Knox County teens civic training, Augusta Quarry floating swim platforms, Dirty Words comedy night, and more. 
Happy Tuesday, Knoxville. Hope you had a great holiday weekend! You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Knoxville Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: Knox County teens dive into hands-on civic training, Augusta Quarry reopens with floating swim platforms, and Bearden’s restored spa serves up fresh organic treatments — catch up here.
State-level stories: Tennessee debates Darwin without sidelining Sunday beliefs, posts weekly river bacteria counts for safe splashing, and teases Gatlinburg’s trails, trams, shops — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Gen Z stashing three times more in their 401k, Neanderthals crushing bones into prehistoric grease, and a blazing interstellar comet streaking by Mars orbit — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Learn healthy meals and movement tips
- Explore Medicare basics and eligibility options
- Discover used books supporting library improvements
- Learn safe home canning techniques
- Discuss history books with fellow enthusiasts
- Got debt? See if you qualify for relief
🫶 We got your back
Drink: Your morning ritual deserves better than gas station swill and drive-thru disappointment. From baristas who remember your “usual” to pastry cases that whisper sweet temptations, these nearby caffeine sanctuaries know that great coffee is about way more than just the beans.
Home: Don’t wait until rain starts pouring through the attic to panic-Google “roofers near me.” Get ahead of the game with this list of trusted roofing pros to keep your home (and sanity) intact.
Culture: Whether you’re into art galleries and sculptures or keen on diving into history and oddly specific niches, these must-visit museums are a great excuse to put on real pants and explore the city.
Community: Neighborhood shops and cafés do more than sling lattes and sell stuff. They’re the heartbeat of every neighborhood. Every dollar you spend locally keeps Knoxville weird wonderful, and uniquely ours. Learn more about the connection here.
College: If your future graduate has zero credit history, co-signing their student loan gives them instant credibility for better rates and approval chances. The best part? CollegeAve simplifies the entire process and releases you from co-signer duty once your kiddo proves they can handle the payments.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirey outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
This week
🎤 Dirty Words @ The Pirate Tavern & eVape Dispensary | Wednesday (7/9) at 9:00pm – Dirty Words is tearing down the velvet ropes of polite conversation downtown with unapologetic one-liners that would make your PTA rep blush. It’s guilt-tinged pleasure and shocked laughter in a laid-back setting where you can revel in how far comedy can go.
🎻 Scottish Session with David Pickens @ Jig and Reel | Thursday (7/10) at 7:15pm – Missing the green highlands? Every other Thursday night David Pickens turns our corner of East Tennessee into a proper Scottish session with soul-deep tunes, ancestral stories, and a whisky that bites back. It’s basically our local pub reimagined on a cliff-top in Inverness, minus the flight. Pull up a chair, lend an ear, maybe even play along.
📚 Friends of the Library – Used Book Sale @ Burlington Branch Library | Friday (7/11) at 10:00am – Branch libraries across town are rolling out mountains of pre-loved books at rock-bottom prices. It’s basically a treasure hunt for dog-eared mysteries, vintage cookbooks, and that memoir you’ve been eyeing, all while funding your local branch’s next round of improvements. Think of it as retail therapy with a bookish conscience and none of the guilt.
🏞️ Deconstructing Landscapes@ Lilienthal Gallery | Friday (7/11) at 5:00pm – Lilienthal Gallery is deconstructing our favorite mountain vistas in its new Deconstructing Landscapes exhibition, where abstract shards meet familiar peaks in glossy harmony. Then the former KMA director swings by to spill gallery lore, insider gossip served with a side of dry wit.
🎬 Movies Under the Stars: Clue @ Ijams Nature Center | Friday (7/11) at 7:00pm – Movies Under the Stars rolls out Clue under the summer sky, complete with candlesticks, lead pipes, and questionable alibis. Bring your crew, grab dinner from the food trucks, and leash your dog for some amateur sleuthing.
This weekend
🍺 Introduction to Extract Homebrewing | Saturday (7/12) at 9:00am – Whether you’ve dreamt of brewing your own six-pack or just want to geek out over hoppy experiments, this extract homebrewing crash course with Dr. Nathan Duncan from Maryville College spills the basics on malt extracts, yeast antics, and hop timing. No lab coat required.
🏴☠️ Pirate Concert with the Crossjacks @ Blount County Public Library | Saturday (7/12) at 10:30am – Who needs a Caribbean cruise when Crossjacks is docking at our local park with sea shanties, free balloon swords, and enough pirate-themed games to make you question your adulthood? Even if your inner scallywag’s rusty, this all-ages ruckus will have you boarding with a grin.
🎪 Circus Under the Moon 2025 @ Navitat Knoxville | Saturday (7/12) at 7:00pm – Escape the kiddie swim league and trade it for flying trapeze and fire eaters on the Ijams lawn, with local juggling acts, aerial silks, food trucks, and a beer garden. Pack a blanket, claim a patch of grass, and pretend it’s the place to be.
📀 Vinyl Countdown @ Marble City Pub | Saturday (7/12) at 8:00pm – Whether you’re reliving your teenage rock phase or just want proof that vinyl still sounds better, Vinyl Countdown at Marble City Pub is where summer nights shake off the buffering blues. Grab your crew, snag a booth, soak up cold pints, killer grooves, zero pretension.
🚗 Cars & Coffee @ West Town Mall | Sunday (7/13) at 8:00am – Think your neighbor’s lawn is the only hot set of wheels around? Slide into West Town Mall this Sunday for Cars & Coffee, where rusty classics, tuners, and showroom beauties mingle over a cuppa. Dash plaques, dry humor, and fellow gearheads included.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 7/9 Pints with Patriots @ The Chatterbox Tavern – 6 pm
- 7/9 Dirty Words @ The Pirate Tavern – 9 pm
- 7/11 Knoxville Dub Allstars @ Barley’s – 12 pm
- 7/11 Jay White @ Tennessee Theatre – 7:30 pm
- 7/11 Apple Jackson @ Brackins Blues Club – 9 pm
- 7/11 Mike McGill and the Refills @ Jig and Reel – 9 pm
- 7/12 Big Jayyy @ Birdhouse Neighborhood Center – 7 pm
- 7/12 Overtime: The Long Way Home Tour with Krizz Kaliko @ Open Chord Stage – 8 pm
- 7/12 Mal Nombre @ Jig and Reel – 9 pm
- 7/12 DJ Emmaculant J @ Brackins Blues Club – 9 pm
This house is wild
*This 👇 could be your listing. Hit us up if you’ve got a home (or 12) to sell.
Listed by: Lisa Vineyard (Realty Executives Associates)
A wood-burning fireplace anchors the sunlit living room, perfect for showing off both your furniture and your fire-building skills. The kitchen keeps things bright with white cabinets, solid-surface counters, and a pantry that actually fits more than three bags of groceries. Hardwood floors run throughout the main level, and the formal dining room is ready for everything from Thanksgiving feasts to Tuesday takeout.
Upstairs, the bonus room is just waiting to be claimed as a fourth bedroom, game zone, or the world’s quietest home office. The screened porch overlooks a sprawling, fenced backyard with enough space for epic games of fetch or ambitious gardening projects. Parks, lakes, schools, and shopping sit just minutes away, so spontaneous adventures are always on the table.
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