Some roads in the downtown Knoxville area will temporarily close for special events on Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4. Drivers are encouraged to be aware and plan their trips with these closures in mind.
Rhinestone Festival – Saturday, June 3 – Closure: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. W. Jackson Avenue between S. Central and State streets
Formerly known as Dolly Fest, this bedazzled three-day festival features live music, vendors and entertainment at multiple Old City venues. W. Jackson Avenue between S. Central and State streets will be closed Saturday, June 3, to host the main stage and cheering fans, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The same block of W. Jackson will be closed Sunday for a special Dolly-themed market (see below). More information at https://oldcityknoxville.org/rhinestonefest/.
Nourish Knoxville’s Market Square Farmers’ Market – Saturday, June 3 – Closure: 6:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Market Street between Union and Church avenues and Union Avenue between Walnut and Gay streets. Market hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit https://www.nourishknoxville.org/market-square-farmers-market/ for more information.
Over the Edge – Saturday, June 3 – Closure: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Market Street between Church and Clinch avenues
This fundraiser for The Arc Knoxville includes live music and games for the whole family as the bravest rappel down the 16-story Trotter Building. Event hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info at https://sunshinekcarc.org/overtheedgeknoxville/.
Five Points / Taylor Homes Homecoming Parade – Saturday, June 3 – Closure: 11 a.m. to noon between 2514 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Dr. Walter Hardy Park (2020 MLK Jr. Ave.)
The Five Points / Taylor Homes Homecoming parade will step off at 11 a.m. from the staging area at 2514 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and proceed to Dr. Walter Hardy Park for a festival that runs until 10 p.m. The Homecoming event will also be held Sunday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Open Streets Knoxville: Downtown North – Sunday, June 4 – Closure: 12 – 6:15 p.m. Sections of Depot, Gay, N. Central and Lamar streets, Emory Place and portions of Third and Fourth avenues
Join Bike Walk Knoxville and all your neighbors at Open Streets 2023 on Sunday, June 4, 2-6 p.m. in the Downtown North neighborhood near Emory Place. This year’s “open street” is the first-ever loop route, which means lots of space to explore local businesses, eat good food, visit with the pop-up community groups, and generally play in the streets without motorized vehicles. View the map at https://www.bwknox.org/osk_2023 for details, including suggestions for parking in the event’s vicinity.
Old City Market – Sunday, June 4 – Closure: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. W. Jackson Avenue between S. Central and State streets
A special-edition Rhinestone Market will be held on W. Jackson Avenue 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. with local and regional artists and makers displaying their Dolly-themed creations. More information is posted at https://oldcityknoxville.org/market/.
Parking in city-owned garages and surface lots is free after 6 p.m. weeknights and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. This includes:
- State Street, Locust Street, City County Building and Market Square parking garages
- Surface lots on W. Jackson Avenue, between Gay Street and Broadway, and on Magnolia Avenue, between Gay and N. Central streets
- Old City parking lot between Patton and E. Jackson Avenue.
Additional free parking on nights and weekends is available in the Dwight Kessel Garage. Find a map of parking lots with real-time availability at https://www.downtownknoxville.org/explore/parking/?t[]=37 or by using the Parkopedia app.
Use Knoxville Area Transit buses and trolleys to reach your destination. Visit https://KatBus.com to plan your trip or download the Transit app.
Paige Travis is a public information specialist for the city of Knoxville.