Here’s the first holiday edition of this weekly blog series from the City’s communication team designed to help you know about downtown events and related parking opportunities.
With its Austrian crane in place, State Street Garage construction continues unabated toward its goal of adding 570 parking spaces to downtown’s stock. The bottom line is: this popular parking destination hits capacity quickly. We encourage visitors to use available resources to find an alternative parking location, including, but not limited to: Dwight Kessel, Locust Street, Market Square and Langley garages. Find the most convenient one to your destination at DowntownKnoxville.org or using the Parkepedia app.
If you do plan to travel to the State Street Garage and its vicinity, know that S. Central Street between Union and Clinch avenues will be closed until sometime in January; the traffic pattern at the intersection of Union and State has been adjusted to allow westbound drivers on Union to turn left on State.
If you’re trying to reach the Dwight Kessel Garage, First Presbyterian Church, or another downtown destination nearer the river, bypass Central by taking Gay Street or Hall of Fame Drive to Hill Avenue. Another bypass idea to reach the south side of downtown is to take James White Parkway, exit onto Neyland Drive to Walnut to W. Hill.
This weekend:
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving! You can be ambitious and start the day with the Regal Turkey Trot 5K & Little Gobbler Run at 8 a.m. in downtown. There will be rolling road closures starting on World’s Fair Park Drive and following the race route into downtown via Clinch, Locust and Church, W. Hill to Walnut, State Street and Main, Cumberland Avenue to S. Central Street, to W. Summit Hill, into the Old City via Willow, to Burris, Florida, Campbell and back toward the Old City via E. Jackson Ave toward Gay Street, left on Gay, left on W. Depot toward Broadway and back to World’s Fair Park.
Friday: The day after Thanksgiving is a busy one that will see the opening of the Holidays on Ice outdoor skating rink in Market Square at 10 a.m. followed by the Regal Celebration of Lights ceremony starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Krutch Park extension with music from the Old City Buskers; the lighting ceremony starts shortly after 6 p.m. WDVX’s annual Ho-Ho-Hoedown presents live music on the Market Square stage that evening.
In addition to the parking considerations mentioned above, temporary no-parking zones will be in effect on Union Avenue and Market Street through 10 p.m. Friday. Parking will be prohibited on Gay Street starting at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The following streets will be closed Friday:
- Union Avenue between Walnut and Gay streets, 2 - 10 p.m.
- Market Street between Clinch and Union avenues, 2 - 10 p.m.
- Market Street between Church and Clinch avenues, 5:20 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
- Gay Street between Summit Hill and Church avenues, 5:20 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
- Clinch Avenue between Walnut and State streets, 5:20 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Also on Friday: Fantasy of Trees continues through Sunday at the Knoxville Convention Center. Proceeds benefit East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Nearby parking is available at the Locust Street Garage.
Performances of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!) will be held at Theatre Knoxville (319 N. Gay Street) on Friday, Nov. 23 & Saturday, Nov. 24, 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 25, 3 p.m. The premise: Instead of performing A Christmas Carol for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told — plus Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. Free parking is available within a block of the theater in the City lot under I-40 accessible from N. Gay Street, Magnolia Avenue and Williams Street.
Knoxville Ice Bears take on the Fayetteville Marksmen, 7:35 p.m. Knoxville Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Junior Blvd. Parking for a fee is available at the garages located across from the coliseum and auditorium.
Saturday: The Tennessee Theatre hosts two performances of A Christmas Story: The Musical on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 25, at 2 p.m.
The Old City Market returns to Jackson Avenue in the Old City from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. for shopping at multiple local pop-up vendors set up in the block of Jackson between Central and State (closed to cars 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.). Free parking is available in the city lot under James White Parkway, accessible from both Jackson and Willow avenues.
Sunday: The Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra performs a program called A Classical Christmas at 2:30 p.m. at the Bijou Theatre.