Top 10 things to do in Knoxville & surrounding areas (Chattanooga: live, vs)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by ETSUAccountingGuy

Last night we went bowling at the center in West Knoxville. It's located at Parkside Dr and Hayfield Rd. You take the Cedar Bluff exit to reach it.

Lots of fun! They have food, drinks, and beer at reasonable prices for a bowling alley. The music is good and at 9 PM or so the lights go off and the entire alley is lit up under black light. Great times for families, couples, or friends!

Strike & Spare Family Bowl

That's the one that my daughter and I go to and we like it very much.

[MetropolitanTN]

Next week is the International Biscuit Festival in Downtown Knoxville. It's sponsored by Southern Living and has gained numerous accolades.

International Biscuit Festival

[MrsMopar]

The Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Festival is this Friday and Saturday (May 17 & 18). The admission is free.

If you've never attended, they close downtown Sevierville off from traffic and you can walk up and down the streets. Lot's of vendors and of course, yummy food!

Free music; bring your lawnchair for the main stage.

Here's the website:
Bloom' BBQ & Bluegrass Festival

[MetropolitanTN]

This weekend the last show of this seasons Broadway at the Tennessee will be on stage! The Addams Family will perform this Friday night at 8 and also on Saturday at 2 and 8.

These are great shows for those who havent been to one before.

Historic Tennessee Theatre - Upcoming Events

Just got our tickets for this Saturday night! I hope some of you are able to see this as well!

[Richard Cycholl]

You guys used to have a sticky thread, like your restaurant thread where you went and stated your opinion on it. Its not anywhere near the top of the list, so at least I will throw this little thing out. On Friday I went to Oak Ridge and visited The American Museum of Science and Energy. Definitely not the best museum I have been in, but for only $5.00 I would say one of the best bargains around. States a very detailed timeline and history of Oak Ridge and a lot of small interaction displays of science. It was an afternoon well spent.

[MetropolitanTN]

Thanks for the tip. It's on my list of places to visit. It's not too heavily advertised, but something to do for the day.

I agree about the sticky. We need some on this forum to help people keep up with stuff going on. I attempted to start one before as a sticky but the idea failed to gain traction among those with the authority to move it.

[hiknapster]

I also think the McClung Museum at UT, the Knoxville Museum of Art and the East TN History Center are all great bargains, too. They are all free!

But seriously, they are all small but I enjoy them. And the art museum has constantly changing exhibits.

Speaking of the art museum, it is getting a major sprucing up such as cleaning and waterproofing the Tennessee marble that makes up the building but also other improvements in advance of a major unveiling next May. The Richard Jolley blown-glass piece "Cycle of Life" will make up the world's largest permanent glass installation. I've been told that the Corning Glass folks will be coming down to do demonstrations during the community-wide celebration.

[Richard Cycholl]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I also think the McClung Museum at UT, the Knoxville Museum of Art and the East TN History Center are all great bargains, too. They are all free!

But seriously, they are all small but I enjoy them. And the art museum has constantly changing exhibits.

Speaking of the art museum, it is getting a major sprucing up such as cleaning and waterproofing the Tennessee marble that makes up the building but also other improvements in advance of a major unveiling next May. The Richard Jolley blown-glass piece "Cycle of Life" will make up the world's largest permanent glass installation. I've been told that the Corning Glass folks will be coming down to do demonstrations during the community-wide celebration.

Thanks for the list of museums. If Corning Glass is anything like their regular plant they have in New York, that will be worth the time to check it out.....

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Richard Cycholl

Thanks for the list of museums. If Corning Glass is anything like their regular plant they have in New York, that will be worth the time to check it out.....

The docent said that they will be doing demonstrations and someone in my group said that they are amazing. She took a class through them.

The museum is under major renovations right now, so it doesn't look great. You may want to go next year.

I should add that I highly recommend the Second Sunday Docent Tours. As the name suggests, they are held at 2 p.m. the second Sunday of every month. They are free and the insight they bring to the art and the museum is awesome.

Knoxville Museum of Art

The history center museum isn't large, either but what they have in there is really great. Same with McClung at UT.

McClung Museum | of Natural History and Culture

East Tennessee Historical Society

[MetropolitanTN]

The East TN History Center is awesome. I always take visitors there and everyone enjoys it. It's really interesting. I think that is partly due to the history of this area being quite interesting itself and sometimes unusual to visitors.

Thanks to the moderator (Beretta?) for moving this to the top!