Family events in Knox County, TN

Ancient Lore Village presents an outdoor screening of Hocus Pocus under the evening sky, blending seasonal nostalgia with a playful, magical atmosphere. The menu features popcorn, Witches Worts stuffed mushrooms, slow roasted beef and pork ragu with campagnone noodles, an herb garlic cheese muffin, and harvest pumpkin sugar cookies for dessert. Tickets are limited. Pricing is 59 dollars for adults ages 10 and up and 51 dollars for youth ages 3 to 9.

WDVX Summer Nights brings an evening of live music to Yee-Haw Brewing featuring Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys alongside The Royal Hounds. Admission is free and all ages are welcome, and the performance will be broadcast live on WDVX. Chuck Mead, a founding member of BR5-49, has been a driving force in Americana and neo-traditional country as a songwriter, performer, and producer, and is well known at the Grand Ole Opry. Nashville’s Royal Hounds blend rock and roll with honky-tonk flair and high-energy showmanship, earning a reputation as one of Music City’s most entertaining live acts. The broadcast can be heard on 89.9 FM, 102.9 FM in Knoxville, and 93.9 FM in Gatlinburg. Support comes from Yee-Haw Brewing, ORNL Federal Credit Union, and Garza Law.

Enjoy a fall getaway to the Smoky Mountains with a motor coach trip to Bryson City, North Carolina, and a scenic ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Departures are scheduled from pickup locations in Farragut and Knoxville, followed by arrival in Bryson City where lunch at a local restaurant is provided and there is time to browse nearby shops and boutiques. From the rail depot, participants board the Tuckasegee River Excursion, a 32-mile round trip that includes a layover in Dillsboro, North Carolina, offering time to explore local stores or have a meal on your own before reboarding. After the train returns to Bryson City, the group heads back to the original pickup points. The cost is $225 per person. A $50 deposit per person is due at registration, and the remaining balance is due by the cancellation deadline. Registration is available by phone at 865-523-2796.

Marking its eleventh year, this Knoxville board gaming convention takes place at The Mill & Mine in the Old City. Presented by a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit focused on community enrichment and cognitive development through tabletop play, it aims to close the play gap by offering accessible gaming resources and education for everyone. Expect a curated library with hundreds of modern titles available to check out, sponsor-supported play-to-win opportunities for a chance to take games home, and a Designer Showcase where creators test prototypes and collect feedback from more than 400 attendees. Dedicated spaces include an RPG mezzanine for roleplaying sessions and private rooms for social deduction, and volunteers are available to teach popular games and help new players get started quickly. The program spans four days, beginning with a pre-event evening that brings together designers, publishers, and playtesters over a shared meal and prototype sessions. A kickoff day features open gaming and roleplaying one-shots alongside multi-session campaigns in the RPG mezzanine. The busiest day fills the hall with players, designers, and vendors. The final day focuses on finishing playtests, wrapping up campaigns, and closing with major play-to-win giveaways.

The Oakwood Fall Festival is a seasonal celebration in the North Knoxville area that welcomes the autumn season.

Hosted at East Knox County Elementary School, this annual fall festival offers an evening of family friendly fun with games for all ages, inflatable attractions, a Haunted Hallway, food trucks, local vendors, and a silent auction. Enjoy a lively community atmosphere with plenty of food, fun, and autumn cheer, all in support of the EKCES PTO.

This Pokemon Trading Card Game event runs in the Standard format, with the number of rounds based on how many players take part. Entry is $5 and includes one Pokemon Prize Pack. Earn an additional Pokemon Prize Pack for each match you win. First time league participants also receive a bonus Pokemon Prize Pack.

The Show Me Reptile Show offers a family friendly expo that blends education and adventure for reptile lovers, aspiring keepers, and anyone curious about exotic animals. Attendees can meet reputable breeders and vendors, explore a wide range of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and small exotic mammals, and find plants, bioactive supplies, aquatics, feeders, enclosures, decor, and other care essentials. It is welcome to simply browse, take photos, ask questions, and enjoy the animals on display without bringing home a new pet. General admission is $12 in advance for adults and $15 at the door, $5 for ages 7 to 12, and free for children 6 and under. A VIP pass is $17 when purchased in advance or $20 at the door and includes early entry as well as complimentary admission on day two at any two day show. Open to all ages.

