Community Calendar

Our speaker, Libin Babu, PE, MEng, Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Type One Energy Group, Inc., will provide a comprehensive technical analysis of fusion energy’s critical transition from a decades-long scientific endeavor to a commercially viable power source. It begins by establishing the context for fusion as the ultimate baseload, carbon-free energy solution, justifying the massive global investment.

He will explore the fundamental fusion physics, detailing how the energy is derived from fusing light nuclei (deuterium and tritium) and comparing fusion’s inherent advantages against fission technology. This presentation quantifies the dramatic technological maturity achieved over the last 60 years, reviewing the engineering and scientific challenges that have been resolved, and the competitive approaches being pursued across various global projects. A core focus will be placed on the remaining challenges, particularly in advanced materials science and regulatory alignment, which are necessary to achieve continuous industrial operation.

Finally, he examines the pathway to commercial fusion and the essential role of U.S. government support and international public-private partnerships in accelerating deployment this decade.

Actress Anne Van Curen transforms into Emma "Grandma" Gatewood to describe what it was like to be the first woman to solo hike the Appalachian Trail in 1955. Smokies Life Branch Out event. Great Smokies Welcome Center, Townsend, 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.

New Food Pantry now available to neighborhood and surrounding areas twice a month. Every 2nd Thursday of each month we will be giving away non-perishable goods and personal care items. On the 4th Thursday of each month we will be serving a hot meal.

Come join us for lunch to learn more about the Tennessee Supreme Court's proposal on expanding access to legal help.

We are excited to invite nonprofit professionals and community leaders to a roundtable event on the Tennessee Supreme Court's recent proposal to allow trained nonlawyers to meet the vast amount of unmet legal needs in Tennessee. We will begin with a brief presentation about the reforms the court is considering, then have a discussion about the civil legal issues Tennessee residents face and challenges accessing help from lawyers who are so often too expensive or inaccessible. Lunch will be provided! Attendance is free but RSVP to reserve your spot!

The Institute for Justice is a non-profit, civil liberties law firm dedicated to increasing access to justice nationwide. Questions? Contact Kate at kharty@ij.org.

For more than two centuries, women have sustained Knoxville not only through care and community, but through education, often in informal, overlooked, and marginalized spaces. Long before classrooms were equitable or accessible, women taught children in homes, churches, kitchens, and community gathering places, carrying knowledge forward even when society denied them power, protection, or recognition.
This lecture examines the critical role women, particularly those on the margins, played in holding Knoxville together through education during the city’s first 250 years. From enslaved and formerly enslaved Black women who passed down literacy and cultural knowledge, to working-class women who nurtured learning beyond formal institutions, these educators shaped generations despite systemic barriers.
Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of how everyday acts of teaching and learning built community, preserved dignity, and empowered futures—and how those same forces remain essential in our present moment.
Dr. Melody Hawkins is an award-winning educator, author, and school leader dedicated to providing equitable, high-quality learning experiences for all students. She began her career as a science teacher at Vine Middle Magnet School, later serving as Assistant Administrator at Austin-East Magnet High School and District K–12 Science Facilitator for Region 5 in Knox County Schools.
-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

Friday from 12 pm to 5:30 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Fine art and crafts for sale by members of the oldest craft guild in the state. More information at www.foothillscraftguild.net.

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!

Keep Knoxville Beautiful's March Saturday Spruce Up will be on March 14th, from 10am-12pm. We will be removing litter from Longview Cemetery in partnership with Knox Heritage.

We highly recommend wearing long pants, and all volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes for the event. Additionally, we recommend bringing your own water!

KKB will be providing all other supplies that are needed.

Please contact KKB at programs@keepknoxvillebeautiful.org or (865) 521-6957 with any questions you may have.

Sign up here: https://app.betterunite.com/keepknoxvillebeautiful-marchsaturdayspruceup2026

Friday from 12 pm to 5:30 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Fine art and crafts for sale by members of the oldest craft guild in the state. More information at www.foothillscraftguild.net.

Program

Sibelius, Karelia Suite

Wieniawski, Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring violin soloist Yarema Melnyk

Brahms, Symphony No. 3