Oak Ridge Today

Sponsored: Award-winning Tennessee Medieval Faire celebrates 5th annual festival

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Photo courtesy Tennessee Medieval Faire

Discounted rooms at Baymont Inn and Suites for Faire fans

New online ticket sales and discounts available 

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Medieval Faire was awarded by 9 Lakes of East Tennessee and the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council (covering 16 counties) an Excellence in Tourism Award as the “2018 Best Annual Festival.”

“We are very grateful for the recognition that we are adding value to our community,” said Barrie Paulson, vice president-manager and entertainment director.

Now celebrating its fifth year, the Tennessee Medieval Faire invites patrons to go back in time to the High Middle Ages (circa 1190s) and “Live the Age of Chivalry!” with Robin Hood. This outdoor interactive PG festival will spring to life on May 25 and run for three weekends, including Memorial Day.

The dates are May 25-27, June 1-2, and June 8-9. The hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Easter Time.

[Read more…]

International entertainers, food & crafts at Children’s Museum on Feb. 23

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Spice of India dancers will perform traditional Indian dances on Feb. 23, 2019, at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

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…]

Lavender Festival is Saturday in Jackson Square

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Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps

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…]

Children’s Museum hosts Celebration of the Young Child on Friday

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Children enjoy making crafts to take home at the Celebration of the Young Child at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

Children enjoy making crafts to take home at the Celebration of the Young Child at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Crafts, storytelling, and fitness challenges will be among activities planned for the Celebration of the Young Child from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, April 27, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

Children’s author Adele Roberts will tell stories from her “Sammy the Skunk” series of books, accompanied by her Sammy puppets. Her stories are designed to stimulate children’s imaginations and to teach character values based on the situations the animals encounter, a press release said.

Physical Education teacher Josh Johnson from Linden Elementary School will kick off the morning with gym activities. Children will be “kids in motion” with the National Fitness Center’s obstacle course. And children will learn about fire safety from firefighters with the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee will invite the museum’s young gardeners to “plant” a garden of pinwheels for prevention, a symbol of child abuse prevention, in the Environmental Learning Center and Gardens, the press release said. [Read more…]

Tennessee Fall Homecoming this weekend at Museum of Appalachia

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Tennessee Fall Homecoming Musicians

File photo courtesy Museum of Appalachia

Tennessee Fall Homecoming is this weekend at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris.

The historic three-day festival is scheduled from Friday, October 7, to Sunday, October 9. It’s the 37th annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming.

It’s one of the nation’s largest, most authentic music and folk festivals, a press release said. It features more than 70 musicians performing on four outdoor stages.

“Each year, tens of thousands of music fans come to enjoy concerts spanning many genres—including bluegrass, country, gospel, and Americana music,” the press release said.

The music lineup for this year’s event includes: [Read more…]

Lavender Festival on June 18 celebrates herbs, crafts, food, music

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2015_LavenderFestival 33

Several thousand people visit Jackson Square Lavender Festival each year, now in a newly renovated Jackson Square. (Photo by Shawn Millsaps)

 

The 18th annual Lavender Festival on Saturday, June 18, will celebrate herbs, crafts, food, and music.

It’s scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18 in the renovated Jackson Square, which now features a fountain and pleasant sitting area in the center, a press release said.

The festival will celebrate the “Herb of the Year,” Capsicum, or hot peppers.

New this year, “A Taste of Tennessee Wines” brings wine tasting to Lavender Festival, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tasting is hosted by Great Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of five independent wineries in East Tennessee. Many of these Tennessee wines earned silver, gold, and concordance gold medals in the Wines of the South Regional Wine Competition in October 2015 at the University of Tennessee, the press release said. Adults over 21 may purchase a $10 tasting ticket, and will receive a free glass and wine tote, and the opportunity to buy bottles of Tennessee wine and meet the winemakers. Customers may enjoy the wine at seating areas at the festival, with lunch served all day by several food trucks, caterers, and restaurants. A portion of the proceeds of the wine tasting will benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Kids Day at the Oak Ridge Farmers’ Market on Saturday

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Kids Day at the Oak Ridge Farmers Market

Photo by East Tennessee Farmers Association for Retail Marketing

 

Don’t miss Kids Day at the Oak Ridge Farmers Market in Jackson Square this week. This free event on Saturday, May 23, will feature live farm animals, crafts, games, music, and a chef at the Market offering samples of the season’s best produce.

