The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Tuesday, July 4 (Independence Day), before the city’s annual fireworks show.
The band is scheduled to play patriotic melodies starting at 7:30 p.m., a press release said.
“The music will stir your soul, bringing us closer as we honor our nation’s heritage,” the press release said. “As the final notes fade, prepare for a breathtaking fireworks display.”
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Oak Ridge’s annual fireworks show is scheduled to being at dark Tuesday, around 9:45 p.m. on Independence Day, July 4. There will be music before the show.
The celebration, which is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, will be at Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge.
The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform prior to the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, a press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.
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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:
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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.
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The Parish Choir of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge will be heading overseas this summer to sing in some of London’s most historic churches.
The choir will lead worship at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 10, Westminster Abbey on July 13, and St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on July 16 while the professional choirs there take their summer vacation.
St. Stephen’s will be visiting during a time of continued celebration following the coronation of King Charles III earlier this year, a press release said.
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Tim O’Brien will kick off ORNL Federal Credit Union’s Summer Sessions concert series in Oak Ridge on Saturday, June 10. Opening for Tim O’Brien will be the Po’ Ramblin Boys, who were a crowd favorite during the 2021 series, a press release said.
O’Brien is based in Nashville. He is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, and a lifelong devotee of bluegrass music with more than 40 years in the industry, the press release said. He started touring nationally in 1978 with Colorado bluegrass band Hot Rize, and his songs “Walk the Way the Wind Blows†and “Untold Stories†were bluegrass hits for Hot Rize, and country hits for Kathy Mattea. Artists like Nickel Creek, Garth Brooks, and The Dixie Chicks have covered O’Brien’s songs, and over the years, he has collaborated with his sister Mollie O’Brien, songwriter Darrell Scott, and noted old-time musician Dirk Powell, as well as with Steve Earle, Mark Knopfler, Dan Auerbach, and Sturgill Simpson.
O’Brien’s skills on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo make him an in-demand session player, the press release said. The International Bluegrass Music Association awarded him song of the year in 2006 and named him best male vocalist in 1993 and 2006. He was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2022. Notable O’Brien recordings include the bluegrass Dylan covers of “Red on Blonde,†the Celtic-Appalachian fusion of “The Crossing,†and the Grammy winning folk of “Fiddler’s Green.” His duet recording “Real Time†with Darrell Scott is a cult favorite, the press release said, and he won a bluegrass Grammy as part of “The Earls of Leicester.â€
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The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in a Memorial Day concert on Monday evening, May 29.
The free concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Monday at the Alvin K. Bissell Park Pavilion in the center of Oak Ridge.
The concert will include a mix of classical masterpieces, contemporary hits, big band tunes, infectious marches, patriotic anthems, and toe-tapping jazz melodies, a press release said.
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ORNL Federal Credit Union has announced the lineup for its annual Summer Sessions concert series in Oak Ridge and Kingston. This year’s free concert series will again feature bluegrass and Americana bands from throughout the region, a press release said.
Summer Sessions is open to the public and will kick off in May and continue through August. Concerts will be held at the pavilion in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge and at The Amphitheater at Fort Southwest Point in Kingston.
Here is the lineup:
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The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in a “Music for Spring” concert in Knoxville on Sunday, March 12.
The concert is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at 711 South Northshore Drive in Knoxville.
The concert is free, but seating is limited. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the community is encouraged to arrive early to secure their seats, a press release said.
“‘Music for Spring’ promises to be an exciting and diverse musical experience, featuring an array of classical, jazz, and pop music selections that celebrate the arrival of spring,” the press release said. “Under the direction of Shaun Salem, the Oak Ridge Community Band comprises musicians of all ages and skill levels, dedicated to delivering high-quality performances that resonate with the community.”
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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 MarÃa 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…]
The all-day Rock to Bach Music Festival and Fundraiser will feature performing groups on two stages in Oak Ridge today, Saturday, February 18.
Besides music, there will be a silent auction, celebration dinner, and special after-dinner entertainment with Four Leaf Peat, a traditional Irish music group in East Tennessee. The event has been organized by Oak Ridge Civic Music Association.
You can come and go as you please during the music and hear these performers and more:
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AMVETS of Oak Ridge will celebrate its 75th anniversary in March, and the ceremonies will include a concert by American Idol Top 5 finalist Janelle Arthur of Oliver Springs.
The concert is Friday evening, March 10. The 75th Anniversary and Veterans Appreciation Celebration is Saturday, March 11, at 190 Adams Lane in Oak Ridge.
“To say thank you, veterans and active-duty service members will receive a free gift bag and can register to win other items including an American flag, local gift cards, and Post 2 merchandise during their 75th Anniversary and Veterans Appreciation Celebration,” a press release said.
AMVETS is an organization of veterans serving veterans, the press release said.
“Only a few organizations in Oak Ridge have stood the test of time to remain active for 75 years, which makes the celebration of the AMVETS 75th Anniversary a very special occasion,” the press release said.
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