Here’s what’s happening around East Tennessee today, along with helpful community resources and interesting things to discover beyond our backyard.
Friday Fun
Finish strong and celebrate progress.
Today’s Highlights
Saturday, August 1: J.R. Greene, author of My Magic Tux: A Big Orange Story of Courage and Confidence will make two special appearances at Alumni Hall locations in Knoxville at 10-11 a.m., 6714 Papermill Drive NW and 12-1 p.m., 11309 Parkside Drive
Garden Myths Busted: The Knox County Master Gardener’s Garden Classroom continues with this program offered on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. – noon at the UT Gardens South Greenhouse, 2514 Jacob Drive.
Kumba Festival: Locally and nationally renowned African-American creators take center stage in Knoxville this weekend with Kuumba Festival – Market Square & Chilhowee Park , July 31st – August 2nd, 2026 at Downtown Market Square July 31, 2 p.m.- 10 p.m. the at Chilhowee Park August 1st and 2nd, 2 p.m.- 10 p.m.
Dixie Lee Famers Market Open-air Farmers Market featuring fresh, local produce, Grass-Fed meats, eggs & milk. Open every Saturday (May-October) from 9 a.m.- noon at 12740 Kingston Pike, Farragut.
Hall’s Farmer’s Market Sponsored by the Halls Crossroads Women’s League every Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon at Beaver Dam Baptist Church | 4328 E. Emory Rd., Knoxville, 37938. Offered at the market: local seasonal produce, fresh bakery goodies, local honey, handmade aprons & hand-created crafts, and so much more, including free arts & crafts for the kiddos in the Kidz Korner.
Market Square Farmer’s Market Every Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. through October, Nourish Knoxville operates producer-only farmers markets in Knoxville, Tennessee. Everything sold at our farmers’ markets is grown/raised/produced by the vendor within a 150-mile radius of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Featured Resource
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.
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
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
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.
TN Government meetings: Follow the latest here.
Tennesee 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
July 31 is National Avocado Day and major restaurant chains like Chipotle are rolling out massive food deals and freebies, with several extending their promotions across multiple days:
National: Latest U.S. headlines at Google News US.
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
1715 – First U.S. lighthouse authorized.
Tennessee Trivia
Did you know? Eastern box turtle is Tennessee’s state reptile.
😊 Today’s Smile
Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up? It was two-tired.
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KnoxTNToday Update:
Our two new weekend features are Community Snapshot on Saturday (see the best picture sent in this week) and Sunday Conversation with a new question this Sunday!
