day passes are $24.
Saturday, May 26
Larger than life papier mache puppets will parade through the streets of East Knoxville on Saturday from 10 am to 1:30 pm. Sections of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Linden Avenue, and North Beaman Street will be blocked off for the parade. After the procession, there will be a festival with free activities and live music.
The Knoxville city outdoor pools open this weekend through Labor Day. For a list of locations, visit: Knoxvilletn.gov
Lace up your tennis shoes for the "It Company EXPO" 10k/5k through downtown Knoxville. 2018 marks the 41st running of this annual event that begins at the Crafty Bastard Brewery at 8 am on Saturday.
The Knox County Jaycees and Bearden Beer Market are hosting a “Cornhole for a Cause” tournament to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association on Saturday from 2 pm to 6 pm at Bearden Beer Market. Teams can register online for $50 until noon the day of the event.
Watch sheep get their summer dos at the historic Ramsey House on Saturday from 9 am to 11 am. Tickets cost $10 to see the sheep shearing. Children 12 and under are free.
Take a tour of the Knoxville National Cemetery with historian, Jack Neely, on Saturday at 5 pm. The event is free and will include a presentation of a new book, Knoxville’s National Cemetery: A Short History.
Step back in time to the High Middle Ages at the Tennessee Medieval Faire on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The outdoor festival is located 30 miles west of Turkey Creek in Harriman, Tennessee (550 Fiske Road). You can dress up in costumes, join Robin Hood’s merry band, or snack on a turkey leg. Tickets range from $9 to $17.
Foxes, coyotes, snakes, oh my! The Espresso Exotic Animal Expo is Saturday and Sunday at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum. The doors open 9 am to 5 pm each day. Admission costs $2-$5. https://www.espressoanimalexpo.com/
Rockin’ the Docks in an all-day festival on Fort Loudon Lake that goes on Saturday from 1 pm to 10 pm. People at Lenoir City Park will enjoy live bands, food, fireworks, and more. The Memorial Day Tribute and fireworks begin at 10 pm with music beginning at 5 pm.
The Diner in Sevierville is hosting a Memorial Weekend Cruise-In with music by Gary’s Sound Machine on Saturday. Registration is $10 with proceeds going to Colson Prison Ministries Angel Tree and Wears Valley Ranch.
Learn basic gardening tips at Ijams Nature center on Saturday from 11 am to 12 pm for the “Ijams Down and Dirty: Gardening 101” workshop. You’ll start some plants in the Ijams Garden and even leave with seeds to start your own garden at home. The fee for this program is $10.
Jump in the boat for the annual Gizmo Jam music festival at Gizmo Island on Watts Bar Lake near Rockwood, TN. The festival is only accessible by watercraft. Spend the day on the water listening to several live bands. Proceeds benefit the DAV of Roane County. Keep an eye on the weather before heading out.
Take the whole family to Ijams Nature Center on Saturday for a family frog hike from 1 pm to 3 pm. Ijams’ naturalists will lead you through the trails and teach you about frogs and toads. The fee for this program is $8.
Stop by the Market Square Farmers Market on Saturday, anytime from 9 am. to 2 pm for eggs, honey, herbs, baked goods and more.
Every month, Ijams Nature Center hosts “bird-about” workshops, and on Sunday, you’ll learn about the haunting sounds of the whip-poor-wills and chuck-will’s-widows. The cost for the program is $8.
The East TN Farmers Association Farmers Market at Jackson Square in Oak Ridge is open every Saturday from 8 am to noon.
Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day)
The 43rd annual Honor Fountain City day is 10 am to 4 pm at Fountain City Park on Monday. Listen to live music, visit food and craft vendors, and compete for door prizes. Community awards will be presented at 3 pm with a Memorial Day ceremony at 3:30 pm.
Starting at sunrise, The East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association will begin reading the names of all the fallen heroes from East Tennessee. Volunteers are needed to help read the names because there are over 6,000 fallen heroes from our area.
The Knoxville National Cemetery on Tyson Street is hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at 11 am. The ceremony will be held by the Major William A. McTeer Camp #39, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War; the 79th New York Infantry Cameron Highlanders reenactment group; the Lucinda Heatherly Detached Tent #3, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War; and the Polly O'Toole Auxiliary #17 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
There will be a Memorial Day Service at John Sevier Highway Cemetery on Monday at 2 pm. The location has moved from the State Veterans Cemetery on Lions View, where it was held in the past.
The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform a Memorial Day Concert on Monday at 7 pm at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. This is a free event, and concert-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for sitting.