Past Episodes

Every weekend episode of The South Knoxville Ear, back to the first one — the events, openings, and neighborhood stories of SoKno, one weekend at a time.

• Thu–Sun, Oct 29–Nov 1, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 20
  The Old Sevier Halloween Pub Crawl puts eleven neighborhood stops on one passport Saturday

  Six stamps enter you for the prize package.

  Also in this episode: Puckers throws Boos & Brews Thursday: a cash-prize costume contest, pumpkin beer pong and shot roulette · Wax Museum spins spooky vinyl rarities at Fly by Night Thursday · Fly by Night's fourth Freaks Come Out at Night ball brings three DJs to the haunted lounge Friday · The 808 throws a free 90s rave with Psychonaut on Halloween eve · Bear Grillz brings the Dubstep Time Machine to The 808 on Halloween night · Planet Doom's HalloweEMO party takes over the Pink Cactus Friday, with a blind-dating gameshow first · Belltower turns the Pink Cactus into a haunted house party on Halloween night, with free karaoke after nine · The Pink Cactus celebrates Día de los Muertos Sunday with a free cumbia class, catrina face paint and an ofrenda · Hi-Wire hosts Drop Dead, a Halloween drag show and costume contest, Saturday at nine · Jake Smith Trio plays the Trailhead patio Friday at seven · Four Legged Dog plays Trailhead on Halloween night · Mt Olive Pleasure Club closes the weekend at Trailhead Sunday at four · Kern's Ho'Down puts line dancing, a mechanical bull and a Thriller lesson on the lawn Friday · The Starlight Paddle takes kayaks onto the Tennessee River after dark Friday · Storytime at the Nature Playscape is all about bats on Halloween morning · Meet the park's newest animal ambassador, an opossum, at Playing 'Possum on Halloween morning · Renew in Nature: yoga, a sound bath and forest bathing at the Ijams homesite Sunday morning · Earl's runs a rita a day through Halloween weekend, then mimosas for the morning after

• Thu–Sun, Oct 22–25, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 19
  Spooky Streets shuts part of Sevier Avenue for trick-or-treating Friday evening

  The Old Sevier District closes a stretch of its main street for a family Halloween: costumes, candy at the shop doors, a bounce house and a dance party, free, from five until half past seven.

  Also in this episode: Scruffy Roots Fest lands on its new date: six Americana acts on the Kern's lawn Sunday, free · Free Spirit Theatre stages Annie Baker's John at the Borderland Playhouse, Thursday through Sunday · Best if Used By, a free one-night readers' theatre, closes the weekend at the Borderland Playhouse Sunday · The Big Pink House Party gives a whole night to drum and bass at The Pink Cactus Friday · Captain Ed and FreQ-K play industrial slammers at Fly by Night Thursday · A vampire night for the sapphic crowd returns to Fly by Night Saturday, with DJ Iris at ten · Rodney Lee and Corey Kimbro play the Trailhead patio Friday at seven · The Lonetones close the weekend on the Trailhead patio Sunday at four · Volunteers plant 37 trees along the SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk Thursday morning · Kids sew their own monsters at Kern's Thursday, in costume, for The Restoration House · Printshop takes a dollar off pints for the whole Vols game Saturday, from the pregame to the final whistle · The Enchanted Forest brings life-size puppets and animal ambassadors to Mead's Quarry Saturday, ten dollars a person · Mischief Night takes a guided hike into the dark at Ijams Nature Center Friday, with the nocturnal animals up close · The Full Moon Paddle under the Hunter Moon is the last paddle of the season at Ijams Nature Center Sunday · The Crossword Play builds a puzzle in front of the audience at Ijams Nature Center Sunday afternoon · The specials board: Earl's game-day board for the Vols at South Carolina Saturday, and a different deal every day on Waterfront Drive

• Thu–Sun, Oct 15–18, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 18
  The Kern's Bakery Fall Festival puts line dancing, a School of Rock set and pumpkin painting on the lawn Sunday, free

  The old bakery's lawn turns into a fall fair for an afternoon: a dance lesson for everyone, a kids' rock band, pumpkins, axes and a village of local vendors. Nobody pays to get in.

