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📰 Fireworks, Food Trucks & an Apple Pie Contest

📰 Corduroy Is Celebrating the 4th During Story & Craft at Playtime in the Plains

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🗓️ The Tennessee Wind Symphony is Coming to the Zoo

🗓️ Homeschool Weekly Art Class at Fountain City Art Center

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Clear Springs Baptist Church (7350 Tazewell Pike, Corryton) is hosting their annual Red, White & Blue Bash on July 3rd starting at 6:30 PM — and it's completely free. The evening runs from 6:30 PM until the fireworks finale after dark, with food trucks, inflatables, games for kids, contests, and plenty of fellowship to go around.

The highlight nobody will want to miss: an Apple Pie Baking Contest. If you've got a recipe worth showing off, this is your moment. And if you'd rather just eat the results, that works too.

This is the kind of community Fourth of July tradition that doesn't cost you anything except showing up. Bring your family, bring your lawn chairs, bring your friends — and enjoy a summer evening celebrating 250 years of American freedom with your neighbors.

Playtime in the Plains (8537 Ashville Highway, Suite 101) is hosting a red, white & blue Story & Craft morning on July 2nd at 10:00 AM. This week's book: Corduroy's 4th of July — and kids will follow up story time by making their very own paper plate American flag craft to take home, perfectly timed for Independence Day.

Story time kicks off at 10:00 AM, craft follows immediately after, and little ones are welcome to stay and play once the crafting wraps up. The event is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, though all little learners are welcome.

Playtime in the Plains hosts Story & Craft every Thursday at 10:00 AM — so if this week's visit is a hit, you've got a great summer tradition to look forward to. More Info

Zoo Knoxville's Summer Concert Series continues on July 9th with a performance by the Tennessee Wind Symphony — and this one has some history behind it. The show was originally scheduled for June 18th but was rescheduled due to a storm forecast. If you held tickets for June 18th, good news: those tickets are also valid for June 25th, July 2nd, or July 9th.

The evening unfolds at the Boyd Foundation Boardwalk at Clayton Timber Loop (3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr), with zoo gates opening at 4:00 PM, Classical Piano at 6:15 PM, and the Tennessee Wind Symphony taking the stage from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM. During after-hours events, animals may be in indoor or outdoor habitats depending on conditions — so bring a blanket or folding chair, find a good spot under the trees, and let the music and the setting do the rest. Snacks and drinks are available at Sugarland's BARn and Chimney Tops Provisions. More Info & Tickets (Free for zoo members)

If you have a middle or high schooler who's been wanting to explore art beyond what school offers — or you're homeschooling and looking for a quality creative class — Fountain City Art Center (213 Hotel Road) has a weekly option that's worth a look.

Homeschool Art Class with Shelly Colletto meets every Tuesday from 9:00 AM –11:00 AM, beginning July 7th. The class is designed specifically for middle and high school students and covers drawing, watercolor, and acrylic painting in a supportive, hands-on environment.

Students start by building foundational skills — composition, shading, color theory, and brush techniques — and progress into acrylic painting as their abilities grow. Every student works at their own pace with individualized instruction, which means beginners and more experienced artists can be in the same class without anyone feeling left behind or held back.

Preregistration is required. 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 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

🗓️ 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 - Kern's Bakery and BeLocal of K-Town are teaming up for a massive Bingo Night from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Kern's Bakery (2110 Chapman Hwy), and this month's proceeds benefit Relaunch.

🗓️ 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 Knoxville Community Bandperforms at the Marble Pavilion at Lakeshore Park (5930 Lyons View Pike) 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.

🗓️ 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 - GalFunction and Show Your Shine LLC are hosting a Friday Table Talk at The Hub Pro Studio (1104 Merchant Drive, Suite 103) from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM — an hour and a half of guided conversation, honest dialogue, and the kind of support that only comes from fellow female entrepreneurs who are in it alongside you.

🗓️ 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 - Tea & Treasures (4104 W. Martin Mill Pike) — a charming shop billed as "a unique collection of old and new" — hosts its 2nd Saturday Marketplace from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (weather permitting).

🗓️ 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 16th - IBN Masterclass will be held from 8:45 AM to noon at Bearden Banquet Hall (5806 Kingston Pike), Incredible Business Networking — co-hosted by Jennifer Maizel of Marvelous Maizel Marketing. More Info & Tickets

🗓️ July 18th - Rain Barrel Workshop at 9:00 AM at 100 Monterey Rd, Oak Ridge. For $50, instructors will teach you how to transform a standard 55-gallon barrel into a functioning rain barrel for your garden — and you leave with the finished product in hand. More Info & Tickets

🗓️ July 19th - Knoxville Social Circle is heading to Augusta Quarry (520 Augusta Ave) at 12:00 PM for an afternoon of swimming, floating, relaxing, and soaking up some summer sun. Whether you want to jump in, lounge by the water, or just hang out and chat, the format is as low-key as a summer afternoon should be.

🗓️ July 25th - Blitzfire — the quarterly signature event at B&B Indoor Foam Dart Arena (6709 Maynardville Pike) — is happening from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and it's unlike anything else in our area. More Info & Tickets

🗓️ July 26th - Sonny's Original Southern Pub and Nicks Moto are hosting a group ride to the legendary Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum. and you're invited to roll with them. The day kicks off with breakfast at Sonny's (2613 Adair Dr) at 8:00 AM, with kickstands up at 9:30 AM sharp. Come with a full tank of gas, and bring your own water and snacks — there's no food or drink available at the museum, though the group will be stopping at nearby restaurants along the way.

🗓️ 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 - Tea & Treasures (4104 W. Martin Mill Pike) — a charming shop billed as "a unique collection of old and new" — hosts its 2nd Saturday Marketplace from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (weather permitting).

🗓️ 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 13th-15th - The Flexible Jewelry Event at Fountain City Jewelers (2802 Essary Drive), and it's exactly what it sounds like: a special showcase of bracelets and rings crafted from genuine 14K gold, diamonds, and natural gemstones. The event runs all three days during regular store hours — Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM. No appointment needed. Stop in anytime August 13th–15th. 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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