Oak Ridge Today

July 4 fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

July 4, 2012 Fireworks

The Independence Day fireworks show in Oak Ridge has been scheduled for 10 p.m. Monday, July 4, at A.K. Bissell Park. (File photo by Charles Samuels)

 

The Independence Day fireworks in Oak Ridge are scheduled to start at dark, around 9:45 p.m., at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Tuesday, July 4. The fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 73rd year, will perform prior to the fireworks, a press release said. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 4.

Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating, the press release said. A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Please sit only in the designated areas, the press release said. [Read more…]

Green McAdoo hosts Jazz on the Hill on Saturday, July 1

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Green McAdoo Organization Jazz on the Hill July 2 2016

The Jazz on the Hill concert on July 2, 2016, at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

The Green McAdoo Cultural Organization will be hosting its first Jazz on the Hill concert series on Saturday, July 1. The group performing will be Brian Clay and Friends.

The event is open to the public, and you can bring your families, blankets, and lawn chairs, a press release said. Performance times will be 5:30-8:30 p.m.

It’s a free event, and vendors will be available for food and drink purchases, the press release said. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival includes free concerts, art show, other activities this weekend

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A.K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

 

The Secret City Festival features free concerts and other activities at Alvin K. Bissell Park this weekend. Organizers have posted an entertainment schedule for both days, which is printed below.

Organizers said parking is available at the west end of the park (enter via Badger Road), Oak Ridge High School, First Methodist Church, and various paid lots around town. Accessible parking is available at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

The TN Creates Juried Art Show begins at 10 a.m. daily in the Shep Lauter Room at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and all other festival activities begin at 2 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday, organizers said. Admission is free.

There are free water stations throughout the park and water and other drinks are available for purchase via vendors, organizers said. There are food vendors at the festival, and “we have plenty of cold beer and moonshine cocktails ready to go,” organizers said.

Other activities include a petting zoo, wildlife encounter, Home Depot area, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Traveling Science Fair, according to an event map, which is included below.

Here’s the entertainment schedule for Friday and Saturday: [Read more…]

Reminder: Secret City Festival under way this week

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray, who helped announce the musical entertainment scheduled for Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. June 5.

A reminder: The new weeklong Secret City Festival is under way, and it started Friday, June 2. The festival is free, and it includes two weekends and two weekdays. Most of the events are at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

The first weekend (June 2-4) celebrated Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6, and the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7. Music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

The festival has been organized by Celebrate Oak Ridge. A schedule of events is below, and a schedule for this weekend is also included.

Saturday, June 3, was a big day, organizers said. There were World War II re-enactments at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., speakers throughout the day, the Freedom Belles, USO show, and more at Bissell Park. Historic exhibitions continued at Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Flatwater Festival is Friday at Melton Lake Park

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge will hold a fundraiser on Friday, June 2, at five that’s full of fun. It’s called the Flatwater Festival, and it is open from 5 to 11 p.m. You can watch teams of two build boats of plywood with simple hand tools in two-and-a-half hours. Then you can watch them paddle their boats as they race across the lagoon at Melton Lake Park.

The event is free and you can listen to area bands Ridge City Ramblers, The Unnamed, and Four Leaf Peat, as they play folk, blues, and Irish/Appalachian music on the stage, starting at 5:30.

But bring money so your kids can play in a bounce house ($5) and you can be a contestant in a cornhole tournament ($10). You will also want to drink and eat. At the festival for a small price, you can buy beer, barbecue, and burgers. Other offerings include hot dogs, wine, ice cream, and bottles of “flat” water. [Read more…]

RISE ABOVE: Redtail exhibition soars into Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Rise Above

Commemorative Air Force project celebrating Tuskeegee Airmen appears as part of Secret City Festival’s “Celebrate Our Heroes” weekend

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron, America’s tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, brings their RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to Oak Ridge this week as part of the Secret City Festival’s “Celebrate Our Heroes” event. The exhibit is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. now through Saturday at 115 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge in front of Maxed Out Gym.

The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit is a fully functional mobile movie theater housed in a climate controlled 53-foot semi trailer that is deployed to events around the country. This immersive experience inspires and educates audiences about the Tuskegee Airmen, our country’s first black military pilots and their support personnel, and the obstacles they had to overcome to serve their country during World War II. Because of its dynamic 160-degree panoramic screen, the film creates the feeling of being in the cockpit soaring above the clouds in the P-51C Mustang—the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen. View a preview at www.redtail.org/traveling-exhibit/.

More than half a million people in 36 states have experienced a compelling and inspirational piece of American history delivered by this unique educational outreach vehicle since the program launched in 2011, a press release said. Each year, the CAF Red Tail Squadron embarks on a nine-month cross-country tour that includes appearances at air shows, schools, museums, and community events. The group’s six guiding principles—Aim High, Believe In Yourself, Use Your Brain, Be Ready To Go, Never Quit, and Expect to Win—serve as the foundation for their outreach programs and are based on the experiences and successes of the Tuskegee Airmen. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival: Seven days of celebration

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

 

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge.

The new Secret City Festival, brought to you by Celebrate Oak Ridge, will be bookended by two special weekends. The first weekend will celebrate Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6; the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7; and music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

Celebrate Oak Ridge June 2017 Schedule Web

On Friday, June 2, tours of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shuttles running to and from the American Museum of Science and Energy and New Hope Center. U.S. citizenship and pre-registration are required for tours. Graphite Reactor tours at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will also be held then on a first-come, first-served basis, with departure on buses from AMSE.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch will officially open the festival, and the crew of the U.S.S. Oak Ridge will present and ring the U.S.S. Oak Ridge bell at 8:30 p.m. At 9 p.m., the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” will be shown free of charge.

Overnight, approximately 200 re-enactors will be setting up an overnight encampment with World War II-era tents in Bissell Park. [Read more…]

Thrive, Prevent, Celebrate: Survivor Sundae offers cancer information

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Mt. LeConte Jug Band will once again entertain guests at Methodist’s “Survivor Sundae” celebration and cancer awareness event on Sunday, June 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

The Mt. LeConte Jug Band will once again entertain guests at Methodist’s Survivor Sundae celebration and cancer awareness event on Sunday, June 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

With improved screenings and advanced treatment, more and more people are beating cancer each year. But that doesn’t change the significance of being a cancer survivor and the hard fight to put cancer in its place.

Join Methodist Medical Center as they celebrate National Cancer Survivors’ Day on Sunday, June 4, with the fourth annual Survivor Sundae. This special ice cream social will take place from 2-4:30 p.m. June 4 at the Cheyenne Ambulatory Center at 944 Oak Ridge Turnpike, a press release said.

“Survivor Sundae will honor cancer survivors and their families who have supported them along the way as well as provide cancer prevention and awareness information for the community,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Community Band concert will honor veterans on Memorial Day

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Lettie Andrade De La Torre

Lettie Andrade De La Torre

 

Submitted

Not only is Memorial Day an opportunity to salute our veterans and military personnel, it is often considered the “unofficial” beginning of the summer. In celebration of this holiday, the Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its Memorial Day concert on Monday, May 29. The performance will begin at 7 p.m. in A.K. Bissell Park, and there is no admission fee, although donations are gratefully appreciated to help offset band expenses.

The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for outdoor seating around the Performing Arts Pavilion, and Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab will continue its tradition of providing refreshments during the concert. This concert is an excellent way for area residents, families, and friends to end the Memorial Day holiday weekend and have the opportunity to honor the men and women who have served in the military to maintain our freedom, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORHS JazzKats, Band play final concert of the school year on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge High School JazzKats, along with the entire Band, will play their final concert of the school year on Thursday.

The concert is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 25, in the ORHS Performing Arts Center Auditorium.

“The JazzKats will kick off the show with the Concert and Symphonic Bands following,” a press release said. “Come enjoy our free concert and help us send our seniors off on their next adventure!”

You can see a short video clip from the last concert, “Come out Swingin’” by Larry Neeck, here.

Oak Ridge Philharmonia concert on Saturday will feature harpist with farewell solo, also Beethoven, Mozart

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Kari Novilla, harp soloist (Submitted photo)

Kari Novilla, harp soloist (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted by Dale Gedcke, publicity manager for the Oak Ridge Philharmonia

A concert on Saturday by the Oak Ridge Philharmonia will feature an abundance of ear-pleasing music, a press release said.

Concert selections will include Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony,” the “Blue Danube Waltz” by Johann Strauss II, “Hungarian Dance No. 5” by Brahms, and the enchanting “Andante Movement” from Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 21.”

“As a special treat, harpist Kari Novilla will perform a farewell solo before beginning her university studies,” the press release said. “Here are the descriptions that make this concert one you will not want to miss.”

Kari Novilla began her musical studies with the violin at age four, then moved to harp at the age of seven. She currently studies with William Lovelace (past president of the American Harp Society) and Elzbieta Szmyt (Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University—Bloomington). She will be graduating this May with both her high school diploma and an associate degree from Walters State Community College, summa cum laude, the press release said. [Read more…]

An Evening Out to benefit Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County Kids Count 5k

Photo courtesy Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County

 

Some of East Tennessee’s most exciting performing artists will share one stage in Oak Ridge in a concert to raise funds for the Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, or CACAC, a press release said.

The event attracts a cadre of talented singers, songwriters, dancers, and performers from the area, the press release said. This year, it’s scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Friday, April 28, at the Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Grove Center.

Two of the area’s most talented performers will be highlighting the evening, the press release said. Kelle Jolly, “The Tennessee Ukulele Lady,” is one of East Tennessee’s most celebrated jazz musicians and a WUOT personality, the release said. Dominick White, a baritone with the Marble City Opera Company, will share his talent in the evening of fun.

Other singers, plus dance ensembles, will be performing including tango, lindy hop, and Greg Carney’s hip-hop. The emcee of the evening will be Zach Farrar who will also be handling the live auction.

“This event makes a difference in the lives of children,” said Sally Avery, president of the CACAC Board of Directors. “An evening of entertainment while supporting the kids, it is the event to be at this year!” [Read more…]