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.”
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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.
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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…]
Tennessee’s only Lavender Festival returns for its 21st year in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge on Saturday, June 15. The festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Celebrating all things herbal, crafts, local foods, and more, the Lavender Festival is free to customers, and last year attracted an estimated crowd of 11,000,” a press release said. “In addition to free admission, Lavender Festival also offers plenty of free parking in city and business lots surrounding Jackson Square.”
The festival is full of tradition and fun, and it always features something new, the press release said. For example, a traditional bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand, the release said. A complete music schedule is included below.
The highlight of Lavender Festival will be the group of 150 artisan, herb, and floral vendors that will line the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which will be closed to traffic.
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The two-day Secret City Festival on Friday and Saturday will feature music, food, history, science, and much more, a press release said.
The festival is hosted by the City of Oak Ridge and presented by Celebrate Oak Ridge. It will be in Alvin K. Bissell Park from 10 a.m. until about 11 p.m. on Friday, June 7, and Saturday, June 8.
The festival showcases Oak Ridge’s unique role in American history and scientific innovation with various events and activities for the entire family to enjoy.
Musical headliners at the concerts will include iconic rock bands Loverboy, performing on Friday, June 7, and 38 Special, performing on Saturday, June 8. Tickets for each concert are available online. The festival is free to attend, but concert-goers must purchase a ticket.
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Sham-Rock in the Square will feature music in Jackson Square from 5-7 p.m. Friday evening, March 15, 2019. The spotlight band is the dynamic duo Ruby and Chloe. They will be in Southern Bliss Boutique. (Submitted photo)
Sham-Rock in the Square will feature music in Jackson Square on Friday evening.
The spotlight band is the dynamic duo Ruby and Chloe, a press release said.
“Can’t get any better than this—two best friends creating music together!” the press release said.
They will be at Sham-Rock in the Square from 5-7 p.m. Friday, March 15, in Southern Bliss Boutique. Ruby Amanns is currently a student at Pellissippi College, and Chloe Weaver is a senior at L&N Academy, the press release said. [Read more…]
Spice of India dancers will perform traditional Indian dances on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)
The Oak Ridge International Folk Dancers will join entertainers representing cultures around the world when the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge hosts its annual International Festival on Saturday, February 23.
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, a press release said. The festival entertainment will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. February 23 at the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.
Crafts that children may make and take include crocodile masks, an Egyptian necklace, and a French flag, the press release said. They may also learn about collecting international postage stamps and take their own passport around the festival booths to have it stamped and get a prize. [Read more…]
Scottie Baxter is a new crafter at the Pilot Club’s 42nd annual Arts and Crafts Fair in Oak Ridge on Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Scottie creates vintage lace wall pockets out of lace. Here she is removing the lace from one of her wall pockets. (Submitted photo)
The Pilot Club’s 42nd annual Arts and Crafts Fair will take place from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, November 16, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, November 17, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.
The craft fair will include 84 booths, with a variety of arts and crafts such as silk and burlap wreaths, jewelry, scarfs, handbags, glass etching, crocheted items, repurposed furniture, pottery, wind chimes, lotions, scrubs, wood working, jams, jellies, natural goats milk soaps, photographers, authors, wood chimes, Christmas crafts…and the list goes on and on, a press release said. There will also be food for sale from the kitchen and a table of homemade baked items. Admission is free. [Read more…]
The Mad Hatter’s Arts Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday will feature arts and crafts vendors, poetry, music, food, dancers, authors, and interactive arts stations.
The free festival, the first of its kind, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s presented by Through the Looking Glass Antiques and Collectibles in Jackson Square.
A Jabberwocky Poetry Slam is scheduled at Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An open mic will start at 2 p.m. for walk-ins who didn’t sign up for the family-friendly event but want to perform.
Sixteen local songwriters will perform original acoustic music all day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the square. There will also be musicians playing cover songs at the festival, said Linda Johnston of Through the Looking Glass.
At noon, the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet dancers will perform in the square. [Read more…]
Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)
The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday will celebrate health, herbs, crafts, local foods—and lavender. There will also be music, children’s activities, and a wine tasting. It’s the 20th year of the festival, which is the only Lavender Festival in Tennessee.
“The Lavender Festival is a perennial crowd favorite, full of tradition, fun, and always something new,” a press release said.
The 20th annual Lavender Festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 16, in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge.
The festival, which attracted about 8,000 people last year, is always free, with plenty of free parking available in surrounding city and business lots, and on side streets.
As is tradition, a bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand. A complete music schedule is found below.
Informative presentations will be held in the lobby of Pinnacle Financial Partners, and they will include Thyroid Health & Tips for Optimal Brain function (10 a.m.), Home-Crafted Lavender Products (11:30 a.m.), and Turning Back the Bones of Time (1 p.m.).
Also returning for its third year is “A Taste of Tennessee Wines,” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., benefitting the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]
