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📰 Free Breakfast for Veterans Just Got Bigger - Now at 20 Locations

📰 FanBoy Expo Coming to the Convention Center Downtown

🗓️ Knoxville's Own Community Band Is Celebrating America's 250th with a Free Concert at Lakeshore Park

🗓️ Used Books, Breweries, and a Bookshop Downtown

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The United Veterans Council of East Tennessee hosts free monthly breakfasts for veterans and guests every Saturday of the month across East Tennessee — and the network just expanded from 18 to 20 locations. Coffee line starts at 8:00 AM, chow line at 8:30 AM. No registration, no cost.

Two locations are brand new: VFW Post 5622 (2503 East Andrew Johnson Hwy, Morristown) joins the Second Saturday roster, and Christian Church of Loudon County (12210 Martel Road, Lenoir City) joins the First Saturday lineup starting July 11th — bringing free veterans' breakfasts to the Lenoir City area for the first time.

For more information or to sponsor a breakfast, call (865) 604-4443. More Info

FanBoy Expo — Tennessee's Largest Pop Culture Event — takes over the Knoxville Convention Center July 10th-12th with over 30,000 fans expected and a guest list that spans five decades of TV, film, wrestling, and music.

The headliner reunions alone make it worth the trip: Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong (Terminator), Henry Winkler, Don Most, and Anson Williams (Happy Days), Christopher Lambert, Linden Ashby, and Robin Shou (Mortal Kombat), Jane Seymour and Joe Lando (Dr. Quinn), and the Yellowstone cast. Wrestling fans get Adam Copeland (Edge) and Beth Phoenix on Saturday, and Glenn Jacobs — KANE, and your Knox County Mayor — on Friday only. Saving Abel performs live Saturday night. More Info

America turns 250 this Fourth of July, and the Knoxville Community Band is marking the occasion the right way: live patriotic music, outdoors, at noon, and completely free.

The band performs at the Marble Pavilion at Lakeshore Park (5930 Lyons View Pike) on July 4th at 12:00 PM, with a program of patriotic favorites timed perfectly for the nation's Semiquincentennial. The setting alone is worth the trip with the Marble Pavilion sitting on the banks of the Tennessee River.

Admission is free. The band asks that you bring a chair or a blanket. No tickets, no registration — just show up, find a good spot, and let the music set the tone for the rest of your holiday.

The Knoxville Community Band has been performing throughout the region for decades, keeping the tradition of civic concert band music alive with volunteer musicians from across the area. If you've never caught one of their performances, the 4th of July at Lakeshore is a fine introduction.

If your to-read pile isn't tall enough, the Friends of Knox County Public Library are about to fix that.

The Friends organization — the nonprofit that supports Knox County's library system through programming, funding, and community advocacy — runs one of the best used book sales operations in the region. They pop up at library branches, they take over local breweries, and they keep a permanent bookshop right in the heart of downtown. Here's everything coming up through August.

This Saturday, June 27th: Start close to home with the Karns Branch Used Book Sale (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM). It's a great warm-up for everything else on the calendar.

July 9th-10th: The Burlington Branch Used Book Sale runs Thursday (5:00–7:00 PM) and Friday (10:00 AM–5:00 PM).

July 14th-21st: This one's a standout — the Hi-Wire Brewing Used Book Sale runs for a full week during regular business hours at Hi-Wire Brewing. Books and beer. Hard to argue with that.

July 25th: Howard Pinkston Branch Used Book Sale, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

August 11th-18th: The Friends go big with a simultaneous weeklong sale at both Crafty Bastard Brewery locations — Emory Place and West Knoxville — both during regular business hours. Two locations, one week, lots of finds.

August 29th: Powell Branch Used Book Sale, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Year-round — Friends @ Rothrock Used Book Shop: Located inside Lawson McGhee Library (500 W. Church Ave, downtown Knoxville), the Rothrock shop is open Monday–Saturday, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM. Most items are $3 or less, and there's always a free bin up front. Closed Sundays and on UT home game Saturdays in the fall.

Online — eBay Store: Can't make it in person? The Friends launched their eBay store in February 2024 featuring higher-priced books and series. More Info

Interested in learning about how a VIP Pass can help your business? Reach out to [email protected] for more information!

Recurring events

🗓️ June 25th - The Zoo Knoxville Summer Concert Series is returning to the Boyd Foundation Boardwalk at Clayton Timber Loop (3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive). The series opens with Pulp Friction. 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 25th-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 25th-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 25th-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-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 25th-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 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 25th-28th - FrankenCon 2026 takes over the Hilton Knoxville Airport (2001 Alcoa Hwy, Alcoa) for a full three-day celebration of horror, cult film, comics, wrestling, and paranormal culture. ▶️ Watch: Knoxville Insider Interview with Rhonda Shear More Info & Tickets

🗓️ 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 2nd - The Zoo Knoxville Summer Concert Series is returning to the Boyd Foundation Boardwalk at Clayton Timber Loop (3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive), featuring The Alex Leach Band, performing bluegrass. 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 - Soundscapes at the Knoxville Museum of Art returns, with nationally touring saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Saxl Rose taking the stage at 7:30 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM). 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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