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🗓️ The Biggest History Festival in East Tennessee

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Concerts on the Square is back for the season, and it runs every Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM at Market Square. The next Jazz Tuesday is tonight, June 23rd, featuring the Vance Thompson Quartet. The series continues every Tuesday through the summer, with additional dates in September. These are casual, come-as-you-are evenings — show up, grab a spot, and let the music settle in around you. Whether you know every jazz standard by heart or you're just looking for somewhere to be on a warm Tuesday night, the format works.

All performances are presented by the City of Knoxville. The Market Square Farmers Market is also held there on Saturdays and most Wednesdays, so pairing a Tuesday evening concert with the rest of your downtown week is easy. Full schedule at the link below. More Info

The Zoo Knoxville Summer Concert Series is returning to the Boyd Foundation Boardwalk at Clayton Timber Loop (3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive), and the first two shows are coming up fast. On June 25th, the series opens with Pulp Friction, and the following Thursday, July 2nd, features The Alex Leach Band, performing bluegrass.

The format is simple and works beautifully: zoo gates open to concert-goers starting at 4:00 PM, which means you have time to wander the grounds before the music starts. Opening acts take the stage at 6:15 PM, with the headliner performing from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. Bring a blanket or a folding chair — the Boardwalk setting has that outdoor amphitheater vibe without the stadium crowds.

Admission is $15 per person after 4:00 PM for the evening concert access. Zoo Knoxville members get in free. The series continues through the summer with additional acts. More Info

Soundscapes at the Knoxville Museum of Art returns on July 10th, with nationally touring saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Saxl Rose taking the stage at 7:30 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM). The show runs until 9:15 PM, and the galleries stay open until 8:00 PM — which means you can walk through the art, then settle in for the music, and have the kind of evening that's hard to replicate anywhere else in the city.

If the name Saxl Rose doesn't ring a bell yet, the resume will. He's performed and recorded with Wiz Khalifa, Chris Brown, Paramore, JoJo, Bobby Valentino, and Jelly Roll, and he brings a high-energy, soulful blend of contemporary jazz and groove that's built him an audience well beyond the traditional jazz world. This is the kind of performer who makes a 105-minute concert feel too short.

Tickets are $20 for KMA members and $25 for non-members. If you have a Member's Pass, admission is free. Kids under 12 are also free. A local food vendor will be on-site, and there's a cash bar. The KMA is located at 1050 World's Fair Park Drive, with parking available nearby.

Capacity is limited, and Soundscapes events do sell out — online tickets are available now, though there's an online processing fee. If you've been to Soundscapes before, you already know the drill. If you haven't, July 10th is a good time to find out what you've been missing. More Info

The East Tennessee History Fair returns on August 15th, in and around the East Tennessee History Center (601 S Gay Street). It's a full day of celebration tied to our nation's 250th anniversary — the Semiquincentennial — and the organizers have built a program to match the occasion: living history demonstrations, live music, crafts, film screenings, and children's activities, all in one place.

The East Tennessee History Center is the physical heart of how this region tells its own story. It houses the Museum of East Tennessee History, the Knox County Archive, and the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection — one of the most significant genealogical and historical archives in the South. The History Fair is the one day a year when all of that opens up to the community in the most accessible, festive way possible.

Details on specific performers and demonstrations are still being confirmed, so this is one to put on the calendar now and check back on as August approaches. It's a free, family-friendly event presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society, the East Tennessee History Center, and Knox County Public Library.

If you want to reconnect with where this part of the country came from — or just spend a Saturday downtown doing something you won't forget — August 15th is the date. More Info

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Recurring events

🗓️ June 23rd-24th - Camp Webb offers more than 70 summer camps - welcoming kids from age 4 (Camp Wonderoo for pre-K) through rising 7th graders for a summer packed with adventure, sports, specialty skills, and memories. More Info

🗓️ June 23rd-July 30th - Concerts on the Square, presented by First Century Bank, returns to Market Square for its summer series of free Jazz Tuesday concerts, running every Tuesday in June and July from 7:00 PM–9:00 PM. More Info

🗓️ June 23rd-28th - PAT, the acclaimed one-woman play written and performed by Lisa Soland, returns for a limited engagement, now making its debut at the Jenny Boyd Theatre on the campus of the University of Tennessee - UT's newly opened performance space. More Info & Tickets

🗓️ June 23rd-27th - Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamp celebrates its 30th Annual Bluegrass Week June 21st–27th at Maryville College — and it's widely considered one of the finest acoustic music camps in the country. More Info

