Dogwood Arts has set an exciting week ahead. Here are the headlines with links to more information:
Chalk Walk will bring over 300 artists to Market Square from 8-8 on Saturday, April 11, for drawing on the sidewalks. Beyond the artwork, there will be food trucks, a blooming beer garden and free art activities, sponsored by First Horizon Bank, for the kids. Chalk Walk is free and open to the public, but those who are able are asked to contribute $5 to keep the event open to all for years to come. Info here.
Featured Gardens: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 18-19. Open to the public just one weekend each year. Savage Garden, 3237 Garden Drive in Fountain City; GATOP (God’s Answer to Our Prayers), 2634 Delrose Dr. in East Knoxville; and Ross Glen Garden, Bearden/Lyons View area). For Ross Glen, a $5 shuttle ticket must be purchased on line and the address for parking will be shared via email. More here. Self-guided Tours allow guests to explore at their own pace with master gardeners and Dogwood Arts staff available on-site to answer questions. $5 donation per garden (cash or cred accepted on site).
Zig Zag bridge reopens on Third Creek Greenway
Knoxville’s new zig zag bridge
One of the most iconic sections of one of Knoxville’s most popular greenways has reopened.
Third Creek Greenway’s Zig Zag Bridge – formally named the Ulmer Bridge – has been completely rebuilt in less than two months by the City’s Public Service Department. The 200-foot-long bridge honors John Ulmer, a bicycling enthusiast and planner in the 1970s who helped develop the greenway.
“This is a significant rebuild,” says Alison Bullock, the city’s parks and greenways coordinator. “Parts of the original bridge were rotten and in bad shape – there was even a large hole. So, the crew took it down to the 8-by-8-foot posts. All they kept was the metal railing. Public Service did an amazing job.”
Public Service Deputy Director Chris Webster said the crew “used top-quality pressure-treated lumber. This new bridge will be around for a long time.”
One upgrade, which greenway runners and bicyclists will applaud: The slick shingles covering the deck are gone. Safety treads – metal strips attached to the deck – will dramatically improve traction.
Public Service Facilities crew members who rebuilt the bridge were: Parkey Kelley and Kevin Johnson (foremen), Tim Huffman, Tim Johnson, Thomas Melton, Jody Dykes, Brendan Buckner, Benny Burrell, Philip Patty, Josh LeClair and Boyd Rutherford.
Horticulture employees who joined the project were: Mark Navarro, Zach Gilkey, Colby Nixon, Darrell Evans, Erickson Mesa, Roy Strevel, Phillip Wrinkle, Tony Walker, Clayton Curtis, Denim Thames, Jonathan Parker, Nicholas Ferro and Ryan Crawford.
Meanwhile, repairs to the James White Greenway, just east of Volunteer Landing on the North Waterfront, are progressing. A major undertaking being done in-house by the Public Service Department, this greenway is set to reopen in about a month.
Beaten by the forces of erosion and gravity, a 400-foot section of the greenway’s asphalt surface was disintegrating and the railing was falling toward the river. Since February, weather permitting, crews have been removing the existing asphalt and railing, rebuilding the subgrade, pouring concrete, and reinforcing the steep riverbank. A new fence along this section of the greenway will be installed as the work progresses.
In addition, crews have smoothed and improved the railroad track crossing on the western end of James White Greenway, near where it begins at Volunteer Landing.
Eric Vreeland contributed information and quotes for this report.
2026 TN Green Industry Field Day ahead
Like its predecessor in 2025 (shown), the 2026 Tennessee Green Industry Field Day will include outdoor sessions and walking tours of the UT Gardens, Knoxville. More than 60 industry professionals attended the 2025 event. (Photo by H. Harbin, courtesy UTIA)
Nursery and landscape businesses provide undeniable aesthetics to our daily lives and an estimated total $245.2 million economic contribution to the state’s economy. To stay up-to-date with management and production practices, landscape managers and nursery industry professionals are encouraged to set aside June 11 for the annual Tennessee Green Industry Field Day.
The event is hosted by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association and will take place in Knoxville at the UT Gardens and Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Building on the grounds of the UT Institute of Agriculture.
For full descriptions of the presentations and to register in advance, visit the TNLA website.
Notes and Quotes
Outdoor Knoxville, a calendar produced by Legacy Parks Foundation, is a comprehensive list of upcoming local outdoor events. Find it here.
South Knoxville Community Cleanup will be Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event base will be at Chapman Square, 4409 Chapman Hwy., Knoxville. Write or call Amanda here or 865-521-6957 with questions.
Scottish Festival: Tennessee’s oldest festival celebrating Scots-Irish culture and impact is set for the third weekend of May, Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17, at the Greater Smokies Event Grounds adjacent to the Blount Partnership Townsend Visitor’s Center, 7930 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Townsend, Tennessee. More here.
Quote: “Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me … Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” ― Shel Silverstein, author of great children’s books.
