PRESS RELEASE:
Knoxville is the place to be this spring. Starting in March and running through May, the city will showcase the “Knoxville Beats & Eats” series with a full line up of festivals featuring live music, arts and crafts, food and more. The spring long celebration will introduce visitors to a vibrant mix of culture and cuisine, creating an unexpected feast for music lovers and foodies alike. Knoxville Beats and Eats is presented by Visit Knoxville in partnership with Scripps Networks Interactive.
The “Knoxville Beats & Eats” series will provide a breath of fresh air to visitors seeking an “under-the-radar” alternative to the usual city destinations. Situated at the crossroads of two major highways— I-75 and I-40 and right off of I-81—Knoxville is an easily accessible urban hub. Recently named by Trip Advisor as a Top 10 Destination on the Rise, the city has wide-ranging appeal whether visiting for a day or staying through the weekend where mountains meet music, art meets adventure and culture meets cuisine.
Over the course of three months, dozens of artists will perform across the city as part of the “Knoxville Beats and Eats” series. Music will showcase a modern twist and run the gamut, including performances by critically-acclaimed indie bands as well as avante garde, Americana, and rhythm and blues musicians. Featured artists at various events will include The Mavericks, Mute Math, Andrew Bird, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass and Dom Flemons, one of the founding members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Knoxville will also host various opportunities for visitors to indulge in the best of the region’s cuisine from uptown European fare to down home American favorites. Children and adults of all ages will enjoy the reading festival as well as the opportunity to see and run the streets of Knoxville.
“Visit Knoxville is extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with Scripps Networks Interactive. This partnership helps us promote a variety of Knoxville’s outstanding spring festivals and events with a combined vision. The “Knoxville Beats and Eats” campaign will showcase these events on an even broader scale outside this region,” said Kim Bumpas, President, Visit Knoxville. “We are looking forward to a very exciting festival season.”
“Scripps Networks Interactive employees have enjoyed a variety of entertaining events in Knoxville since we launched HGTV in 1994,” comments Jim Clayton, Executive Vice President, Corporate Giving & Community Relations. “Clearly, Knoxville has become a popular destination for the finest music, food and art. No matter how you look at it, these social activities are good for our community, fun for our employees, and a big contributor towards the economic strength of the Southeast.”
The “Knoxville Beats & Eats” events will have something for every palette and palate.
Big Ears Festival (March 31st – April 2nd) – A weekend of interactive exhibitions and musical performances in Knoxville’s historic theaters, clubs and galleries combined with film showings, workshops and discussions with artists. This festival has been named “the classiest, most diverse festival in the country” by Rolling Stone and is produced by the founder of Bonnaroo.
Dogwood Arts (April 1st – May 1st) – The mission of Dogwood Arts is to promote and celebrate our region’s arts, culture and natural beauty. This month long celebration highlights our region’s talent through many art exhibits and events. From Dogwood Trails to Chalk Walk on Market Square, Dogwood Arts remains a signature springtime event in Knoxville.
Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run and Relay Races (April 2nd and April 3rd) – The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon includes a 26.2-mile marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon, four-person marathon relay, 5K run and one-mile fun run for children 8th grade and younger. The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has grown to become the largest competitive road race in East Tennessee. As in previous years, all races will have an exciting finish on the 50-yard line inside Neyland Stadium.
Rhythm N’ Blooms Music Festival (April 8th -10th) – With the stages set exclusively along downtown Knoxville’s historic Jackson Avenue, Rhythm N’ Blooms showcases the best of roots music plus the hottest up-and-coming acts ranging from your favorite indie rockers to iconic Americana acts to soul and hip-hop.
Rossini Festival International Street Fair (April 23rd) – Beginning with the amazing free-admission International Street Fair featuring almost 200 booths of hand-craft artisans, food and beverage, and five stages of live entertainment, the festival concludes with a unique multi-venue production of Puccini’s Tosca on April 30th.
The Knoxville Stomp Festival of Lost Music (May 5th – 8th) – This four-day event in downtown Knoxville celebrates the re-mastering and release of a newly recovered collection of musical recordings made at Knoxville’s St. James Hotel in 1929 and 1930. The Knoxville Stomp will be one-of-a-kind weekend, bringing a diverse array of musicians, writers, scholars and collectors together to celebrate the music of the region, from hot jazz to old time string band to gospel. The festival is headlined by Dom Flemons and features a museum exhibition, record show, panel discussions, and lots of live music.
The International Biscuit Festival (May 12th -14th) – The International Biscuit Festival celebrates that most perfect of foods – the biscuit. The Festival draws over 20,000 biscuit lovers to downtown Knoxville each year. Festival goers can sample biscuit creations at the Biscuit Boulevard tasting area, cheer on competitors in the Biscuit Baking Contest, shop at the Biscuit Bazaar, or vie for the pageant title of Miss or Mr. Biscuit. Biscuit Art and Biscuit Songwriting round out the fun that makes this event one of the most unique destinations in the country.
Children’s Festival of Reading (May 21st) – Favorite stories and characters jump off the page at this celebration of books, authors, and the imagination. Children of all ages are invited to meet world class authors and illustrators and enjoy a day of storytelling, arts & crafts, science exploration along with fun games, activities, food and music. Sponsored by Knox County Public Library, once upon a time is happily ever after in World’s Fair Park.
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