🗓️ June 23rd - The Farragut Museum's History Hour continues at 11:00 AM at Farragut Town Hall (11408 Municipal Center Drive, Farragut) — and this month's featured speaker is someone who really knows his history. Tim Holder — author, radio host, and history professor — will take the audience through the lives and legacies of the nation's first six presidents in what promises to be an engaging, accessible, and genuinely fascinating hour. More Info

🗓️ June 23rd - Used Book Sale at the Carter Branch Library (9036 Asheville Highway) | 1:00–7:00 PM More Info

🗓️ June 24th - AJ Lee & Blue Summit play the Bijou Theatre (803 S. Gay Street) on July 24th, with doors at 7:00 PM and the show at 8:00 PM. Tickets start at $25–$35+ and are available at the link below. More Info

🗓️ June 24th - The next Maker Mingle drops in at Real Good Kitchen (2004 E. Magnolia Avenue) on June 24th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The format couldn't be simpler: show up, meet makers, talk about what you're building. No agenda, no panels, no pressure. Just Knoxville's creative community in the same room, doing what creative communities do best. More Info & Register

🗓️ June 24th-27th - The 2026 AAU Girls Basketball World Championships comes to Knoxville from June 24th–28th, with games taking place at the Knoxville Convention Center (701 Henley Street) and the adjacent World's Fair Exhibition Hall. More Info

🗓️ June 24th-27th - Nief-Norf SYNNERGY comes to Knoxville - a four-day contemporary music festival and conference that's genuinely unlike anything else happening in East Tennessee this summer. Think cutting-edge new music performed live by world-class artists, with 12 free public concerts woven throughout the week. No ticket required. Just show up and listen. More Info

🗓️ June 25th - A room full of Knoxville neighbors will sit down together over a shared meal — and then decide, by popular vote, where hundreds of dollars in community funding goes. That's the idea behind Knoxville SOUP, and it's as simple and powerful as it sounds. Doors open at 5:30 PM at Kerbela Temple (315 Mimosa Ave.) Come hungry, stay curious, and leave knowing your evening meant something. More Info

🗓️ June 25th - B&B Indoor Foam Dart Arena (6709 Maynardville Pike) is hosting their premier summer event of the season: the Blitzfire Summer Battle Event, running from 3:00 PM–10:00 PM. This isn't a regular open-play day. Blitzfire brings extended play sessions, special game modes, and a competitive format that gives everyone — from first-timers to regulars — something to rise to. The event is recommended for ages 12 and up. More Info

🗓️ June 25th - Music for Seniors: Love Notes - A Musical Afternoon of Romance comes to the Episcopal Church of the Ascension (800 S. Northshore Drive) from 2:00 PM–3:00 PM, presented by the acclaimed Knoxville Opera. More Info

🗓️ June 26th - Kathleen Madigan - The Day Drinking Tour comes to the Bijou Theatre at 7:00 PM — and if you've ever caught her on a late-night show, her Netflix specials, or heard her on the radio, you already know what you're getting: razor-sharp, relatable, laugh-until-it-hurts comedy delivered by someone who has been doing this at the highest level for three decades. More Info

🗓️ June 27th - Summer is peak boating season, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Knoxville-First Flotilla wants to make sure you're out there safely. Their full-day BOAT AMERICA recreational boating safety course is coming at the Church at Sterchi Hills (904 Dry Gap Pike) from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Registration deadline is June 26th. To sign up, contact Flotilla Staff Officer Randy Woods at [email protected]. More Info

🗓️ June 27th - The Third Annual Blackberry Festival and 5K takes over 2910 W Emory Road in Powell from 9:00 AM–2:00 PM, hosted by Powell Presbyterian Church — and the lineup is everything a perfect summer Saturday should be. More Info

🗓️ June 27th - The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony comes to the Tennessee Theatre (604 S. Gay Street) — one of the most prestigious nights in women's basketball, and it happens right here in Knoxville, home of the WBHOF. More Info

🗓️ June 27th - Used Book Sale at the Karns Branch Library (7516 Oak Ridge Hwy) | 10:00 AM–5:00 PM More Info

🗓️ July 1st - Josiah & The Bonnevilles bring their Redline North American Tour to the Bijou (803 S. Gay Street) at 7:30 PM — and if you haven't heard this band yet, you're in for a treat. More Info

🗓️ July 1st-31st - The "Where's Waldo?" Scavenger Hunt is returning to Downtown Knoxville, and it's free for the whole family. Starting July 1st and running all month long, Waldo will be hiding inside dozens of downtown businesses — shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, and more — just waiting to be spotted. More Info

