Crafternoons, hummingbird festival, girl talk fashion show gala, and more. 
Happy Tuesday, Knoxville. 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: UT Extension’s eco friendly landscaping program wins an award, a 127 year old downtown bridge nears reopening, and mortgage rates dip for hopeful buyers — catch up here.
State-level stories: Rookie quarterback impresses in preseason despite loss, a plant retrofit will add 110 modular home jobs, and Nashville’s mayor presses for tunnel project details — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: New SSA tech offers more reliable service, national recalls, and a housing market update — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Learn estate planning essentials over dinner
- Learn to support youth mental health
- Meet Knoxville employers live this Wednesday
- Walk Market Square, earn produce bucks
- Get $400 off Windows with Renewal By Andersen
🫶 We got your back
Decor: Exploring Knoxville’s coolest corners this weekend could score statement pieces or cozy accents without breaking the bank. Check out home decor hotspots for budget-friendly finds and all the style inspo you need.
Adventure: Skip the usual birdwatching: caves alive with 100,000 bats, creeks loaded with rare salamanders and black bears roaming the forest. Scout these wildlife hotspots and grab your binoculars.
Cleaning: Tackling your entire place can feel like scaling Everest in flip-flops. Use this cleaning checklist to break the job into manageable bites and conquer each room.
Furniture: Need décor with a backstory deeper than your latest streaming binge? Four Seasons Vintage is the gallery that’ll turn your living room into a time capsule… just bring a sharp eye and an appreciation for pieces that only improve with every chapter of history.
Finance: Ready to break up with debt for good? National can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
This week
🃏 Comedy Deception @ Central Cinema | Tuesday (8/12) at 7:00pm – Comedy Deception is back in Knoxville every month with the Southeast’s finest comedians, outrageous lies, and a live audience ready to play detective. Expect sharp wit, shameless fibs, and more second-guessing than a family reunion. No clue is safe, but that’s half the fun.
🌠 Perseids Meteor Shower Paddle @ Ijams River Landing | Wednesday (8/13) at 1:00am – If you’re itching for an excuse to swap your couch for a kayak under the actual stars, this guided Perseids paddle has you covered. Whispered strokes, meteor fireworks overhead, and that fresh lake breeze no living room can match.
🎤 Tribute to ABBA @ Tennessee Theatre | Thursday (8/14) at 7:30pm – Who says nostalgia is dead? Dust off your platforms and belt out ABBA’s iconic hits from ‘Mamma Mia’ to ‘Waterloo’ with the world’s best tribute band. Expect dazzling costumes, confetti, and more glitter than any local bingo night, all while dancing and singing.
✂️ Crafternoons @ Cedar Bluff Branch Library | Friday (8/15) at 3:30pm – Let your tiny tornadoes trade screen time for glitter, glue, and friendship-building. Crafternoons is the local arts-and-crafts oasis where little hands hone their finger muscles onsite or churn out take-home masterpieces. It’s basically free child-wrangling with a side of macaroni art.
🍿 Summer Movie Magic: Grease @ Tennessee Theatre | Friday (8/15) at 8:00pm – Dust off your leather jacket and poodle skirt for an evening of high-school hijinks under the stars…well, the historic theatre roof. Before John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John whip out their best moves, the Mighty Wurlitzer organ will serenade you back to the 1950s. Popcorn’s on the menu, cold drinks are at the ready, and you’ll be crooning “Grease is the word” long after the credits roll.
This weekend
🐦 Ijams Hummingbird Festival @ Ijams Nature Center | Saturday (8/16) at 7:00am – Trade your to-do list for a stroll through Ijams’ hummingbird festival. You’ll meet more critters than your backyard camera trap, shop an expanded artist marketplace, and catch speakers obsessing over tiny winged divas. It’s like brunch for bird nerds, minus the mimosas.
🎩 4th Annual History Hootenanny @ East Tennessee History Center | Saturday (8/16) at 10:00am – If you need an excuse to geek out over old jerseys and small-town stories, head to the annual History Hootenanny for live music, kids’ ballpark crafts, walking tours, an Angels in the Outfield screening, and friendly book bargains. It’s free, local, and guaranteed fun.
⚾ Vintage Base Ball Triple Header & Living History Day @ Historic Ramsey House | Saturday (8/16) at 12:00pm – Historic Ramsey House is time-traveling to 1860 with three free baseball games played by period rules, roaming living historians, and a blacksmith proving sparks are more fun than fireworks. Bring a chair, claim your shade, and watch history swing for the fences.
👗 14th Annual Girl Talk Fashion Show Gala @ Knoxville Convention Center | Saturday (8/16) at 5:00pm – Think of it as Girl Talk’s version of homecoming without those awkward yearbook photos: slip onto the pink carpet for an evening where bold designs, sassy toasts, and community cheers collide. It’s fashion and fun with a cause, all wrapped up in sequins and sisterhood.
💉 Knoxville Tattoo Convention @ World’s Fair Exhibition Hall | Sunday (8/17) at 2:00pm – Summer in Knoxville vibes turn edgy when the Tattoo Convention takes over the convention center with over 200 artists from around the country. It’s not your cousin’s stick-and-poke setup. Expect jaw-dropping art, top-tier people-watching, and maybe that sleeve you’ve been scheming on.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/12 Comedy Deception @ Central Cinema – 7 pm
- 8/12 The Dirty Dougs Trio @ Brackins Blues Club – 7:30 pm
- 8/13 J. Carmichael @ WDVX – 12 pm
- 8/13 Tray Wellington @ WDVX Summer Nights – 7 pm
- 8/14 Hot Summer Nights @ Blount County Public Library – 6 pm
- 8/14 Scottish Session with David Pickens @ Boyd’s Jig and Reel – 7:15 pm
- 8/14 The Concert (ABBA tribute) @ Tennessee Theatre – 7:30 pm
- 8/14 Philip Bowen @ The Open Chord – 8 pm
- 8/16 Alicia Harvey @ Suttree’s High Gravity – 7 pm
🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Amy Brock Smith (Alliance Sotheby’s International)
Perched above the 11th green in Gettysvue Country Club, this home delivers front-row seats to sunset views and perfectly manicured fairways. The vaulted great room sets a dramatic tone, while a main-level primary suite comes loaded with spa vibes, dual vanities, and a walk-in closet that feels more like a boutique.
Downstairs, the walkout basement transforms into party central with three bedrooms, a fitness room, and storage for every hobby imaginable. Out back, a covered deck begs for evening cocktails and the oversized stone hot tub is basically a vacation on demand.
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