  Also in this episode: Pup-O-Ween puts dogs in costume on a runway at Hi-Wire Sunday, five dollars a dog for a rescue · Goodbye June and Danny Worsnop bring a blues-rock double bill to The 808 Friday · All My Exes Live in Texas turns The 808 into a classic-country dance hall Saturday night · The 808 posts a parking map: lots and street parking around Sevier Avenue, and the two places not to park · First Bass and Planet Doom stack ten DJs on two stages at The Pink Cactus Saturday · Quiet Entertainer warms up a Nashville album release at Fly by Night Saturday, with Kaspar and ro4l · Disco Demon Ahun plays funky disco and house at Fly by Night Thursday, five dollars at the door · A three-mile social run leaves Printshop at six Thursday, with dollar wings waiting at the end · Crawdaddy Jones plays the Trailhead patio Friday at seven, a week after the Scruffy Roots stage · Greg Horne closes the weekend on the Trailhead patio Sunday at four · Cowtown Studios' Ho'Down Social brings four hours of line and country dancing to Kern's Friday night · Starlight Paddle takes guided kayaks onto the Tennessee River after dark Friday and Saturday · The East Tennessee Bluegrass Association jam fills Mead's Quarry with acoustic music Sunday, free · A fungi walk at Ijams Nature Center teaches beginners to read mushrooms and lichen Sunday · Birds take over Saturday storytime at the Nature Playscape, free · ScruffyCat and ScrappyKitty send mountain bikers on a 100-mile tour of Knoxville's trails Saturday · Catalyst Sports' adaptive mountain bike ride rolls out of Baker Creek Saturday morning · The specials board: Earl's runs its Vols board Saturday as Alabama comes to Neyland at 3:30

• Thu–Sun, Oct 8–11, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 17
  Old Sevier Market, the grocery store on Sevier Avenue, opens Saturday

  South Knoxville gets a neighborhood grocery. The store the district has been counting down to opens its doors October 10, and for its first month fifteen percent of every purchase buys food for people in Knoxville who need it.

  Also in this episode: Scruffy Roots Fest puts six Americana acts on the Kern's lawn Sunday, free · KNOX-ILL, Printshop's graffiti day, puts spray-can writers to work live for twelve hours Saturday · The first Urban Wilderness 50K runs a loop through seven parks on Saturday · Paul Oakenfold's Thursday show at The 808 is sold out, the venue's first · A DJ called Goblin turns Alliance Brewing into a dance floor Thursday night · Feral Kitty lets its new music out of the box at Fly by Night on Friday · Dizzle Phunk makes a dance-party debut at Fly by Night on Saturday · The After Brunch Special brings six stand-ups to the Pink Cactus on Saturday afternoon · Daniel Kimbro and Stranger May play the Trailhead patio on Friday at seven · Two Heads Are Better Than One closes the weekend on the Trailhead stage Sunday at four · Ijams Nature Center's Big Day birding hike counts fall migrants on Saturday morning · Flowers and plants take over Saturday storytime at the Nature Playscape · A second mural goes up on the back of Kern's, and two sculptures land on the rail trail · Southern Fried Vegan sets up a barbecue pop-up at Printshop on Sunday · The specials board: Earl's lists its Vols board for Saturday, with the game in Arkansas at 4:15

• Thu–Sun, Oct 1–4, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 16
  "Carrie" closes the outdoor movie season on the Ijams Park lawn

  The last Movies Under the Stars of the year is the original prom-night horror, fifty years old this fall, shown outdoors on the first Friday of October with the woods right behind the screen.

  Also in this episode: The 808, a new music venue, opens on Sevier Avenue this weekend · First Friday turns Old Sevier into an art crawl, with live printing, two openings and a late dance floor · "Hedda Gabler" plays its last two nights at the Borderland Playhouse on Sevier Avenue · Knoxferno brings fire spinners and DJs to the Pink Cactus front yard on Saturday · A starlight paddle goes out on a moonless river Friday night · Giant fishing lures hang down the Kern's tower, painted for the SoKno Art Walk · Brunch at Puckers wraps ninety minutes before Auburn kicks off · Volunteers dig in at Baker Creek on Saturday to get the trails ready for Fall Fest · The moss walk at Mead's Quarry goes out Saturday, the last one on the calendar · Songbirds get their leg bands at Mead's Quarry on Sunday, the last banding morning listed · Frogs and toads take over Saturday storytime at the Nature Playscape · Kids study fall wildflowers and make flower art at Ijams Park on Saturday morning · A sound bath with gongs and singing bowls fills the Visitor Center on Sunday morning · Self Care Sunday yoga meets on the Visitor Center patio, and moves inside if it rains · Circles with Dizzy spins hoops in the Miller Building on Thursday evening · The specials board: Earl's game-day column runs all Saturday for a 3:30 kickoff

• Thu–Sun, Sep 24–27, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 15
  Channel 865 turns Mead's Quarry into a dance floor from noon to sundown

  Six DJs, eight hours, the quarry lake behind the decks, and no ticket. Sunday's End of Summer Jam at Ijams Park is free and all ages, on the first cool weekend since June.

