Knoxville Opera’s 17th annual Rossini Festival International Street Fair on Gay Street is this Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Festival performers include area choruses, a gospel choir, a barbershop chorus, jazz bands, local dance groups and opera singers previewing Knoxville Opera’s production of “Aida” that will be held at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 6. 

To prep for the festival’s four stages and 300-plus vendor tents, the following streets will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday, April 13, through 6 a.m. Sunday, April 15:

• Gay Street, between Summit Hill Drive and Cumberland Avenue;
• Wall Avenue, between Walnut and Gay streets;
• Union Avenue, between Walnut and State streets;
• Clinch Avenue, between Walnut and State streets;
• Church Avenue, between Walnut and State streets; and
• Market Street, between Clinch and Union avenues.

Temporary no-parking zones will be in place on Gay, Clinch, Union, Church and Market beginning at 8 p.m. Friday and ending at 6 a.m. Sunday.

This year, Rossini producers have introduced four official pick-up and drop-off points for festival attendees who opt for being conveyed to and from the festival by ride-sharing services, taxi cabs or other drivers. Each point is located within a block of the festival site. A map is available at KnoxvilleOpera.com. 

Additionally, Knoxville Area Transit offers convenient bus service into downtown. To plan your trip, visit www.katbus.com; Knoxville Station is just a five-minute walk up to the Rossini festivities.