Oak Ridge Today

Butterfly Festival will feature butterfly release, insect zoo

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The insect zoo at the Butterfly Festival. (Submitted photo)

The annual Butterfly Festival will feature an educational release of 500 butterflies and an insect zoo at the University of Tennessee Arboretum on Saturday, September 17.

It’s the seventh annual festival, and it’s scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. September 17 in the UT Arboretum Auditorium and surrounding area at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The festival is presented by the UT Arboretum Society. The purpose is to educate the public and teach people how to protect these pollinators, a press release said.

The UT Insect Zoo, two butterfly tents, educational lectures, a butterfly release, and children’s art activities are among the educational activities that will be offered, the press release said.

The butterfly release is scheduled for noon.

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Secret City Festival has free admission to concerts

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A previous Secret City Festival is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Secret City Festival will offer free admission to concerts this weekend after daytime activities were canceled because of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

The concerts are Jimmie Allen on Friday, September 24, and All-4-One on Saturday, September 25. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the concerts start at 7. The concerts are in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

The concerts will be first-come, first-served. Capacity is limited to 50 percent, a press release said.

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Updated: Secret City Festival cancels daytime activities

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Note: This story was updated at 9:10 a.m. Sept. 12.

Daytime activities have been canceled at the Secret City Festival this month as the state and county experience a COVID-19 surge driven by the delta variant. However, the evening concerts, food trucks, and fireworks have not been canceled.

“Due to the ongoing resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Festival Board has been in discussions with the City of Oak Ridge, where concerns were raised about our ability to hold a viable, safe, and successful event,” Naomi Asher, marketing chair for the festival, said in response to questions Saturday. “Sadly, we must cancel all daytime festival activities, so that what we will be left with are the two evening concerts, food trucks, and fireworks.”

Asher said the Festival Board and City of Oak Ridge made the decision.

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Updated: July 4 Fireworks Celebration canceled this year

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The annual fireworks show was in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (File photo by D. Ray Smith)

Note: This story was updated at 11:30 p.m. June 10.

The July 4 Fireworks Celebration in Oak Ridge has been canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release, the City of Oak Ridge said the challenges related to COVID-19 include:

  • The Oak Ridge Community Band has canceled its performance.
  • Surrounding areas have also canceled similar events.
  • Those attending the July 4 Independence Day celebration would not be able to successfully follow the social distancing requirements established by the State of Tennessee and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The city said there is a risk of larger crowds and more traffic because other nearby events have been canceled. Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said residents can instead spend time with family and friends at home.

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No Secret City Festival this year

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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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