🗓️ July 4th - The City of Knoxville's Festival on the 4th returns to World's Fair Park Performance and Festival Lawns from 5:00 PM–10:00 PM — and with free admission, free parking, live music, and fireworks over the downtown skyline, this is the quintessential East Tennessee Fourth of July. More Info

🗓️ July 10th - Movies Under the Stars returns for its 14th year at Ijams Nature Center, and the July screening is a classic that'll hit different under an open sky. All Dogs Go to Heaven screens at the Ijams Visitor Center Lawn (2915 Island Home Ave.) Doors open at 7:00 PM, and the movie begins at dark — roughly 9:00 PM in July. Arrive early to grab a good spot. More Info

🗓️ July 10th-12th - FanBoy Expo takes over the Knoxville Convention Center (701 Henley Street) for three action-packed days — and with over 30,000 fans attending each summer event, this is one of the biggest and most electric weekends on the Knoxville calendar. More Info

🗓️ July 11th - WIVK's Southern Life Expo, presented by Visit My Smokies, is coming to the Knoxville Expo Center from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM — and the best part? It's completely free to attend. More Info

🗓️ July 11th - Mark your calendar: the America's 250th Anniversary Celebration at the Cove comes to The Cove at Concord Park for a full day of free, family-friendly festivities presented by Visit Knoxville and Knox County, starting at 11:00 AM. More Info

🗓️ July 29th - One of the most celebrated voices in rock history is coming to Knoxville. Graham Nash brings his Live on Tour 2026 to the Bijou on July 29th at 7:30 PM — and with a career spanning more than six decades, this is as close to a living history of contemporary music as you can get in one evening. More Info

🗓️ July 31st-August 1st - The Kuumba Festival — East Tennessee's largest African American Cultural Arts Festival — returns to Market Square, and it is exactly what it sounds like: a full, joyful, free celebration of culture, community, craft, and creativity in the middle of the city. More Info

🗓️ July 31st-August 2nd - CreepyCon 2026 celebrates its 10th Anniversary at the Knoxville Convention Center (701 Henley Street) from July 31st through August 2nd — and Tennessee's biggest Halloween and horror convention has never looked better. More Info

🗓️ August 8th - Irish Fest on the Hill returns at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown Knoxville, from 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM. The event honors Knoxville's deep Irish heritage through an afternoon of live Irish bands, traditional Irish dancers, kids' games, and classic Irish food — the kind of spread that leaves everyone happy and full. More Info

🗓️ August 9th - Old City Market transforms West Jackson Avenue into an outdoor showcase of Knoxville makers, artists, bakers, and crafters on the 3rd Sunday of every month from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM — additional markets are on Sept 20th, Oct 18th, and Dec 13th. More Info

🗓️ August 9th - The Back-to-School Bash at B&B Indoor Foam Dart Arena (6709 Maynardville Pike) is happening from noon to 4:00 PM. More Info

🗓️ August 15th - History Hootenanny returns to the East Tennessee History Center (601 S Gay St) and Krutch Park, running 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM — and the best part is that it's completely free and open to the public. More Info

🗓️ August 22nd - GermanFest Knoxville returns to First Lutheran Church (1207 Broadway) from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM — a full nine hours of German culture, Southern hospitality, and the kind of sheer, wholehearted fun that you can only find at a festival that includes competitive dachshund racing. More Info

🗓️ August 28th - Appalachian Arts Craft Center is hosting Appalachian Voices: Stories, Laughter & Creativity — a special community luncheon celebrating creativity, storytelling, and the rich culture of Appalachian life. The event takes place at the Oak Ridge Conference Center (1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge) from 11:45 AM to 1:15 PM. More Info & Tickets

🗓️ August 30th - The 13th Annual Knox Asian Festival takes over World's Fair Park and the Knoxville Museum of Art from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Presented by the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, this is one of the most genuinely immersive cultural events in the entire state — and it's right here in Knoxville. More Info

🗓️ September 16th - Big Kahuna Wing Festival at World's Fair Park; Thousands of pounds of wings; Competitive wing cook-off; Wing eating contest; Live entertainment; Kids activities; Pyro musical fireworks show. More Info

See Recurring Weekly & Monthly Networking Events

🗓️Free Veterans’ Breakfast: The United Veterans Council of East Tennessee presents 17 free breakfasts for Veterans and guests on four Saturdays, monthly. Coffee line starts at 8am, Chow line starts at 8:30am. Locations and Dates

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