KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in what feels like a long time, downtown Knoxville will come alive in March with several big events returning from pandemic-induced hiatuses to their normal schedules to usher in spring.
The city is preparing for all manners of visitors to fill the streets and hold parades for costumed puppies, St. Patrick's Day, the return of the Big Ears Festival -- as well as the massive parade of runners participating in the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon at the end of the month.
That means there will be plenty of temporary street closures to keep track of during the coming weekends, so visitors should plan ahead and expect a few headaches when trying to find parking.
The month of festivities begins with the 15th Annual Mardi Growl Pet Parade and Festival, which will take place on Saturday, March 5. A pup parade will head down Willow Avenue in the Old City and onto South Central Street and West Jackson Avenue starting at 10:45 p.m. The city said Willow Avenue between Patton and South Central streets will close starting at 7 a.m., and roads along the route will close to traffic from 10:30 a.m. to noon to make way for the parade. On-street parking will be prohibited along the route from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
Then on Saturday, March 12 -- the annual St. Patrick's Day parade will return to Gay Street. Roads along the parade route -- from Howard Baker Jr. Avenue to Gay Street and West Jackson Avenue -- will close to traffic from noon to 3 p.m. Eastbound lanes of Howard Baker Jr. Avenue between Hill Drive and Hall of Fame Drive will be closed from 11 a.m. to roughly 1 p.m.
Starting on Saturday, March 26, Big Ears Festival returns to downtown Knoxville for a four-day music event. It will begin with a New Orleans-inspired street parade at 1 p.m. at East Jackson and Willow avenues in the Old City, with the route heading down North Central Street, Gay Street, and ending on Depot Avenue at Ogden Street for a street party between 4 to 8 p.m. Roads along the parade route will close from noon to 3 p.m., and Depot Avenue will be closed from noon to 10 p.m.
Finally, thousands of runners will fill the streets of Knoxville on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27 for the annual Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. Saturday will see some road closures downtown for the 5K race, and on Sunday morning, roads along the marathon route from downtown, Third Creek, Fourth and Gill, and the South Knox Riverfront will have rolling road closures as runners make their way along the 26.2-mile route to the finish line in World's Fair Park.
The city said Clinch Avenue between Henley Street and World's Fair Park Drive, and World's Fair Park drive between Clinch and Grand avenues will be closed for much of the weekend.
