KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — One of Knoxville's biggest street fairs is set to return in late April — the Rossini Festival.
The Spring 2021 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but organizers plan to fill Gay Street with Italian food, funnel cake and fun on April 30. They said it should last around 11 hours that day.
This year's festival is also expected to include five outdoor stages, with hours of free entertainment by more than 1,000 artists. Market Square will also be filled by the YMCA FunZone, with more than 100 food vendors and artisans stopping by.
Organizers also said Eagle Distributing will set up a beer garden, for anyone who wants to have a drink during the festivities. There will also be a free Streamliner's Swing Orchestra concert starting at 8 p.m. at the Instrumental Music Stage.
Gay Street between Summit Hill and Cumberland Avenue will be closed to on-street parking and traffic from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Sunday.
Admission will be free at the festival, organizers said.
The section of Gay Street between Summit Hill and Clinch Avenue will be open only for vehicles traveling to and from the Hyatt Place and Embassy Suites in Hilton.
These streets will also be closed from Friday night to Sunday morning:
- Market Street between Union & Cumberland avenues
- Clinch Avenue between State and Walnut streets
- Church between State and Walnut streets
- Union between State and Walnut streets
