The time change has brought longer days to enjoy outdoor events and Knoxville is showcasing many this weekend. Whether it is the family, a group of friends or solitary entertainment, there is a variety of activities to entertain the soul!
Heart – Thompson Boling Arena at Food City Center (March 28, 8 p.m.)
Seldom can you see legacy acts with as big of a repertoire in such a large venue. The Food City Center continues to book stellar live acts to put on our biggest regular stage and Heart is no different. Still fronted by the Wilson sisters, come listen to women-powered rock and roll as they harken back to their prime and continue to solidify their reputation.
Free Family Night – Muse Knoxville (March 28, 5-7 p.m.)
This totally free and open to the public event is perfect to bring the kids to for a night of educational fun! Come let the kiddos engage in some science, technology, engineering, arts and math (better known as STEAM) in this welcoming and stimulating environment.
Big Night Hike – Ijams Nature Center (March 28, 7:30)
With the March rain soaking in the soil, the salamanders are finding their way back to the surface after a long winter. Come join Ijams on one of their signature night hikes to get a peek at salamanders, frogs and more slippery amphibians exiting their sleepy state to come thrive in their natural habitat. Nets, gloves and other exploration necessities will be provided!
Maame Nsuroma Art Exhibition – The Bottom (March 29, 2 p.m.)
Highlighting three budding artists, The Bottom’s newest gallery explores themes of womanhood in the most ethereal of senses. Mixed media, portraits and more highlighting celestial bodies will be on display at this one of a kind showcase of marginalization being reimagined through new frontiers.
Appalachian Ballet Company presents All About the Animals – Clayton Center For The Arts (March 29, 7 p.m.)
The resident ballet company for Maryville College’s new Clayton Center for the Arts, the group has been performing now for almost 50 years in collaboration with some of Knoxville’s most prolific arts collectives. Their newest performance will include numbers like ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and ‘Carnival of the Animals’ backdropped by members of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Come check out this first-class performance full of excitement and education!
Big Ears Music Festival – Multiple Locations (March 27-30)
For almost 20 years, Knoxville has led the way for avant-garde performance and a meld of minds so drastic in their differences yet uniquely unified in their mission to present a provocative product. That’s what makes Big Ears so great. A three-day, mystified experience that invites you in with vaguely familiar faces that will become favorites by the end of the weekend. This festival is a surefire success in getting us out of our comfort zone in an attempt to broaden our horizons in a dozen different directions. The most singular festival in the country, tucked in our holler beneath the hills.
Drop-In Figure Drawing – Knoxville Museum of Art (March 31, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
The KMA is inviting artists of all varieties and experience levels to gather for this casual, guided course on figure sketching. Nancy Campbell will help budding artists work through figure drawing in several segments. Easels will be provided, though participants will need to provide their own materials past that. The session is for adults only, with participants between the ages of 16-17 needing a signed permission slip to enter.
Chuck Ragan – Open Chord (April 1, 8 p.m.)
Chuck Ragan brings a unique perspective to his music that makes him fit right into our East Tennesseean ethos. An outdoorsman, he’s as comfortable knee-high in the creek as he is on a stage in any venue in the country. Debuting his first solo project in 10 years, Love and Lore, this show is a unique experience to see Ragan knock the dust off and get back to his roots in one of our most intimate venues.
Adam Delahoussaye is a freelance writer for the KnoxTNToday who loves telling stories about music, arts and culture in and around his hometown. Have a story for Adam? He can be reached at email or text 865-919-5059 with your story idea.
