Rain, rain, go away. Seriously, shoo! – at least on Saturday.
Two big events are scheduled for July 13, and it would really be nice if Mother Nature dried her eyes for a few hours so that participants and spectators could enjoy her beauty.
Knoxville’s Three Rivers Regatta 2019 starts at 7 a.m. at the Ned McWherter Dock at Riverside Landing Park, 1648 Riverside Drive.
Deep-water races for any style craft, the regatta features two competitions with multiple divisions. Half the course winds through downtown Knoxville, past Neyland Stadium and the University of Tennessee. The upper section of the course includes scenic and undeveloped sections of the Tennessee, French Broad and Holston rivers. There will be no commercial traffic on the river during the races.
The short race is 4.2 miles, and the long race is 24 miles.
The other big deal is the TWRA Sunflower Festival, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday at Forks of the River (entrance on McClure Lane). The Wildlife Management Area has 70 acres planted in sunflowers – if you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably seen friends’ pictures already, so you know you want to witness this great sight, which comes around only every other year. The festival includes an interpretive talk and guided hikes and is a treat for the whole family.
The full moon is back next week, and you can enjoy it from the water at two locations. River Sports Outfitters is offering a paddle at The Cove at Concord Park on Tuesday, July 16. Billy Lush Boards & Brew will host a full-moon paddle on July 16 and 17 at their riverfront headquarters downtown.
Edgewood Park in North Knoxville will be the scene for good times on July 18 with Third Thursday in Edgewood Park. Kincaid Dos will supply the music, and the Cubish food truck will fill dinner orders.
For details on these and other events, check out the Outdoor Knoxville calendar.
Carol Evans is executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to ensuring that our community enjoys exceptional recreational opportunities, natural beauty and open spaces, and that those assets exist for generations to come.