Kids Day activities are from 9-11:30 a.m., while the market is open 8 a.m.–noon. The highlight of the morning is a kids FARM Market Scavenger Hunt. Children will hunt for live farm animals and other interesting items brought by the farmers from their homes. Among the items they’re bringing are small farm animals, beekeeping gear, a sheep fleece, an anvil, and more!

Entertaining songs for kids and kids-at-heart will be provided by Tom Beehan, banjo player and former mayor of Oak Ridge, and several of his musical friends.

Children will have a chance to learn about healthy eating with a “My Plate” craft activity led by Anne Brock, author of the popular blog FlourSackMama.com. [Read more…]

International Festival is Saturday at Children’s Museum

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Dancers at the International Festival at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge

Dancers are pictured above at a previous International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The International Festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 28, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. The festival will include the same entertainment line-up, food, and culture booths originally set for last weekend.

It was postponed last weekend (Saturday, February 21) due to weather conditions.

The International Festival will feature entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world, with Spice of India Dancers as the featured performers. The family-friendly event will feature musical, song, and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day, international food and culture booths, and crafts for children to make. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum hosts International Festival Feb. 21

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Spice of India dancers at the Children's Museum International Festival

Spice of India dancers at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world at its annual International Festival on Saturday, February 21. The family-friendly event will feature musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day, international food and culture booths, and crafts for children to make and take home.

The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. February 21 at the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. Food will be served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Children will be invited to make and take Chinese dragons, Japanese geisha masks, and Indian elephants at craft stations during the festival, as well as crafts at several International Bazaar booths. [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran has Pet Fest, Blessing, 5k Run/Walk on Saturday

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Pet Blessing

A file photo from a previous pet blessing.

Submitted

For all who love animals, Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge presents the 13th annual Pet Fest and Blessing on Saturday, October 4.

Activities commence with the Pets are Blessings 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. at Melton Lake.

More festivities follow at the church from 1-5 p.m. The church is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood. Parking will be available for the mobility-impaired at the church or in the Woodland Elementary School parking lot behind the church. (Follow the pink puppy paw print signs!)

For the second year, the church is offering a 5k run/walk at Melton Lake at 8 a.m. This year, the Pets are Blessings 5K Run/Walk will invite humans to run with their dogs, if desired. [Read more…]

Photos: Lavender Festival

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Lavender Festival Overview

The 16th annual Lavender Festival was Saturday in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge FARM Market is in the foreground, and the festival is in the background. (Photos by Ray Smith)

 

The 16th Annual Lavender Festival was on Saturday in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The herb fair included more than 100 vendors, exhibits, and demonstrations featuring products and information related to gardening, cooking, health, aromatherapy, and all things herbal. 

Throughout the square, vendors offered live plants, herbs, art, crafts, herbal products, jewelry, baskets, pottery, wooden utensils, and more. Sample foods made with herbs were available, and there was also grilling with herb demonstrations by local chefs.

The Oak Ridge FARM Market was open across the street from the festival, local musicians were featured throughout the day, and children’s activities were available.

Vendors said they were very busy at the well-attended festival on Saturday morning. An afternoon storm dampened the activities, but many festival-goers continued to shop and enjoy the music. [Read more…]

Reminder: Lavender Festival on Saturday

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Lavender Festival

The 16th Annual Lavender Festival will be held on Saturday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Oak Ridge’s Historic Jackson Square. This herb fair is a perennial favorite of folks from all around and focuses on all that is fresh, healthy, and good for the body and soul.

The Lavender Festival transforms Jackson Square into a hub of activity, information, fun, and of course, lavender. More than 100 vendors, exhibits, and demonstrations will offer products and information related to gardening, cooking, health, aromatherapy, and all things herbal.

The Lavender Festival doesn’t just celebrate lavender. It also features the International Herb Association’s “Herb of the Year,” which this year is Artemisia. Artemesia isn’t just one herb, but a species which includes Tarragon, Mugwort, Wormwood, and Sweet Annie. Gardeners, cooks, and nature enthusiasts can be sure to find useful information about how to use Artemesia in healthy and beautiful ways. Visit the booth in front of the Jackson Square fountain to learn more about Artemesia this year.

Throughout the square, vendors will be offering all varieties of live plants, herbs, art, crafts, herbal products, jewelry, baskets, pottery, wooden utensils, and more. Sample foods made with herbs will be available from 9 to 11 a.m., with grilling with herb demonstrations by local chefs from 1 to 3 p.m. [Read more…]