Come rain or shine, big fun is cooking at World’s Fair Park for the Fourth of July. Here’s the city’s information:
The city of Knoxville’s Festival on the Fourth from 4-10 p.m. presents live music, food vendors and activities, leading up to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s 34th annual free Pilot Flying J Independence Day Concert, beginning at 8 p.m. and culminating with city’s largest annual fireworks display.
New activities this year in the Regal Kids Zone is a climbing wall and a Eurobungy trampoline, which uses giant rubber bands to vault participants into the sky and right back to earth. Families can also enjoy face painting, balloon animals, mini-golf, a water balloon game, Legos by Bricks 4 Kids and more. Take a paddle boat ride in the “lazy river” that flows around the park.
Live entertainment begins at 4 p.m. at the Home Federal Bank Family Fun Stage inside the Tennessee Amphitheater:
- Asian Festival Lion Dancers, 4-4:45 p.m.
- Zoo Knoxville presents Einstein and Friends, 5:15-5:35 p.m.
- Children’s musician Dre Helton, 6-6:45 p.m.
- Tim Pressley and The Amazing Magic Show, 7-7:45 p.m.
Over on the north end of the park’s Festival Lawn Stage, Bary Jolly’s Pirates on the Patio plays Jimmy Buffett songs from 4:15-5:45 p.m. Pianist Kendall Ray performs 6:15-7:30 p.m.
The warm-up for the main event begins with the Stoney Point Bluegrass Band, 5-5:45 p.m. on the Performance Lawn Stage.
The KSO will perform patriotic tunes such as “The Star Spangled Banner,” “Armed Forces Salute,” Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” as well as a tribute to American composer Leonard Bernstein, with selections from “West Side Story” and “Candide,” which the KSO will perform with the Clarence Brown Theatre in the fall. The full symphony program will be listed at KnoxvilleSymphony.com.
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performance and fireworks display will be broadcast live on WBIR-TV Channel 10 and WBIR.com from 8-10 p.m.
Free parking is available in the 11th Street, Locust Street, Walnut Street, State Street and Market Square garages, as well as the city’s Blackstock lots on Grand Avenue. ADA parking is available at the Fort Kid parking lot on World’s Fair Park Drive.
Bring your own chairs and blankets, but no alcohol, pop-up tents, canopies or pets will be allowed.
Festival-related road closures:
- World’s Fair Park Drive between Clinch and Grand avenues will be closed from 3-11 p.m. Wednesday;
- Clinch Avenue between Henley and 11th streets will be closed from 2-11 p.m. Wednesday; and
- The Henley Bridge between Hill and Blount avenues will be closed from 4-11 p.m. Wednesday.
Trash and recycling pick-ups set for Wednesday will continue as scheduled; however, City offices and recreation centers will be closed Wednesday.