Oak Ridge Today

Freight Hoppers play at Secret City Sounds on Friday

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The Freight Hoppers

The Freight Hoppers play old-time string band music, and they will perform at Secret City Sounds in Oak Ridge on Friday. (Submitted photo)

Secret City Sounds continues its Summer Concert Series with The Freight Hoppers at 7 p.m. Friday at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

It’s the second show in the 2013 series, and it’s presented by the Arts Council of Oak Ridge and the City of Oak Ridge.

The Freight Hoppers have been presenting old-time string band music for more than 20 years, a press release said. [Read more…]

July 4 fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park

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July 4 Fireworks

The July 4 fireworks show in Oak Ridge starts at 10 p.m. at A.K. Bissell Park. (Photo by Charles Samuels)

Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley has announced that the fireworks display, sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, will begin at 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 4. The display will be shot from A.K. Bissell Park.

The fireworks will be accompanied by music played live on-site by Merle 96.7 FM. Radio host Jack Ryan will be live from the park beginning at 6 p.m. and will conclude the live broadcast with a patriotic medley as the fireworks are shot. The countdown to the fireworks begins at 9:30 p.m. Listeners can tune their radios to 96.7 Merle FM and enjoy the show.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its annual 4th of July concert at the A.K. Bissell Park Pavilion beginning at 7:30 p.m. [Read more…]

Secret City to glow with color at Neon Vibe 5K in September

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Neon Vibe 5K Oak Ridge

A Neon Vibe 5K will be held at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on Sept. 21. (Photo courtesy Neon Vibe 5K)

The “Atomic City” will “light up the night” this fall when a brand new event, the Neon Vibe 5K, comes to town.

The 5K is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, at A.K. Bissell Park. The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the race this week.

The Neon Vibe 5K is an after-dark, fluorescent glow light fun run that will have participants “glowing crazy with color and dancing all night long,” a press release said. Starting with the 5K, participants will run a traditional, non-competitive 3.1-mile course with four UV black light “glow zone” color stations and upbeat dance music set up throughout the route. [Read more…]

Charity dog walk on Saturday receives $2,000 donation

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Radio Systems Corp.—home of the PetSafe and SportDOG brands—recently awarded $2,000 to the Mutt Strutt, a charity dog walk created by the Young Professionals of Oak Ridge Community Outreach Committee in partnership with SARG (Shelter Animal Rescue Group).

The Mutt Strutt was created to support the improvement of the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, and this year’s event will be held at A.K. Bissell Park at 10 a.m. Saturday. [Read more…]

Community Band Memorial Day concert in A.K. Bissell Park on Monday

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The Oak Ridge Community Band has its annual Memorial Day Concert on Monday evening in A.K. Bissell Park.

The music program will be dedicated to paying tribute to military veterans and to the men and women currently serving in the United States Armed Forces, a press release said. The concert starts at 7 p.m., and there is no admission fee, although donations will be “gratefully accepted to help offset band expenses,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival has World War II living history exhibit

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Submitted

The Secret City Festival is introducing a new “Salute to Soldiers” program featuring World War II living history activities and demonstrations at A.K. Bissell Park on Saturday, June 22.

“Come out and salute our WWII veterans and enjoy an entire day of living history activities and exhibits provided by Five Oh First Group,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Secret City Sounds begins Friday with The Breakfast Club

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Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club

The 2013 Secret City Sounds concert series starts Friday with The Breakfast Club.

Friday’s free concert starts at 7 p.m. at the pavilion at A.K. Bissell Park.

The Breakfast Club was formed in 1993, and it is a 1980s tribute band. A press release said the group, a longtime local favorite, has shared the stage with numerous music legends, including Whitesnake, The Romantics, Poison, Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, Hootie and The Blowfish, White Lion, The Smithereens, and Edwin McCain. [Read more…]

Earth Day festival to feature dog jumping competition, kids’ activities, recycling, exhibitors

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Dock Dogs at Earth Day Oak Ridge

Alex, a Weimaraner skilled at long distance jumping and speed retrieval, catches a football during a DockDogs competition in Oak Ridge during the 2012 Earth Day Festival.

The Sixth Annual Earth Day Festival in Oak Ridge this weekend will feature a jumping competition for dogs, a kids’ race and bicycle rodeo, and shoe collection and recycling drives.

It will also feature more than 60 exhibitors and live music. It’s scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The popular dog jumping competition debuted in Oak Ridge last year. It’s the Smoky Mountain Dock Dogs “Spare the Big Air Challenge,” and it features a 26,000-gallon swimming pool and four events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, Speed Retrieve, and Iron Dog. It starts at 4 p.m. Friday at A.K. Bissell Park and ends at 5 p.m. Sunday. [Read more…]

Second annual Parkinson’s Walk in Oak Ridge on April 13

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Parkinson's Walk

Parkinson’s Walk 2012
(Submitted photo)

On Saturday, April 13, the Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of East Tennessee, PK Hope Is Alive, will host its second annual walk at at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. The local walk will be in conjunction with the 19th annual Parkinson’s Unity Walk in New York City.

Registration starts at 9 a.m., and the walk, which will help raise funds for Parkinson’s Disease research, will take place between 10 a.m. and noon. Last year, PK Hope Is Alive raised more than $17,000 and was the No. 8 fundraising organization in the country. [Read more…]

City egg hunt March 23, volunteers needed

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2013 Egg Hunt later this month.

Hundreds of children are expected to participate in this annual spring event, a city press release said. It starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at A.K. Bissell Park.

[Read more…]

Secret City Festival applications now available online

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World War II Re-enactment

The Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge includes one of the largest World War II re-enactments in the South.

Preparations for the 11th Annual Secret City Festival are under way, and applications are now available online.

Vendors and exhibitors can visit www.SecretCityFestival.com and download an application to become involved in this year’s event, which will take place June 21-22 at A.K. Bissell Park.

Applications are available for arts and crafts, exhibitors, and food vendors.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge, Woman’s Club light Christmas tree

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Oak Ridge Christmas Tree Lighting

The Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department had the annual Christmas tree lighting at A.K. Bissell Park on Friday night.

Several hundred people attended the annual Christmas tree lighting and concert at A.K. Bissell Park and Civic Center on Friday night.

It was sponsored by the Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.

Entertainment after the tree lighting included music by the Jefferson Middle School Orchestra, a Linden Elementary School chorus, and the Oak Ridge Community Band.