  Also in this episode: A guided paddle goes out under the Harvest Moon on Saturday night · World Cyanotype Day puts a free sun-print workshop on the Ijams Park plaza · Brunch at Puckers runs straight into a noon kickoff · Kern's rents out sections of its lawn as private tailgates on Vols Saturdays · Ijams Park introduces its newest animal ambassador, an opossum, on Saturday · Saturday storytime at the Nature Playscape reads a book about the moon on Harvest Moon day · The last bat walk of the season goes out from Mead's Quarry on Thursday night · The Urban Wilderness gets its first highs in the 70s since June · Renew in Nature strings yoga, a sound bath and forest bathing into one Sunday morning · The beginner mushroom workshop goes out Sunday afternoon, three days after a soaking · A fall wildflower walk goes out twice this week, Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon · A two-hour stained-glass workshop sets up at Ijams Park on Saturday · A weekly hula-hooping class spins up in the Miller Building on Thursday · The specials board: Earl's game-day column covers lunch this Saturday

• Thu–Sun, Sep 17–20, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 14
  Blacksmiths, broom-makers and a fiddle band at Marble Springs

  The governor's farm throws its founder a birthday party once a year, and the whole thing is free. Saturday it turns 281, with working craftspeople on the grounds from eleven to four.

  Also in this episode: The Circus Under the Moon returns to the Ijams Park lawn · Lord of the Rings plays outdoors at Ijams Park on Friday · An author reads her own book at Saturday storytime at the Nature Playscape · A guided evening paddle goes out on the river as the sun drops · A guided caving trip goes underground Saturday afternoon · Brunch at Puckers runs straight through Sunday's kickoff · Five dollars puts you at the bird-banding table on Sunday morning · Self Care Sunday puts a yoga class out on the grass at Ijams Park · A painting workshop sets up its easels beside the pond Sunday · The beginner mushroom workshop runs again Sunday afternoon · The third-Sunday bluegrass jam is free, and you don't have to play · The specials board: Earl's adds a game-day column for Saturday

• Thu–Sun, Sep 10–13, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 13
  Lights and art at Ijams Park

  One night a year the trail behind the Visitor Center turns into an after-dark gallery you walk through. Sunday is the night, and the $175 ticket is what keeps the park free the other 364.

  Also in this episode: A beginner's mushroom walk opens Ijams Park's fall fungi series on Friday evening · Four bars under one roof: the game-weekend guide to Kern's · Tennessee's first road game of the season plays on the Puckers wall Saturday night · Saturday storytime at the Ijams Nature Playscape starts a sixteen-week fall run

• Thu–Sun, Sep 3–6, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 12
  Tennessee's home opener kicks off Saturday at 3:30, and from this side of the river you can walk to the shuttle

  The Vols host Furman in the first home game of the season, in the mid-90s. Most of what you have read about the new traffic plan is not actually new — but the shuttle that starts a short walk over the Gay Street Bridge is the best thing on offer, and it costs ten dollars.

  Also in this episode: Ijams Park walks you out into the dark on Thursday to meet a hundred thousand bats · "All Dogs Go to Heaven" plays on the Visitor Center lawn at Ijams Park on Friday night · Puckers gets its first Vols Saturday, and the patio looks straight across at the stadium · Kern's will rent you a private game day section on Saturday, and it has published the price · Somebody reads out loud under the trees at the Ijams Nature Playscape on Saturday morning, and it's free · Hi-Wire runs pint night on top of an all-day happy hour every Thursday · Free trivia every Thursday at Trailhead Beer Market, at the edge of the Urban Wilderness · The specials board: a different deal every day at Earl's

• Thu–Sun, Aug 27–30, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 11
  Thursday night the Earth's shadow swallows 93 percent of the moon over South Knoxville

  It starts at 9:23 and peaks at 12:12 Friday morning, with the moon high in the south-southeast and the covered part gone the color of an old penny. No ticket, no drive, no equipment — a driveway will do it.

