Here’s what’s happening around East Tennessee today, along with helpful community resources and interesting things to discover beyond our backyard.
Tuesday Trivia
Tuesday Trivia: Did you know? On Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, providing the final state needed for ratification.
Highlights
- Preschool Story Time, A free weekly Tuesday preschool program, 10-11 a.m. at Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, 2649 Boyds Bridge Pike, 37914. Engaging stories, nature exploration, hands-on gardening, crafts, and other activities that nurture the youngest gardeners and their grownups are offered April- October.
- Philip Troutman Quintet: Jazz @ the Emporium — 7-9 p.m., Emporium Center. The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra’s free Tuesday-night August series features the Philip Troutman Quintet this week.
- Knoxville City Council Meeting — Tuesday, Aug. 18. The city’s August calendar lists the regularly scheduled City Council meeting that day.
- Knoxville Museum of Art — Open Tuesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with free admission and current exhibitions at World’s Fair Park. Knoxville Museum of Art
- McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture — Open Tuesday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., on the UT campus; admission is free. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture
Featured Resource
Knox County Health Department: works to promote and protect the health of everyone in our community. We track and monitor diseases, conduct extensive health education and outreach, provide and connect people with care, enforce food safety and air quality laws and regulations, prepare for public health emergencies, and more—all with the goal of ensuring the conditions in which every Knox County resident can be healthy. Knox County Health Department.
Community Calendar
Looking for more to do? Here are upcoming events and activities across East Tennessee.
Ijams Nature Center: Ijams offers programs, activities, and events for all ages on a weekly basis, and almost every day. Check their Calendar of Events here.
Knoxville Public Library often has weekly story times, LEGO clubs, craft sessions, and teen gaming nights. Check their weekly calendar: Knox County Public Library
Muse Knoxville is an interactive children’s museum with daily sessions: Muse Knoxville
Outdoor Knoxville: A calendar produced by Legacy Parks Foundation has a comprehensive list of upcoming local outdoor events. Find it here.
Visit Knoxville published 2026 Guide: The free 2026 Official Knoxville Visitors Guide is now available: Visitors Guide.
Zoo Knoxville is open daily; special feeds/talks may have times posted onsite: Zoo Knoxville
Helpful Community Links
Connect with local news: Follow breaking news, weather, and community updates from WBIR, WATE, and WVLT.
KCS Calendar: Stay informed with Knox County Schools calendar here.
Knoxville/Knox County Planning Commission: The Planning Commission meets the second Thursday of each month. Find agenda, minutes, and information here.
KUB Construction: Traffic advisories and construction-related impacts are communicated primarily through the online construction map .
Mayor’s Kickin’ It with Kincannon: City of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon shares a monthly podcast Kickin’ It with Kincannon.
Mayor Glenn Jacobs weekly podcast: Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs provides a weekly podcast.
Weather: The latest weather forecasts from WBIR Weather.
Across Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains Travel: Keep up to date on the TN/NC park Basic Information, Visitor Centers, Park Closures and Alerts, Parking Tags, Camping, Hiking, and general Visit Planning, all here.
TN Government meetings: Follow the latest here.
Tennessee Entertainment for All: The TN Vacation website links visitors to any region of Tennessee, featuring up-to-date venues and performances for all ages and preferences.
Tennessee State Parks lead us to the adventures of a lifetime: Tennessee State Parks
Tennessee Travel Information: As you make travel plans, get information on all travel issues across Tennessee, here.
Across America
National Back-to-School Month — A timely reminder to support students, families, teachers and school staff as a new academic year gets underway.
Congress: See this week’s meetings in Weekly Review
Entertainment: Latest in Movies, Music, TV, Books, Arts, Design, Celebrities at Google Entertainment.
Science: Latest in Environment, Space, Physics, Genetics, and Wildlife, at Google Science.
Sports: Latest in NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, Soccer, NASCAR, & more sports at Google Sports.
Stocks: Follow the stock market: Market Watch.
U.S. Supreme Court: Follow the decisions of the top court here
Around the World
World: Latest World headlines at Google News World.
United Nations: Latest UN News.
Today in History
- 1920 – Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment, becoming the decisive 36th state needed to secure women’s suffrage nationwide.
- 1227 – Genghis Khan died during a military campaign in China.
- 1992 – Boston Celtics star Larry Bird announced his retirement from professional basketball.
Tennessee Trivia
Did you know? Tennessee’s role in ratifying the 19th Amendment earned it the nickname “The Perfect 36” in the story of women’s suffrage.
😊 Today’s Smile
Why did the history book look worried? It had too much past to deal with.
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