Plus: Serene Manor, Chilhowee Park, Larsen Jay’s parade schedule, Sacred Ground, Christkindlmarkt

Uh, could it be a tree?!

Everybody in West Hills and their friends are invited to holiday festivities on Friday, December 12, 2025, from 5-7 p.m. at the West Hills Park Gazebo on Winston Road.

It’s a holiday tradition that grows each year.

Tour de Lights is a bike/walk event around the park’s .8-mile loop with decorated bikes, strollers, wagons and neighbors decked out in holiday attire with lights on the bikes.

Santa will be present at the Gazebo as well as drummers performing Christmas music and hot chocolate will be served.

It’s a special celebration in a special neighborhood.

Zoning vote: After West Hills Community Association president Lee Hume gave cogent reasons that certain neighborhoods (like West Hills) should be excluded from the zoning ordinance change to allow attached single-family dwellings in certain single-family communities, a member of council said, “Let West Hills be West Hills and the rest of us be who we are. … We don’t all have to be West Hills.”

The statement showed frustration from someone who believed that allowing two houses on one lot (some as narrow as 25-feet) is a way to increase density and bring down the cost of housing. The ordinance passed, but only after two huge zoning designations were excluded. Someone said the excluded neighborhoods represented about 80 percent of the available lots, leaving only the areas where townhouses are allowed to take advantage of the new zoning.

Serene Manor public meeting

City of Knoxville Housing & Neighborhood Development staff will host a public meeting on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 6 p.m. at the Knox County Health Department (140 Dameron Avenue, Knoxville) to discuss and answer questions regarding the future use of Serene Manor.

Serene Manor is a closed 79-bed nursing home at 970 Wray Street that the city acquired in 2024. It sits near the Knox County Health Department.

The facility was built in 1933 as the Rosenwald Wing of Knoxville General Hospital for treatment of Black residents. It more recently served as a privately run residential care facility.

The meeting will also be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. The Teams link will be available here on Dec. 2.

Following a public input process, the city plans to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in the coming months for the reuse of the property. The goal is to address the community’s needs for permanent supportive housing and transitional housing, in alignment with the Office of Housing Stability’s three-year strategic plan and the City’s Attainable Resilient Knoxville plan.

Housing providers, neighborhood groups and other interested parties are invited to attend this public meeting to learn more about the property, the creation of the RFP and the disposition process. Or we could just wait until somebody else figures it out and then show up to oppose that plan.

Parades galore!

Larsen Jay

Never say that Larsen Jay is lazy. His December constituent newsletter lists these parades that he plans to attend (two are at the same time) and he’s calling for volunteers to march with him. Certainly glad I’m not running for office in 2026.

  • Downtown Knoxville Parade – Friday, December 5 (7 p.m.)
  • Karns Parade – Saturday, December 6 (9 a.m.)
  • Fountain City Parade – Saturday, December 6 (9 a.m.)
  • Powell Parade – Saturday, December 6 (5 p.m.)
  • Hardin Valley “Light Up the Valley” Festival – Sunday, December 7 (5 p.m.)
  • Northshore Elementary Parade – Wednesday, December 10 (6 p.m.)
  • Corryton Parade – Saturday, December 13 (11 a.m.)
  • Halls Parade – Saturday, December 13 (6 p.m.)
Dogwood Arts wraps up 70th year

Hard to believe but Knoxville neighbors have been planting dogwood trees and other neat landscaping for 70 years. Considering that the average dogwood tree lives about 30 years, it’s important to keep on planting. Donations are always welcomed. This clip shows some of Dogwood Arts’ achievements during 2025.

This photo from the city website shows the lake at Chilhowee Park.

Testing at Chilhowee Park

This week (Dec. 1-5), crews with Geosyntec Consultants will be drilling and collecting core samples at Chilhowee Park as part of the Loves Creek Phase II Hydrology Study, per announcement by Knoxville city government.

This comprehensive study of the Loves Creek watershed is an important next step in addressing flooding of Lake Ottosee at Chilhowee Park, as well as flooding at surrounding properties. The flooding hampers usage of and investment in a significant portion of Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center.

The park will remain open, and viewing of the holiday lights will not be affected. Just watch out for and avoid the work zones, which will be cordoned off for about a week while the drilling work is being done.

Notes & Quotes

Sacred Ground Hospice House, 1120 Dry Gap Pike, has two special events this week:

  • Thursday, Dec. 4, 6 p.m. Memorial Service recognizing those who have passed away at the hospice house during the year. All are invited.
  • Friday, Dec. 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dinner and singing by the Halls Madrigals. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased here.

Christkindlmarkt (pronounced Chris-kindle-mart) will be Saturday and Sunday, December 6-7, hosted by Knoxville GermanFest at First Lutheran Church and School, 1207 N. Broadway, Knoxville, from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free with food and beverage available for purchase. Christkindlmarkt is family-friendly for all ages. Details here.

Victor Ashe is reporting (and we can’t find it anywhere else) that five newly elected members of Knoxville City Council will be sworn into office at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 20, 2025, in the Lecture Hall of the Knoxville Convention Center. The public is invited. Mayor Indya Kincannon will issue a call for a special city council meeting to be held after the swearing-in to elect a new vice mayor for a two-year term, a chair of the Beer Board and the council representative to the Knoxville Area Transit Board. The date coincides with National Sangria Day which may be fortuitous.

South Waterfront Master Plan community meeting is Monday, December 8, from 5-7 p.m. at Kerbela Temple, 315 Kerbela Ave., Knoxville. All interested people are invited.

Quote: “We don’t all have to be West Hills.” – city council member