Vestival is turning 18 in 2018, and it’s still growing.
The eclectic music and arts festival, held annually on the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend, brings together people of all ages from Knoxville and throughout the Southeast to enjoy different musical genres, lively history lessons and vibrant modern culture as it celebrates the life and spirit of South Knoxville.
The historic Candoro Marble building, 681 Maryville Pike, was once the center of industry in the SoKno community of Vestal. Taking over the grounds this Saturday will be artists, crafters, food vendors and more. Three stages will feature acclaimed local musical acts such as Robinella, Akeem the Artist and Jubal.
“Candoro’s vice president and rental coordinator Marvyl Triscritti has planned a great event this year with a terrific band lineup on all our stages,” says Molly Gilbert, president of the Candoro Arts & Heritage Center board of directors. “Katrin Riggs, our docent coordinator and treasurer, has scheduled tour guides throughout the building.
“We have tons of kids’ activities, including face painting. This event really is great for the whole family.
“Plus, we have so many terrific items that have been donated for a special silent auction. This year is going to be our best festival ever.”
Candoro Marble Works was established in 1914, and its showroom and garage were designed by renowned Knoxville architect Charles Barber and built in 1923. While the marble company ceased operations in 1982, independent marble fabricators continued to use the facilities until the early 2000s.
The Aslan Foundation, which now owns the Candoro property, plans to make numerous renovations to the building in 2019 and will display information about the renovations during Vestival. There will also be info about the center’s free Sunday tours.
Gilbert praised District 9 County Commissioner Carson Dailey, who is on the Candoro board, for ensuring “that our grounds are in pristine shape.”
“2018 has been a tremendous year already for Candoro,” says Gilbert. “In the past, the volunteer board has hosted two or three events each year, with Vestival being the largest. However, this year our board has tackled over a dozen events in an effort to have the building open to the public more often.
“In past years, we’ve had maybe about 2,000 people on the property, and in 2017 we were able to more than double that. We expect our 2018 attendance to justify that this community has a need for this historic site. It really has national significance, and we are lucky to have it here in South Knoxville.”
Vestival opens at 10 a.m. and runs till 6 p.m. A donation of $5 is suggested for entry. The money raised will go to help preserve Candoro.
Here is the tentative musical lineup:
Building Stage
10:30 a.m. 3 Mile Smile
11:30 a.m. Brian Paddock
12:30 p.m. Shaun Abbott
1:30 p.m. Megan and Her Goody Goodies
2:30 p.m. Shayla McDaniel
3:30 p.m. Jubal
4:30 p.m. Adeem the Artist
5:30 p.m. Robinella
Carriage House Stage
10 a.m. Judy and Warren
11 a.m. Osborne-Krause
12 p.m. Spooky Ooos
1 p.m. Bad Hatt’rs
2 p.m. Doug Wilhite
3 p.m. Sharon Parks
4 p.m. Old City Buskers
5 p.m. Sunkiller
Greenspace Stage
11:45 a.m. Knoxville Academy of the Blade performance
12 p.m. Dragonfly Aerial Artists
1:15 p.m. Dancing Spider Yoga demonstration
3:15 p.m. Sandsation Dancers
3:45 p.m. Knoxville Academy of the Blade performance
4 p.m. Dragonfly Aerial Artists