Community Calendar

Join fellow artists on Saturday mornings for a creative refresh in a welcoming, lighthearted environment. You’ll have the option of being inside, in a spacious, light-filled space, or outside under a covered pavilion. You can bring a project you’d like to work on, sketch from provided still lifes, or work plein aire.

These mini-retreats are located in West Knox, in a 20+ acre bucolic setting with fields and woods, on the Tennessee River. All levels are welcome and no experience is needed.

$20 per session or $50 for 3 sessions includes art supplies and yummy snacks.

Space is limited to 15 participants--please RSVP at lunacreates.com/sketch-club the Friday before to save your spot!

Discover what life in the Cove is like for its inhabitants—past and present. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger-led program. Cable Mill Historic Area in Cades Cove, Tenn. Free. Info and confirm details: nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm or 865-436-1200.

Buy local, native plants—groundcovers, flowers, milkweed, shrubs, and vines—from Wild Ones Smoky Mountains at this annual spring fundraising event! T-shirts and sweatshirts will also be for sale, as will fine art by Macey Lou Art. Knox County Master Gardeners will be on hand for all your food gardening questions.

Located at the Suttree Landing Park pavilion

Learn about the most commonly found insects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and discover the essential connection between insect herbivores and pollinators, native plants, and bird diversity. Smokies Life Branch Out event. Sugarlands Visitor Center, Gatlinburg, Tenn. Cost: For Park Keepers, $45; To join and attend, $85 (Park Keeper basic membership $40 + event registration $45). Info – SmokiesLife.org/branch-out-events or email: membership@smokieslife.org.

Learn about black bears, an iconic symbol of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger-led program. Sugarlands Visitor Center, Tenn. Free. Info and confirm details: nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm or 865-436-1200.

Join fellow artists on Saturday mornings for a creative refresh in a welcoming, lighthearted environment. You’ll have the option of being inside, in a spacious, light-filled space, or outside under a covered pavilion. You can bring a project you’d like to work on, sketch from provided still lifes, or work plein aire.

These mini-retreats are located in West Knox, in a 20+ acre bucolic setting with fields and woods, on the Tennessee River. All levels are welcome and no experience is needed.

$20 per session or $50 for 3 sessions includes art supplies and yummy snacks.

Space is limited to 15 participants--please RSVP at lunacreates.com/sketch-club the Friday before to save your spot!

Discover what life in the Cove is like for its inhabitants—past and present. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger-led program. Cable Mill Historic Area in Cades Cove, Tenn. Free. Info and confirm details: nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm or 865-436-1200.

Learn about black bears, an iconic symbol of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger-led program. Sugarlands Visitor Center, Tenn. Free. Info and confirm details: nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm or 865-436-1200.

Blount Mansion is proud to present Emma Patterson speaking on “Women of the Progressive Era in Appalachia” as a part of our Centennial Celebration lecture series!

Emma Patterson is a senior at the University of Tennessee. Emma’s honors thesis focuses on the nature of women’s reform at the turn of the century through the life of Helen Dingman, with information about Mary Boyce Temple.

Helen Dingman as a mountain missionary and Mary Boyce Temple as a local club woman, both dedicated their lives and careers to the philanthropies of the Progressive Era. My lecture will discuss the distinction between life in urban and rural areas of Appalachia and connect these two women’s stories to broader themes defining this region at the turn of the century.

• Lecture will start at 6pm
• The special speaking event will be at Blount Mansion Visitors Center, 200 West Hill Avenue, Knoxville TN 37902.
• Limited free parking onsite
• $10 Donation suggested at the door. Cash and card accepted
• RSVP to Rose@BlountMansion.org

Burning Off the BBQ 5K
Hosted by the Sevierville Rotary Club
📍 Sevierville, Tennessee
📅 May 16, 2026

Kick off your Blooming BBQ & Blues weekend with the Burning Off the BBQ 5K in beautiful Sevierville, Tennessee!

This family-friendly 5K run/walk is the perfect way to start your Saturday morning before enjoying the Blooming BBQ & Blues Festival festivities. Whether you're a competitive runner, weekend jogger, or casual walker, this event welcomes all ages and fitness levels.

Participants will enjoy a scenic course, community spirit, and a fun, high-energy atmosphere with a little cheeky BBQ flair. Awards will be given in multiple age divisions, along with fun specialty categories.

Proceeds benefit the Sevierville Rotary Club’s local service projects supporting youth, education, and community initiatives.

👟 Run fast.
🔥 Burn off the BBQ.
🎶 Then enjoy a full weekend of food, music, and fun.

Register today and be part of a growing annual tradition in the Smoky Mountains!