Knoxville — Thursday, April 5th
The musical theatre department at Farragut High School is performing 'Shrek the Musical,' this weekend with performances at 7 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There is a 3 pm matinee on Sunday.
Local designers will be transforming three of the luxury residences inside The Tennessean hotel this year's Knoxville Symphony League ShowHouse. People will be able to tour the rooms on Thursdays and Fridays in April from 11 am to 7 pm, Saturdays between 10 am and 4 pm, and Sundays between 1 pm and 5 pm. Day passes are $20 and season passes are $30. The proceeds benefit the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. The ShowHouse continues now through April 29.
Students at Temple Baptist Academy in Powell are putting on a production called 'a Wax Museum.' Students will be dressed in period costumes, frozen as wax figures in front of their project boards. When guests drop a coin into their jars, the students will come to life. You can visit the wax museum on Thursday from 5 pm to 5:45 pm on the campus of Crown College or on Friday from 1 pm to 2:45 pm at Temple Baptist Academy.
Acclaimed poet and activist Nikki Giovanni returns to her hometown to deliver the 2018 Wilma Dykeman Stokely Memorial Lecture at the Bijou Theatre on Thursday at 7 pm. The lecture is free and open to the public, but all of the seats have been reserved. You can go online to get on a waiting list.
"The Dream of the Burning Boy" will be performed in the Clarence Brown Theatre's Lab Theater March 28 through April 15. The production follows a middle-aged high school teacher struggling with the death of his favorite student. For more information, tickets or accessibility accommodation requests including Open Captioning, American Sign Language, and assistive technologies, please call the CBT Box Office at 865-974-5161 or go to clarencebrowntheatre.com/access.
Knoxville's first-ever Dragon Lights Festival is going on nightly through April 22 at Chilhowee Park. Visitors will be able to marvel at 42 larger than life lantern displays with thousands of lights and nightly performances. Tickets range from $10.50 to $16.50, and parking is free.
'Lilies of the Field' is playing at the Knoxville Children's Theatre until April 15th. This lightly humorous play tells the story of how a group of German nuns convinces an aimless drifter to help them build a chapel in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Visit https://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/ for a list of performances.
It's 'TulipTime' at the Historic Crescent Bend House & Gardens. Come see the tulips blooming at this three-acre Italian-styled garden. Tickets range from $5 to $7, and guests can visit the site Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm until April 18.
Do you own a Wildcat vehicle? Join other Wildcat owners from around the country for 'Wicked Wildcat Weekend' at Windrock Park in Oliver Springs for a fun weekend of trail riding. The gathering lasts from Friday to Sunday.
Friday, April 6th
It's the first Friday of the month, which means vendors, artists, musicians, and more will fill the streets of Old city and downtown for 'First Friday.'
Music lovers rejoice! The Rhythm N' Blooms Festival is this weekend in the historic Old City. Headliners include Dr. Dog, the Mowglie's, and more. Tickets available at
Talented theater students at Bearden Middle School have spent the past five months preparing for their upcoming production of "Into The Woods, Jr." Performances will be Friday and Saturday night at 7 pm at the Bearden Middle School Theater. Tickets range from $5 to $7.
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.
The Knoxville Ice Bears host the Pensacola Ice Flyers on Friday at 7:30 pm at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.
Motown The Musical is playing at the Tennessee Theatre on Friday through Sunday. Tickets range from $44 to $84, and performances are Friday at 6 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm and 7 pm.
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 pm to 8 pm and costs $34.95 to $44.95 depending on your age.
The University of Tennessee baseball team hosts the University of Florida this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Games are Friday at 6:30 pm, Saturday at 6 pm, and Sunday at noon.
The South-Doyle High School Choral Department presents 'Annie' this weekend at the high school auditorium at 2020 Tipton Station Road. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 pm. Ticket prices range from $7 to $12.
Learn how to wow your dinner guests by making your own wine. A local winemaker will be teaching the basics of winemaking at Ijams Nature Center on Friday from 6 pm to 8 pm. The cost of the event is $25.