A chef-curated Sunday brunch in Knoxville features dining above Boyd Hollow Falls beneath a breezy outdoor pergola. Guests can enjoy a social atmosphere with chances to meet new people while spending time with their own group, explore the Village Gardens and outdoor spaces, play in the Gremlin Gameyard, and hike nearby trails. The menu changes each week based on what is fresh and inspiring to the chefs. A sample spread includes a salad with seasonal fruit, red onion and feta with house dressing, fresh fruit bowls, homemade coffee cake, velvety scrambled eggs, locally processed bacon and savory sausage, hearty potato casserole, biscuits with gravy, honey or fruit jam, fluffy muffins, and chicken and waffles. A cash bar accepts cash and credit, with Signature Mimosa Kits that pair a bottle of Prosecco with three juices, plus freshly made Bloody Mary carafes. Those interested in axe throwing or archery can call ahead to add these activities so they align with brunch. Pricing is $39 per adult for brunch only, $27 per child under 10 for brunch only, children under 3 are free, and $59 per adult for brunch with axe throwing and archery.

Find your next feline companion at an adoption event at the PetSmart in Turkey Creek, featuring cats and kittens from Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee. This 501(c)3, founded in 2004, works to reduce cat overpopulation in the Knoxville area and nearby counties through Trap-Neuter-Release, public education, and support for those caring for outdoor cats. The organization is funded by donations, adoption fees, and grants, and all funds go directly to helping felines in East Tennessee. Adoption fees are $125 for kittens, $100 for cats over a year old, or $200 for two felines of any age, and each adoption includes spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, a microchip, and FIV/FeLV testing.

A casual Lorcana League session focused on open play, trading, and collecting. The entry fee is $6 and includes a Lorcana pack. Attendance is flexible so participants may arrive and depart as they wish. League members receive discounted pricing on Lorcana and priority access to packs, boxes, promos, playmats, and other related products.

Can You Dig It? brings an annual International Archaeology Day celebration to the McClung Museum with a free, family-friendly program led by professional archaeologists from the University of Tennessee. Hands-on stations invite participants to explore the past and present with guidance from archaeologists, UT faculty, and graduate students. Activities include pottery crafts, mini lab investigations, an onsite excavation, and other interactive experiences designed for families. Support for this program is provided by Home Federal Bank and the UT Core Facilities and Department of Anthropology. Funding for the museum’s educational programming is provided by the Knox County Tourism Consortium. Free parking is available in lots G9 and S30. Additional pay-by-hour parking is available through the ParkMobile app, and a map can be found on the event’s Eventbrite page.

The Garden’s annual fall festival celebrates the harvest season with music, hands-on seasonal crafts, lawn games, hay rides, face painting, food, and vendors offering local and botanical artisan goods. The fall plant sale is stocked with trees, shrubs, and native plants well suited for autumn planting.

At Bijou Theatre, a musical adaptation by Jerome Hairston brings the stories of Ezra Jack Keats to life on stage. Peter and his friends revel in the wonder of a first snowfall, tossing snowballs, shaping angels in the snow, and discovering both the joys and challenges that come with growing up. Through creative shadow puppetry, familiar characters step off the page in a lively presentation that weaves together Whistle for Willie, Goggles!, A Letter to Amy, and The Snowy Day.

Hey Bear Cafe hosts karaoke that features an outdoor area and boba tea. It is set up to be kid friendly and also works well for birthday celebrations.

This free weekly program for preschoolers blends story time, nature discovery, hands-on gardening and simple crafts to nurture young gardeners and their caregivers. Children can dig in the soil, plant seeds, water and harvest while enjoying age-friendly stories and creative activities. Although designed with preschoolers in mind, participants of all ages, from babies to grandparents, are welcome. Activities begin in the Every Child Outdoors ECO Garden.