Maybe you and the kids had a little staycation for fall break, and you’re now seeing the Facebook pictures of your neighbors roll in, wishing you had gotten a quick getaway or a new experience to share. Luckily, there’s a lot of the world coming to town to make up for lost time this weekend. Through clashes of culture in music, escapism through literature, or even something as simple as a fantasy role-playing game taking you to Middle-earth for a few hours. You don’t need airline miles for any of these excursions.
Cool Cat Scavenger Hunt – Downtown Knoxville (various times) At least for the next few weeks, black cats are bringing good omens to those who stumble upon them around Knoxville’s downtown sector. Strategically placed at nine different hotspots around town, it’s never been easier and more engaging to get your steps in and explore new parts of town or revisit old favorites while feeling rewarded in the process.
Gunfight on Gay Street Walking Tour – Mabry-Hazen House (October 16, 6:30 – 8 p.m.) Ever wondered how the famed Mabry-Hazen house got its namesake? Thursday evening, you can retrace the steps of the moniker that, in spite of its fate, became etched in Knoxville’s history forever. Joined by a historic tour guide, you’ll explore the days leading up to and the moments after Joseph Mabry, Joseph Mabry Jr., and Thomas O’Connor met their tragic end. Learn the story of his historic gunfight and why it became a turning point in East Tennessee.
Board Game Days – Awaken Coffee (October 16 – 19, multiple times) If you’re past the point of Scrabble, but not ready to invest in a complicated new board and set of pieces, then Board Game Days is the place to be this weekend. Geared for both hobbyists and newcomers alike, dozens of obscure and classic board games are here to play and pore over as you hone skills and learn new ones. Sign up for a slot in one of the more popular items on the events website, or simply show up and see what BGD has to offer.
Melodies of the Middle East – Bijou Theater (October 17, 7:30 p.m.) It’s not every day you get a free show at the Bijou, and even more rare that those halls echo with sounds originating from such faraway lands. Described as “An Exploration of the Levantine and Arab Musical Universe,” you’ll get the full brunt of the Eastern experience led by the Dal’Ouna Ensemble. Once ingrained in the catalog, expect an expanded worldview thanks to these wonderful sonic tools. This event is a fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting the Arab American Club of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee’s Middle East Studies program. However, it is totally free and open to the public.
Knoxville Broadcast – World’s Fair Park Amphitheatre (October 17, 6 p.m., October 18, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.) Continuing on a semi-national circuit of engrossing, spatial orchestral movements, composer Lsa Bielawa is bringing her talents to Knoxville’s backyard as her performers scatter through its grounds to totally imbibe its audience in the ethos and environment through sheer scale. Over 600 local performers will partake in Bielawa’s singular score, explicitly composed with Knoxville in mind, to boomerang its own sights and sounds off of each other to make art and environment weave in and out of nature in intoxicating ways.
Launch Party and Book Signing with Audra McElyea – East Tennessee History Center (October 17, 6 – 8 p.m.) Local literature is getting its newest volume entered in the canon this week as Audra McLyea unveils her newest, single-stage thriller titled “Not Good People.” The novel centers around strangers who quickly reveal their hidden skeletons when the stakes rise in tandem with heart rates, the next revelation lying just around the corner. Join a conversation with McLyea and book doula Rea Frey, and stick around after for a chat with the author and the chance to have her signature personally inked in your copy!
Jamie Laval – Laurel Theater (October 18, 8 p.m.) Praised as “one of North America’s finest practitioners of traditional Scottish music,” performer Jamie Laval is bringing a nationally recognized talent to one of Knoxville’s most prized local stages. Over the years, he’s perfected that traditional fiddle sound while still peppering in some modern modes to a genre of music he’s spent his entire career preserving. Fans of all fashions and musical flavors can surely find something to pluck out and praise from this eclectic yet refined set of songs.
Knoxville Music Festival – Covenant Health Park (October 18, 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.) In honor of the recently opened Covenant Health Park to serve as a home for the Knoxville Smokies, it was only right that baseball season be capped off with one of the venue’s first concerts of many. Hip-hop legends Boosie, Cupid, and Lakeside will headline the event as fans are invited to let loose and get the ballpark bumping, even if there are no more glorious grand slams to be had for the remainder of the year.
Adam Delahoussaye is a freelance writer for KnoxTNToday who loves telling stories about music, arts, and culture in and around his hometown. Have a story for Adam? He can be reached at delahoussaye1267@gmail.com or by text at 865-919-5059 with your story idea.
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