Beat the Heat: Explore the Lost Sea in Sweetwater, Tennessee!

Issue #225

12 Jul

In this Knoxville Insider Issue…

🌤️ Knoxville Weather - Mostly Sunny with a High of 95

📰 Heroic Dog Alerts Homeowner to Fire

🗓️ Upcoming Events (Tons!)

🗓️ Elections: Early Voting Details

🗓️ Event Showcase: Salty Dog Seafood Festival, Pinnacle Farmers Market, Summer Market

🏡 Real Estate: The Value of Home Inspections, Issue #005

📣 We Want to Spotlight Your Business! Apply Here

✅ Advertising Opportunities
 

Beat the Heat: Explore the Lost Sea in Sweetwater, Tennessee!

Looking for a unique and cool way to escape the summer heat? Look no further than the Lost Sea, America's largest underground lake and a Registered National Landmark, nestled in the picturesque town of Sweetwater, Tennessee.

The history of the Lost Sea caverns dates back to the Cherokee Indians, who first discovered and utilized these natural wonders. What begins as a tiny natural opening on the side of a mountain expands into a series of vast chambers. Nearly a mile from the entrance, a treasure trove of Indian artifacts, including pottery, arrowheads, weapons, and jewelry, has been uncovered, showcasing the rich heritage of the Cherokee people.

When the first white settlers arrived in the Tennessee Valley in the 1820s, they also discovered the cave and used its constant 58-degree environment for storing potatoes and other vegetables.

Today, the Lost Sea remains a popular destination for those seeking to cool off and explore its fascinating history. Open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Lost Sea offers guided tours that last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Whether you're a history buff, an adventure seeker, or simply looking for a refreshing retreat, a visit to the Lost Sea is a perfect way to spend a day. Don't miss this incredible underground journey in Sweetwater, Tennessee! More Info

Heroic Dog Alerts Homeowner to Fire

Early Thursday morning, the Knoxville Fire Department (KFD) responded to a house fire in the Fountain City area. Fire crews promptly arrived at the scene, where they were met by the homeowner, who had been awakened by his dog’s barking and then the sound of his alarm system. Despite smelling smoke, he was unable to locate the source of the fire.

Upon investigation, KFD crews discovered a small fire in the office located in the basement of the home. Thanks to their quick response and efficient action, the flames were rapidly extinguished, preventing significant damage to the property.

This incident highlights the importance of working smoke alarms and the role of pets in alerting homeowners to potential dangers.

Have an event to add? Let us know! [email protected]

With the volume of events we are getting, to help the long scroll of our newsletter, for categories that contain many events, we are including buttons to ‘more events…’ that will bring you to a long page of additional events in that category.

Community:

Howard Pinkston Library Used Book Sale: on Saturday, July 13th from 10am - 5pm, 7732 Martin Mill Pike

Southern Charm & Sweet Tea Boutique & Craft Show: on July 13th, 10am - 2pm at The Venue at Lenoir City. Over 60 boutiques and crafters & food trucks!

Food:

Traditional Cuban Cooking Class: offered on July 16th at 7pm at The Spice & Tea Exchange. Cost is $75/person (+tax). You will learn how to make fired plantains, a main course of ropa bieja (shredded beef dish). For more information call the store at 865-985-0913 or email [email protected].

Bourbon 101: on the Tennessee Riverboat - July 18th, boarding at 6pm and finishing at 9pm. This class is an interactive 1.5 hour presentation on the history and virtues of Bourbon. A buffet to compliment the Bourbons will be provided. More Info 

Tea Flights: offered Monday - Thursday at The Spice and Tea Exchange. Limited to 4 people per group at $8.99/person. Call the store for more information (865) 985-0913

Music:

Grooves in the Garden: Hosted by Knoxville Botanical Garden on Saturday, July 20th 5pm - 10pm. Knoxville’s best outdoor music festival in jazz, R&B and soul. This is an adult only event with live music, a DJ, food trucks and a cash bar. More Info

