Things to Do in Knoxville This August: A Local Events Roundup
- Aug 10
- 8 min read
Written by Christina The Knox Realtor
Knoxville doesn't slow down in August, even with the heat, and this month's calendar has something worth circling whether you've lived here your whole life or you just unpacked your last box from the moving truck. Below is a running list of what's happening around town this month, event names, dates, links, and locations, so you can plan your weekends without digging through five different Facebook pages to find it.
Why I'm starting a blog when there are SO MANY already out there
Well, to be honest, a blog helps people find my website. With over 5,500 realtors in East Tennessee, making myself visible to local and California buyers looking for homes in Knoxville is sort of a big deal to me as The Knox Realtor.
This blog also allows me to FINALLY use that bachelor's degree I worked so hard to earn. That's right, I went to college to receive a degree in English that I've technically used every day, but also never technically never used. (On a side note, I don't recommend an English degree unless you're becoming an English teacher. Why? Read this paragraph again.)
Why I put together a local events list (I'm a Realtor, Captain, not an events blogger!)
The short answer: I'm doing this for people who live or want to live in Knoxville. Maybe it's because I grew up on Mr. Rogers, but I want everyone to feel like they have a friendly neighbor waiting to show them around town.
The long answer? The reason I love real estate is the same reason I love events; I LOVE making people feel at home, and I love connecting things together; puzzle pieces, people to houses, endings to plots. In fact, if I had to write a cheesy autobiography about myself, I'd probably call it "Christina's Connections." And it just so happens that sometimes connecting two strangers together through an event can make them feel a little more at home in this town that I love.
If you're new to Knoxville, especially if you're one of the California transplants I work with, the fastest way to actually feel at home somewhere isn't the moving-in part, it's the knowing-where-you-are part. Knowing what's happening around town – and actually going – gives you a head start on recognizing where you are and feeling like you belong here. I remember we still felt like we were vacationing three weeks after we'd moved. We'd never lived in a new state, and somehow it took our brains a while to get the hint.
If you've been here for years, this may be a straightforward "here's what's on the calendar," because even lifelong Knoxvillians miss things that never make it past their own neighborhood group chat. But it's also not so straightforward, it's not just famous singers and ball games, it's grass roots events, tiny local classes, and small businesses giving back to the Knoxville community.
Why you should go
to events around town
We all know there's a pervasive feeling of loneliness in our world. We comment, we chat, we text, we network, and yet we still feel alone. So how can we combat this? Be an inviter, an attender, a show-up-er. Sometimes I think we're all waiting to be invited because we assume everyone else already has friends. Their life is somehow better than ours, fuller than ours, and we're waiting for them to make us feel included. But we're all waiting for each other.
This is how you can make friends in Knoxville. Inviting someone to a stained glass class or a trivia night can be the way you make people feel at home in your hometown. Find an event on my list that piques your interest, think of someone that could use a friend (or a drink), and invite them along. It really can be that simple.
So consider this your new standing monthly invitation to invite someone to be your neighbor. I'll pull together what's happening around Knoxville each month, and you can bookmark this page or check back whenever you're planning a weekend. If you want a physical reminder, you can always sign up form my newsletter. Each month will have a QR code pointing you to the blog post, not to mention all the quirky guides I put together (like farm stands and antique shops).
What's happening in Knoxville this August
Week of August 11
Freddy's Fundraiser for Alzheimer's — 8/12, Freddy's Restaurant. Eat burgers to help make Alzheimer's a memory, 4-8pm. Link
Goat Yoga at Kern's — 8/13, Kern's Bakery. FREE, and I feel like you know what this one's about. Link
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe — 8/13, Knoxville Children's Theatre. $14+. Link
Acoustic at Smokey Mountain Brewery — 8/13, Smokey Mountain Brewery. Food, drinks, and acoustic covers. Link
Live Music at Calhoun's — 8/14, Calhoun's on Neyland. Dinner and the Fountain City Ramblers. Link
Knoxville Tattoo Convention — 8/14, World's Fair Exhibition Hall. $27+ to meet the artists, watch them work, & more. Link
Week of August 15
Farmer Craft Market — 8/15, Heritage High School. Over 150 vendors, food trucks, and live music. Link
Hummingbird Festival — 8/15, Ijams Nature Center. $9+ for live animal encounters, art, nature walks, and more. Link
Songwriting Workshop — 8/15, LeGrand Music Studios. Learn the fundamentals of writing music and lyrics. Link
Broken Glass Art Workshop — 8/15, Ancient Lore Village. $65 for mosaics & lunch. Link
East Tennessee History Fair — 8/15, Gay Street. Live music, living history, crafts, film screenings and more. Link
Live Music — 8/15, Peaceful Side Brewery. FREE, live music every Saturday from 6-9pm. Link
Puzzle Palooza — 8/15, Oak Ridge Public Library. Puzzles sold for $5 each, 1-4pm. Link
Farragut's Yacht Rock Concert — 8/15, Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza. FREE outdoor smooth rock yacht concert. Link
Farmers Market — 8/16, Pinnacle at Turkey Creek. Shop local farmers, growers, bakers, 11am-2pm. Link
Paint Night at Token Game Tavern — 8/16, Token Game Tavern. $18 to sip, create, and chill. Link
Art of Sourdough Bread Baking — 8/16, Cutting Edge Classroom. $125 per person, hands-on sourdough lessons. Link
Pour Your Own Epoxy Beers & Boards — 8/16, Orange Hat Brewery. Make your own lazy susan, bourbon flight, and more (price based on the piece you make). Link
Barn Quilt Paint Party — 8/16, RoCo Social. $120 to paint your own wooden barn quilt. Link
Bluff Mountain Guided Jeep Tour — 8/17, Bluff Mountain Adventures. $85 for a professionally guided tour in your own Jeep. Link
Monday Night Karaoke — 8/17, Hey Bear Cafe. Sit outside with boba and karaoke, 6-8pm. Link
Week of August 18
Intro to Bouldering — 8/18, The Climbing Center. $22, beginners rock wall climbing class. Link
BeLocal Bingo — 8/18, Kerns Food Hall. FREE, bingo for all. Link
Ho'Down Social Line & Country Dancing — 8/21, Kern's Bakery. FREE, country music & line dancing. Link
DockDogs Dog Daze — 8/21, Village Green. FREE to spectate or $19+ to compete. Competitive dogs jumping into water. Link
The Temptations & The Four Tops — 8/22, Tennessee Theatre. $77+ for a great night of music starting at 8pm. Link
101 Off-road Training — 8/22, Windrock Park. $145 to learn to off-road. Link
Dinner Detective Interactive Mystery Dinner Show — 8/22, Hilton Knoxville. $91, eat or die or solve a crime. Link
Ladies Learn to Shoot — 8/22, Frontier Firearms Shooting Center. $72 to learn to shoot & qualify for the TN Concealed Carry Permit. Link
East Tennessee Iris Society Sale — 8/22, Stanley's Greenhouse. Starts at 9am. Link
Blind Date with a Book — 8/23, VFW of Louisville. FREE, an afternoon of books, friends, and fun. Link
Japanese Hibachi — 8/23, Cutting Edge Classroom. $125 to learn authentic hibachi cooking. Link
Week of August 25
Friends Trivia — 8/25, Orange Hat Brewery. Trivia starts at 7pm. Link
Whimsical Plants & Wine — 8/27, The Winery at Seven Springs Farm. $43 for wine, fun, and taking home 5 houseplants. Link
Live Music on the Farm — 8/28, RiverView Family Farm. FREE admission, burgers for sale and music for free, 7-9pm. Link
Fall Barn Sale — 8/29, Grain Bin Commodities. FREE, shop makers & growers, bakeries & BBQ. Link
UT Football Cookie Decorating Class — 8/29, Farragut Community Center. $50 to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing, 11am-12:30pm. Link
Stanley's 10th Annual Butterfly Festival — 8/29, Stanley's Greenhouse. FREE, crafts, plants, art & more, 10am-1pm. Link
Nitro Circus in Knoxville — 8/29, Covenant Health Park. $36+, FMX, BMX, scooters, & more! Link
Bourbon, Bubbles, & Bingo — 8/29, The Lighthouse Knoxville. $65 to drink, play bingo, and give back to animals. Link
Riverside Tattoo Club CAT FLASH DAY — 8/29, Riverside Tattoo Club. Cat tattoos for $100-150, plus temporary tats for kids. Link
Blount's Got Talent — 8/29, Capitol Theatre Coffee & Ice Cream Parlor. First-ever community talent show, 5-7pm. Link
Asian Festival — 8/30, World's Fair Park. FREE, food, culture, and fun. Link
Beer and Brush at Xul — 8/30, Xul Beer Co. Hardin Valley. $20 to paint and sip. Link
A few notes on using this list
A couple of practical things worth knowing before you head out to any of these:
Safety first. These are publicly advertised, local events, however I have not personally vetted every event before it happens. Maybe one day, if time travel is invented, I'll do that for you. For now, be smart and make safe decisions.
Confirm details before you go. Event dates, times, and locations can shift after this post is published, especially for anything outdoors or weather-dependent. The links next to each event go straight to the source, so that's always your best last-minute check.
Most of these are free or low-cost. Getting to know a new city doesn't have to be an expensive project, and a lot of the best Knoxville events are exactly the kind of thing you can show up to on a whim.
Bring a friend, or make one. Several of these are the kind of casual, repeat-monthly events where you'll start recognizing faces if you go a couple of times in a row. That makes them a great place to start finding your feet in the Knoxville social scene.
If you're weighing a move to Knoxville and want a more personal read on what a specific part of town is actually like to live in, not just visit for an event, that's a conversation I have with relocating clients all the time. Feel free to reach out through www.christinatheknoxrealtor.com any time.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find more Knoxville events beyond this list? The event calendar on Visit Knoxville and the City of Knoxville's parks and recreation pages are both solid ongoing sources, along with neighborhood-specific and interest-specific Facebook groups once you find the ones near you.
Do I need to RSVP for events on this list? It varies by event, check the linked page for each one. Free outdoor events usually don't require it, while ticketed or capacity-limited events typically do. I include a price when I can find it, but those are subject to change on an event-to-event basis.
Will there be a new list every month? Yes, this is planned as a recurring monthly feature. Check back at the start of each month for what's coming up next. If you want a reminder, sign up for my newsletter on the home page of my website (yes, it comes via snail mail).
Christina Kobel is a Realtor and Affiliate Broker with Knox Home Group in West Knoxville, TN, known on social media as Christina The Knox Realtor. She works with clients relocating from California and believes the best way to get to know a city is to actually show up to it. Learn more or get in touch at www.christinatheknoxrealtor.com.
Equal Housing Opportunity.
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