Here’s a list of what to do this weekend: fundraising dinners and beer, a community volunteer day, lots of music, art, and more!
FRIDAY, FEB. 26
Nourish Knoxville Winter Warmer Fundraising Dinner
First Christian Church (211 W. Fifth Ave.) • 6:30 p.m. • $75
Nourish Knoxville is raising money to support its programs—you know, little things like the Market Square Farmer’s Market and the annual East Tennessee Local Food guide. So lay out a little cash for a four-course dinner from Matt Gallaher and help keep one of the key stewards of Knoxville’s food community in business. You also get a chance to check out First Christian Church, which will be one of the venues for the Big Ears festival next month.
Jubilee Festival
Laurel Theater (1516 Laurel Ave.) • 7 p.m. • $12
This is the 47th edition of Jubilee Community Arts’ annual old-time music and culture celebration at the Laurel Theater, featuring music from the Lost Fiddle String Band, Kelle Jolly, the Tennessee Stifflegs, John Alvis and Friends, the Knox County Jug Stompers, Y’uns, Camp Hollow String Band, Possum Crossing, Roy Harper, Mike and Marcia Bryant, the Bearded, and the Mumbillies. The music starts at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; there’s a potluck and sacred-harp singing on Sunday afternoon.
Knoxville Opera: Hansel and Gretel
Tennessee Theatre (604 S. Gay St.) • 7:30 p.m. • $21-$99
The second production of Knoxville Opera’s 2015-16 season is Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 retelling of the fabulous fairy tale, directed by Candace Evans and starring Chrystal E. Williams and Lindsay Russell in the title roles. Find out more in Alan Sherrod’s preview. An encore matinee will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2:30 p.m.
Bark
Pilot Light (106 E. Jackson Ave.) • 9 p.m. • $5 • 18 and up
Tim Lee celebrates his birthday by doing what he does best—strapping on a guitar and getting up on stage to play some rock ’n’ roll. In this case, he’s teaming up with his wife/Tim Lee 3 bandmate Susan Bauer Lee in the experimental duo thing they call Bark. Buy him a beer and toast another year. With Psychic Baos and Marc Higgins and the Chainsaw Bears.
SATURDAY, FEB. 27
Smoky Mountain Hiking Club
Great Smoky Mountains • 8 a.m. • Free
The Smoky Mountain Hiking Club heads to the hills—in this case, the Great Smoky Mountains, where they’ll trek up the Old Sugarlands and Twin Creek trails. You’ll see a couple of old CCC camps and the Bud Ogle cabin on the moderate 10-mile hike. The group meets at Food City in Alcoa (121 North Hall Road) at 8 a.m. Email David Smith at dcshiker@bellsouth.net for more information.
Beardsley Farm Community Work Day and Seed Swap
Beardsley Community Farm (1719 Reynolds St.) • Noon-5 p.m. • Free
Roll up your sleeves and help Beardsley Community Farm, Knoxville’s urban demonstration farm, get ready for spring—volunteers and staff members will be working in the dirt from noon to 3 p.m. You can get a tour of the farm, too. Just be sure to wear sensible shoes and bring a water bottle. From 3-5 p.m., the farm’s hosting its annual seed swap, where growers of all levels can trade seeds and talk shop. Email beardsleyfarm@gmail.com for info.
Write or Die Workshop
Central United Methodist Church (201 Third Ave.) • 1-3 p.m. • $40
Local poet/spoken-word performer/rapper Black Atticus leads this intro to writing slam poetry; he’ll discuss the methods he used on his new book and CD, Park City Pedestrian. Sponsored by the Knoxville Writers’ Guild; $35 for guild members, $40 for general admission.
Tennessee Winter Beer Fest
The Carriage House (8310 TN-73, Townsend) • 3-8 p.m. • $60
The fifth installment of Townsend’s annual craft-beer-palooza features a murderer’s row lineup of local and regional brewers— Saw Works Brewing Company, Bluetick Brewery, Fanatic Brewing Company, Depot Street Brewing, Yee-Haw Brewing Company, Balter Beerworks, Crafty Bastard Brewery, Blackhorse Brewery, Johnson City Brewing Company, Holston River Brewing Company, Last Days of Autumn Brewing and Calfkiller Brewing Company. And it’s for a good cause, with proceeds benefitting New Hope Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center. So drink up and help out! (Or help out by being a designated driver—DD tickets are available for $30.) Visit tennesseewinterbeerfest.com.
John Paul Keith
Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (200 E. Jackson Ave.) • 10 p.m.
East Tennessee native JPK has hit his artistic stride during the last several years in Memphis, matching his own whip-smart pop-craft sensibilities with classic country, R&B, and soul sounds on recent albums like The Man That Time Forgot and Memphis Circa 3AM.
SUNDAY, FEB. 28
Knoxville Seven
Knoxville Museum of Art (1050 World’s Fair Park Drive) • 1-5 p.m. • Free
The Knoxville Seven were among the first modern artists in East Tennessee. Their collaborations in the late 1950s and early ’60s invigorated Knoxville during a mid-century cultural drought and brought credibility to the University of Tennessee’s new art department. Now, more than 50 years later, the Knoxville Museum of Art has made the Knoxville Seven suddenly and startlingly relevant again. A new exhibit not only highlights a neglected period in Knoxville’s art history—it’s also the culmination of the museum’s nearly decade-long quest to assert itself as the champion of East Tennessee art. Read our cover story. And then go see the show!
Kevin Gates
The International (940 Blackstock Ave.) • 9 p.m. • $25-$100 • All ages
For several years running Kevin Gates has been tapped as one of hip-hop’s rising stars—he even made XXL’s Freshman Class in 2014, along with Chance the Rapper and Rich Homie Quan, and he’s earned a cult following through a barrage of mixtapes and well-honed, melodic lyrics set to booming trap anthems. He’s cut his teeth on the gritty dope-boy stylings the genre is known for, but he built his name on spitting straight talk, blurring hard truths with themes of life and loving, often in a single song. His just-released debut album, Islah, manages to pack a polished sound and sentimental edge, often presenting dueling narratives of street life, family, loyalty, and love, marking his evolution from street hustler to wordsmith. With Young Greatness and OG Boobie Black.
Senior Editor Matthew Everett manages the Knoxville Mercury's arts & entertainment section, including the comprehensive calendar section—Knoxville’s go-to guide for everything worth doing in the area. You can reach Matthew at matthew@knoxmercury.com.
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