If you're interested in building a cabin or decorating your home with rustic lodge-style furniture, you might want to check out the Log Home & Timber Frame show in Gatlinburg on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $15 per person if you purchase them online and $20 if you buy them at the door at the Sevierville Convention Center.
Join a park ranger for a bike ride down the Melton Lake Greenway in Oak Ridge on Friday at 10 am. The ride will begin at Elza Gate Park, and rangers will make several stops along the ride to point out the history of Oak Ridge. For more information, contact the Manhattan Project National Historical Park at (865) 482-1942
Saturday, April 7th
The Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association is performing an original ballet inspired by "Into the Woods," on Saturday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for anyone under the age of 18.
Volunteers are needed to help clean up Tennessee battlefields and historic sites on Saturday including the Mabry-Hazen House in Knoxville where volunteers will pull weeds and help plant flowers in the gardens. For a list of participating Park Day sites and more information, visit Civilwar.org/parkday
The University of Tennessee Gardens will host its annual Spring Spectacular Plant Sale on Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. The theme this year is 'color for every season.' Shop for a wide selection of herbs, flowers, trees, shrubs, and more.
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine will host its annual open house on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. Children are encouraged to bring their stuffed animals to the Teddy Bear Clinic for veterinary students to examine. Visit http://tiny.utk.edu/VETMEDopenhouse for more information about this free event.
Race down Cherokee Boulevard to benefit the Youth Metro Drug Coalition on Saturday at 10 am. The price to register for this 5K ranges from $10 to $30 depending on your age. For more information, please contact the Metro Drug Coalition at 865-588-5550 or email Deborah Crouse at dcrouse@metrodrug.org
Bring the whole family to UT's McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture for a free 'science fair' family fun day from 1 pm to 4 pm. Visitors will explore a wide range of topics ranging from technology to exploration of other planets. The museum is located at 1327 Circle Park Drive.
Teenagers will get to express the power of Poetry at the Blount County Public Library's Poetry Smash on Saturday from 3 pm to 5 pm. After the event, participants will use chalk to create 'side-walk talk' outside of the library. www.blountlibrary.org. Kids ages 12 to 18 are invited.
The Knoxville Symphony will be performing Billy Joel favorites like 'Crocodile Rock' and 'Uptown Girl' as part of the Knoxville News Sentinel Pops series on Saturday at 8 pm. The concert will be at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, and tickets range from $35 to $92.
Book Fest, a day of book signings, storytelling, face painting, and activities, is going on at Founders Park at Campbell Station on Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
Red Devil CrossFit is offering a free community workout every Saturday at 9 am to anyone who is at least 12 years old. The gym is located at 6970 Maynardville Pike.
Dress as your favorite superhero for a run/walk benefiting Little Oaks Academy, a nonprofit supporting preschool children's health, education, and welfare. The event starts at 8 am.
Take a trip back in time to watch baseball players re-create 1864 vintage baseball at the Historic Ramsey House. The players will wear period uniforms and play by the 1864 rules. Admission is free, and you're encouraged to bring a blanket and chairs to watch the game that starts at noon on Saturday. http://tennesseevintagebaseball.com/schedule/
Join the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers and KnoxProCorps for a 5K at Victor Ashe Park on Saturday from 9 am to 11 am. For more information on how to register, visit
Undergraduate and graduate music students at the University of Tennessee will be showing off the chamber music they studied this semester at a free showcase on Saturday from 8 pm to 9:30 pm at the 117 Natalie L. Haslam Music Center on campus. http://music.utk.edu/eventitem.php?event_id=1671
Turn your old bike into a job for underserved teens on Saturday at DreamBikes at 309 North Central Street. Donate your old bike and teens will learn how to repair and sell them. Wildlove Bakehouse will provide complementary pastries, cookies, and coffee during donation hours from 10 am to 4 pm. v
Take part in the two-day Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament this weekend. Participants will compete to win over $10,000 in cash and prizes, and there will be over 10,000 trout stocked in over 20 miles of streams. You'll need a valid fishing license to register.
Sunday, April 8th
Transform your backyard into a bird sanctuary by learning how to make a gourd birdhouse at Ijams Nature Center on Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm. The fee for the workshop is $25.