Concerts at Halls and Concord

Our Second Saturday Concert Series will return this summer and we have the bands booked but we just have to finalize some details and get the contracts signed!

After that, you all will know what we do! As of now, expect shows at the Cove at Concord Park and Clayton Park in Halls on the second Saturday of June, July and August from 6-8 p.m.

We have some great acts ready for this summer!

In addition, our community garden is still going at New Harvest Park. A few years ago, we turned it over to CAC to help oversee it. For more details, contact Adam at 865-546-3500 and extension 1611.

It’s been a busy week but for our folks.

Some folks have been wandering onto private property that connects to Roy Arthur Stormwater Park off Harrell Road. Our folks are there now building a fence. Most people respect private property but there are a few who don’t.

Speaking of those who don’t . . . awhile back someone ruined the electrical system at East Knox Park. Well, we got the lights up and running thanks, in part, to a grant from Dick’s Sporting Goods. There’s about $4,500 or so left over from it, according to my understanding, so we’re putting that money into the park as well.

“We want to update East Knox Park a little with a new roof, batting cage or something,” said Jason Halliburton, the department’s supervisor of maintenance.

This week, we’ve had crews updating signs, and “mowing and going,” and repairing gates at Powell-Levi Park.

We also had a crew at Ball Camp Park working on field No. 2, since there was a sink hole. That tends to happen so our folks will be out looking for more sinkholes. If you spot any, contact the department at 865-215-6600.

Our three splash pads also are open again this year at Carl Cowan, Powell Station and New Harvest parks, although we did have to shut down the one at New Harvest for a few days this week to work on the filter. We hope it’s corrected. If not, we’ll put up information on whether it’s open or not on social media.

The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department will have a new senior director who starts on July 6. More on that in the coming weeks. In fact, you never know – you might read it here first!

I should also note as well that the Knox County Library System has something pretty cool going on.

Please join us on Tuesday, May 18, at 7 p.m. for the library’s monthly online trivia game called “Know It Knox.”

This month the theme is Historic Places, in honor of National Preservation Month, with guest host Todd Morgan, executive director of Knox Heritage. Test your knowledge of the iconic and not-so-iconic structures — some preserved, some barely standing, and some long gone — that have helped define East Tennessee!

For more information, go here.

Our folks over at the Knox County Engineering and Public Works Department also were busy. Here’s two projects where they spent time this week: