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Youth board hosts Art in the Park

Posted at 5:12 pm March 27, 2024
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board will host the first Art in the Park, and it will feature local artists, interactive art displays and crafts, face painting, refreshments, and local musician performances.

Art in the Park is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Alvin K. Bissell Park Amphitheater Pavilion.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: Art in the Park, Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board

Read Lavender Festival schedule, details

Posted at 10:41 pm June 16, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival (Submitted photo)

The Lavender Festival has expanded. Here is a schedule of musicians and presentations, and information about additional events.

The free festival, the 23rd Jackson Square Lavender Festival, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in Jackson Square. Since 1999, the Lavender Festival has been held the third week of June, which is when the lavender is in bloom in Tennessee. In addition to several local lavender farms, the festival features 150 artisan and food vendors, live music, informative presentations, and free children’s activities.

For information about vendors, parking, road closures, children’s activities, and more, visit  www.JacksonSquareLavenderFestival.org. The festival is “rain or shine,” a press release said.

Here is what is new this year:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Festivals, Food, Music, Slider, Top Stories, Wine Tagged With: Jackson Square, Lavender Festival, Nine Lakes Wine Tasting, Tour of Gardens

Lavender Festival is June 17

Posted at 2:48 am June 9, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival (Submitted photo)

The 23rd Jackson Square Lavender Festival returns to Jackson Square this month. The Main Event is free to the public on Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lavender Festival was named Best Festival last year by the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council, a press release said. It is presented this year by the City of Oak Ridge, which will have a booth for information about living, working, and playing in Oak Ridge.

Since 1999, Lavender Festival has been held the third week of June, which is when the lavender is in bloom in Tennessee. In addition to several local lavender farms, the festival features 150 artisan and food vendors, live music, informative presentations, and free children’s activities.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Music, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Herb Lunch, Jackson Square, lavender, Lavender Festival, Nine Lakes Wine Tasting, Oak Ridge, Tour of Gardens

Today: International Festival at Children’s Museum

Posted at 7:12 am February 25, 2023
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Irish Dancers, here at an earlier International Festival with the Children’s Museum mascot Charlie the Curious Bear, will entertain again with traditional Irish dance.

Crafts, cuisines, and entertainment from world cultures will be presented at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge International Festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, February 25.

The family-friendly International Festival will have musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. Children may “make and take” crafts, and several booths will offer activities and crafts for children.

Raya Quttaineh and María Guzmán of WBIR-TV will serve as festival emcees. Quttaineh, originally from Jordan, is a morning anchor and reporter. Guzmán, originally from Nicaragua, is a bilingual journalist reporting in English and in Spanish for the Spanish newscast Noticias WBIR. Both came to the United States as children with their families.

Entertainers will include Katrien Sevrin of Belladance, who performs and teaches Middle Eastern dance; the Tennessee Irish Dancers, students taught by professional and champion Irish dancer Katie Carver; a Shamisen performance on a Japanese banjo-style instrument; and a traditional Japanese story, Kamishibai. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Community, Crafts, Dancing, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Music, Photography, Slider Tagged With: Belladance, Children's Museum International Festival, Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, María Guzmán, Raya Quttaineh, Tennessee Irish Dancers, The Missing Goats

Memory Magic Scrapbook set for mid-September

Posted at 8:20 am July 18, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host its 17th Annual Memory Magic Scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17, 2022. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host its 17th Annual Memory Magic Scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on September 16 and 17.

This is a traditional-style, low-tech event, a press release said. Friday and Saturday include vendors, a crop area, classes, and a masseuse.

The vendor area will be open to participants from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Vendors include home party businesses, scrapbook stores, and general craft stores located from all over the region, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts, Entertainment Tagged With: Memory Magic Scrapbook, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks

Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

Posted at 5:34 am February 25, 2022
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Irish Dancers join Charlie Bear, the Museum mascot, at an earlier International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

Flamenco, Irish, and Greek dancers will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

A special guest from Ireland, musician and singer Fionan Casey, will join the band, The Missing Goats, performing traditional Irish music at the festival, a press release said.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Community, Crafts, Dancing, Entertainment, Food, Museums, Music, Slider Tagged With: Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, International Festival, Pasión Flamenca, St. George Greek Dancers, Tennessee Irish Dancers, The Missing Goats

Celebration of life in April for John Rice Irwin

Posted at 5:25 pm January 27, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

John Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, plays the mandolin in this photo by Linda Gunderson.

A celebration of the life of museum founder John Rice Irwin will be held in April at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. The celebration of life is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24.

Irwin was a cultural historian and founder of the Museum of Appalachia, among other notable achievements.

Irwin died Sunday, January 16, in Clinton. He was 91.

He was born on December 11, 1930, in Union County, Tennessee.

“While Irwin was still a toddler, his family was forced to move from their farm to make way for the flooding of Norris Lake and the construction of Norris Dam,” his obituary said. “They first settled in Robertsville (in Oak Ridge), but the Manhattan Project forced them to move yet again, this time to the Bethel Community.”

Irwin’s obituary said he was captivated by the rich cultural history of East Tennessee and its people for as long as he could remember.

“As a young boy, he would sit at the feet of his grandmother, Ibbie Jane Rice, and grandfather, Marcellus Moss ‘Sill’ Rice, and listen intently to their stories of the past,” the obituary said. “Sill took notice of his grandson’s fascination and said to him, ‘you ought to keep the old-timey things that belonged to our people and start you a little museum sometime.’ It was this advice that would ultimately inspire Irwin to create the Museum of Appalachia.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Front Page News, History, Museums, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: Alex Haley, Anderson County, Appalachia pioneer history, Appalachian artifacts, Appalachian life, cultural history, East Tennessee, John Rice Irwin, Lamar Alexander, Museum of Appalachia, Southern Appalachia

Farm Fest in Jackson Square on Saturday

Posted at 10:48 pm September 17, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Farm Fest in the Square is in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The festival will be in Jackson Square from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, September 18.

“The event will be a celebration of life down on the farm,” organizers said. “We have a pie bake off, square dancers, animals from Little Ponderosa Zoo, music from Liza Jane and Curly Fiddler, an open bluegrass jam, and vendors! The Oak Ridge Farmers Market will be right across the street, so come get some great eats and learn a bit about the history of farm life.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Business, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Music, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Farm Fest, Farm Fest in the Square, Jackson Square, Oak Ridge

Jimmie Allen to perform at Secret City Festival

Posted at 2:16 pm July 19, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Allen was named New Male Artist of the Year at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards

One of country music’s hottest rising stars will perform on the first night of the Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge this fall, a press release said.

Jimmie Allen, who made history as the first black artist to launch a career with two consecutive No. 1 hits on country radio, including his debut single “Best Shot,” and his latest single “Make Me Want To,” was named ACA’s best new male artist of the year in 2021, a press release said.

“We are excited to bring a rising talent to perform in Oak Ridge,” said Naomi Asher, marketing chair of the festival. “Our lineup this year will appeal to a wide array of people and include all the fun activities and vendors that festival-goers have been used to seeing for years.”

The festival is scheduled from September 24-26 at Alvin K. Bissell Park. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the opener taking the stage at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at https://www.secretcityfestival.com.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: Jimmie Allen, Naomi Asher, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge 85, Secret City Festival

No Secret City Festival this year

Posted at 1:02 pm May 21, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

There will not be a Secret City Festival this year, organizers said Thursday.

In April, organizers had announced that the festival, which is normally in June, was postponed. But no new date was announced at that time.

On Thursday, the Secret City Festival board of directors said they have explored every option to have the festival in 2020, but “we have determined that we cannot provide the level of excellence this year that we wish to.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, COVID-19, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Health, Music, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: COVID-19, Secret City Festival

Lavender Festival postponed to next year

Posted at 7:31 pm April 15, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

The Lavender Festival, one of Oak Ridge’s most popular festivals, has been postponed to 2021 as the city, state, and country try to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“After consulting with Oak Ridge city officials, and in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce that Lavender Festival 2020 will be postponed until June 19, 2021,” said Barbara Ferrell, a Jackson Square business owner and Lavender Festival Committee member. “We agree with city officials that Lavender Festival’s crowd and limited area make it an unsafe event as the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate in our community.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Business, Community, COVID-19, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Health, Music, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Barbara Ferrell, COVID-19, Jackson Square, Lavender Festival

Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

Posted at 4:28 pm February 20, 2020
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

Folk dancers representing many cultures around the world will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 29, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival entertainment will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Februar 29 at the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.

Entertainers include the Oak Ridge International Folk Dancers; Spice of India Dancers; Kinetics Wellness Studio, with instructor Katrien Sevrin and students presenting contemporary Egyptian dance; Pasión Flamenca, performing flamenco and Spanish folk dances; the Meriaki Greek Dancers from St. George Greek Orthodox Church; the Tennessee Irish Dancers; Debka and the Oasis Dancers; National Martial Arts, demonstrating martial arts with audience participation; and the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, along with the University of Tennessee Japanese Program. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Crafts, Dancing, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Museums, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: Arts Fund for East Tennessee, Children's Museum International Festival, Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, Knoxville Area Model Railroaders, Oak Ridge Amateur Radio Club, Oak Ridge International Folk Dancers, Tennessee Arts Commission

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