Hillbilly Thomists and Fiddling Leona: at the Bijou Theatre on Saturday, August 3rd. Enjoy some of your bluegrass favorites as well as Feona’s fresh take on fiddling! Tickets are on sale now! Partial proceeds benefit the Chesterton Academy, a local classical model high school, More Info/Tickets

Networking:

Motley Crew Community Luncheon: hosted by Hubert Smith: Every month on the first Friday at Crowne Plaza Knoxville.  This is a public event. All are welcome. No RSVP. No speakers! No politics! Lots of fun, food, and fellowship! Doors open at 11am, More Info call Cheryl at (865) 456-1095

Emotional Sobriety: Each Thursday at 5pm (except July 4) at The Kraken’s Cup. The Kracken’s Cup has partnered with Sober in Knoxville to create a safe and accepting environment for their N Knoxville meetups. Questions? Email [email protected].

Veterans:

Free Veteran’s Breakfast: The United Veterans Council of East Tennessee presents 13 free breakfasts for Veterans and guests on four Saturdays, monthly, Coffee line starts at 8am, Chow line starts at 8:30am. Locations and Dates

Summer Market this Saturday

Meet Me at the Market presents their Summer Market this Saturday, July 13th from 10am - 4pm at the Knoxville Expo Center, 5441 Clinton Hwy. Shop bath & body, health & beauty, teas & tinctures, boutiques, home decor, farm goods, wood items and more!

Salty Dog Seafood Festival

Knoxville’s first Salty Dog Seafood Festival, a fantastic three-day event will be held from Friday-Sunday, July 19th-21st at the World’s Fair Park on the Performance Lawn. Enjoy fresh seafood, live music, arts and crafts, and beer and wine gardens. There's also a large kids' area for family fun. Admission is $5.00, with food and drinks available for purchase from various vendors.

This event supports the Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville and The Little Ponderosa Zoo & Rescue.

For more information, visit the festival website.

Pinnacle Farmers Market at Turkey Creek

This farmers market is open every Sunday through the end of July from 11am to 3pm at the Pinnacle Farmers Market, 11251 Parkside Drive.

Enjoy a delightful selection of fresh produce from four vegetable stands, tasty treats from several bakeries, unique crafts, and food trucks. You might want to try the best chicken salad around (according to one of our readers!). Don't forget to grab a refreshing drink from the coffee and lemonade trucks.

It's a perfect Sunday outing to support local vendors and enjoy the community atmosphere.

Knoxville Real Estate Insider

Do you have specific real estate questions you'd like answered? Submit a Question. A realtor will have an answer for you in the next issue of the Knoxville Real Estate Insider.

Are you a local realtor selling a home or property? Do you have an upcoming open house? Let us know at [email protected] or (865) 234-2421! We can include them here.

Early Voting Details

The primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Senate, and Tennessee House of Representatives will take place on Thursday, August 1st. Additionally, several Knox County elections will be decided through a general election on the same day.

Early voting is from Friday, July 12th through Saturday, July 27th. Early voting locations:

Downtown - City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 7/13, 10am-3pm, Other Saturdays 8am-4pm

Downtown West - Unit 40, 1645 Downtown West Blvd, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

East - Carter Elementary School, 8455 Strawberry Plains Pike, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

East - Eternal Life Harvest Center at Five Points, 2410 Martin Luther King Avenue, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

North - Halls Recreation Center, 6933 Recreation Lane, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

Northeast - Gibbs Ruritan Club, 7827 Tazewell Pike, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am - 7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

Northeast - New Harvest Park, 4775 New Harvest Lane, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

Northwest - Karns Senior Center, 8042 Oak Ridge Highway, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 7/27, 10am-3pm

Northwest - Knoxville Expo Center, 5441 Clinton Highway, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri, 10am-7pm, Sat, 10am-3pm

West- Knox County Election Commission, 109 Lovell Heights Road, Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm

Visit the TN Secretary of State website for more info

We Want To Spotlight Local Businesses!

Would you like us to spotlight your local business in front of thousands of Knoxville area residents in an upcoming issue of Knoxville Insider? Apply Here. Not a business owner, but love a local business? Tell us all about it - send us an email at [email protected]!

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