Good morning, Knoxville! In today’s edition: Updated parking rules, Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour, Dancing Blue Shirt Guy on Next Level Chef, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

🏆 Most popular this week

Curated by popular demand — here are this week’s most-clicked events, local spots, and stories.

Drivers face updated rules: Downtown Knoxville is adjusting to parking changes as the city tries to make it easier to snag a spot. Expect updates that could affect where you park next time downtown — see what’s changing for parking.

A neighborhood takes shape: Knoxville Habitat for Humanity is preparing its newest neighborhood, The Plains, in the Strawberry Plains area of East Knox County, after land was prepared on December 12, 2025 — get all the details.

Passion for cooking shines: Knoxville’s Dancing Blue Shirt Guy has been invited to compete on Next Level Chef after a nine-month audition with 12,000 applicants. The season will premiere January 29 — read the full story.

An artist’s enduring evolution: Knoxville glass artist Richard Jolley has built a 50-year career without leaving home. His studio turns 50 this year, as his globally exhibited work stays rooted in East Tennessee — read the full story.

Welcoming 2026 with joy: University of Tennessee Medical Center has shared photos of the first baby of 2026 on X, congratulating the parents and team, days after noting it delivered 5,000 babies in 2025 — read the full story.

Dinks without downpours: Whether you’re chasing a sweat or a laugh between points, The Pickleball Playground serves indoor and outdoor courts, open play, leagues, and beginner clinics, plus a comfy lounge, a beer tap wall, and a golf simulator. Groups and solo players get matched quickly.

Are you overpaying? The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. I was paying over $300 for ONE car until I checked out various quotes, switched providers, and ultimately cut my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably losing money too — this free comparison tool makes it easy.

Gold & silver are hot: Gold just had it’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150% in 2025… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. If you’re curious about adding precious metals to your portfolio as a market hedge, American Hartford has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.

A new haircare solution: My hair’s been thinning and I’ve been quietly ignoring it, hoping it’ll fix itself. Plot twist… it hasn’t. When I finally started looking into what I should do, there were so many options I didn’t know where to start. I stumbled on Keranique, and its simplicity really sold me. One kit, no pills, no choosing products, and no confusion whatsoever. It’s also on sale with a money-back guarantee (although I doubt you’ll need it).

📆 Sneak peek at next week

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🐦 Birdwatching – House Sparrow @ Painting with a Twist | Monday (1/12) at 6:30 PM – Skip the exotic chase and appreciate the locals, the scrappy house sparrows holding court on every fence line. A relaxed birdwatch with tips on ID, behavior, and calls, plus neighborhood gossip from the peanut gallery. Binoculars, curiosity, and your inside voice encouraged.

🐾 Pet Appreciation Day @ Artisan West Apartment Homes | Tuesday (1/13) at 9:00 AM – Whether your camera roll is mostly fur or you just want to show off Mr. Whiskers’ winter sweater, they’re going all out with a pet photo booth. Bring your four-legged ham, snap the shot, enter the winter pet pic contest, and claim bragging rights.

🕯 Requiem for Reconstruction @ East Tennessee History Center | Wednesday (1/14) at 5:30 PM – Requiem for Reconstruction is unpacking Reconstruction’s legacy, and how the postbellum past still shapes our politics, in a talk led by Professor Robert D. Bland that connects dots without shouting. Come for the history, stay for the uncomfortable parallels, and leave with smarter dinner-table takes.

🐟 Hook, Line & Dinner @ The Cutting Edge Classroom | Thursday (1/15) at 5:00 PM – Trade the salmon shuffle for a seafood class where Chef John Alunni teaches shrimp in lemon garlic butter, grouper with Mediterranean salsa, and lobster risotto like a coastal vacation without leaving town. You cook, you laugh, you eat, retire to key lime pots de crème.

🏀 The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour @ Thompson-Boling Arena | Thursday (1/15) at 7:00 PM – Think you know basketball? The Harlem Globetrotters are rolling into town with 100 years of trick shots, soaring dunks, and wry sideline comedy, plus a flashy Golden Basketball for good measure. Bring the kids, your nostalgia, and a willingness to laugh at physics.

🎨 Stained Glass Workshop @ Kern’s Food Hall | Friday (1/16) at 6:00 PM – Trade your screen time for sparkle at Kerns Food Hall’s intro stained glass workshop, where you pick a design, cut colorful glass, and take home your handiwork. No experience needed, materials included. 14+, under 18 with an adult. Save your spot: https://linktr.ee/visualizeartstudio

🏒 Hockey for Hope – Disney Night @ Knoxville Civic Coliseum | Friday (1/16) at 7:30 PM – Disney Night with the Ice Bears, where slapshots meet mouse ears, and your ticket actually does something useful. Grab the crew for a feel-good game, and when you buy through the link, a portion supports New Hope’s forensic interviews, therapy, and advocacy.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

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📻 Knoxville report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 61°F – Low: 36°F – Precip: 97%

Rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 61. West wind 0 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Later: A chance of rain showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

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Tomorrow – High: 41°F – Low: 24°F – Precip: 3%

Sunny, with a high near 41. West wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Later: Mostly clear, with a low around 24. North wind 0 to 5 mph.

Most popular house this week

It sits in West Knoxville just off Ebenezer, minutes from West Towne Mall, in one of East Tennessee’s top school districts. This mostly brick, 2,744-square-foot home has four bedrooms and three and a half baths. A 21-day overhaul delivered thoughtful updates.

Fresh paint, new carpet, updated flooring, and modern lighting tie it all together. The kitchen adds brand-new cabinets, a broad quartz counter, a roomy pantry, and a touch-resistant refrigerator. The fully refinished basement brings insulated walls for efficiency and comfort, a new bath, an additional bedroom with a walk-in closet, and a large second laundry room. Dual laundry spaces add ease, and the lower level scales for guests, work, or movie nights.

Take a peek inside →