  Also in this episode: Knoxville Opera sings at the bottom of Augusta Quarry on Thursday, and it's the last night of the series · Puckers Sports Grill opened on Blount Avenue Wednesday, and this is its first weekend · Bourbon, cigars and a seersucker dress code on the Kern's rooftop Thursday night · Hi-Wire stacks pint night on top of an all-day happy hour every Thursday · "Napoleon Dynamite" plays on the Visitor Center lawn at Ijams Park on Friday night · Goat yoga comes to Kern's on Saturday morning · Somebody reads out loud under the trees at the Ijams Nature Playscape on Saturday morning, and it's free · Tiny Stage Comedy brings stand-up and poetry to the Ijams Park patio on Saturday night · Naturalists take a group out on the trails under the full moon on Saturday night · Set dried flowers in resin and go home with jewelry: a Sunday workshop at Ijams Park · The specials board: a different deal every day at Earl's

• Thu–Sun, Aug 20–23, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 10
  The last weekend of Mimosas: one more brunch before the sign comes down

  The brunch room on Blount Avenue serves its final Saturday and Sunday this weekend. It closes August 25 and reopens the next morning as Puckers Sports Grill Knoxville — which makes these the last two brunches under the old name.

  Also in this episode: A soul band, a free line dance, and 150 kids playing rock: Kern's takes the whole weekend · Ijams Park is running a summer camp for adults, and Saturday night you sleep in a tent · Old Sevier's weekend: a book night Thursday, adoptable dogs Saturday, stained glass Sunday · No band, no ticket, no crowd to sing in front of: the Pink Cactus just opens the door · The Kerbela plan is approved: 225 apartments, a public plaza, and a walkway to the river · The specials board: a different deal every day at Earl's

• Thu–Sun, Aug 13–16, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 9
  Three nights of hummingbirds: a projected light walk, then the whole festival

  Ijams Park gives its smallest resident a three-day send-off. Thursday and Friday, eight enormous animated projections turn the trails into an after-dark gallery. Saturday, the festival takes the homesite from seven in the morning.

  Also in this episode: The Kerbela plan comes back Thursday — and this time it's on the agenda for a decision · Two more weekends of Mimosas before the sign changes · Sunday at Ijams Park: bluegrass on the plaza, stories under the trees · Parents versus kids: All Play Live turns Kern's into a game show Saturday morning · Ted Lasso trivia Friday at Hi-Wire, then yoga both mornings · The specials board: a different deal every day at Earl's

• Thu–Sun, Aug 6–9, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 8
  The final bow: Shakespeare's last four nights at Ijams Park

  This time it's real — the 36th Knoxville Shakespeare festival ends Sunday. Henry V plays Thursday (pay-what-you-can) and Saturday; The Merry Wives of Windsor takes Friday and the festival's last night.

  Also in this episode: Before the theater: Thursday is Election Day · The Ho'down takes root at Kern's — now every other Friday · Ijams Park beyond the stage: a sold-out river and the gentlest Sunday of the year · The specials board: the full margarita ladder, and dog bingo

• Thu–Sun, Jul 30–Aug 2, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 7
  Your Urban Wilderness weekend — trail report checked this morning

  Baker Creek Bike Park is riding well, the Preserve needs a day to dry, and the club that builds it all just hired its first full-time trail crew. Plus: where the beer is when you roll out of the woods.

  Also in this episode: A correction, and a gift: Shakespeare is still on at Ijams Park · That variance sign on Jonathan Avenue? Approved, 4–0. · Back to school at Kern's — a bash, a supply drive, and jazz all weekend · Beyond the stage at Ijams Park: tree school, EcoArt, and the banders · The specials board: ritas, $4 pints, Singo, and bottomless brunch

• Thu–Sun, Jul 23–26, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 6
  Shakespeare's closing weekend at Ijams Park — last chances, and a free Thursday

  Both plays trade nights one more time, Thursday's Henry V is pay-what-you-can, and Sunday moves indoors for a Merry Wives double-header before the festival packs up.

  Also in this episode: Sevier Avenue's roadway was due this week. It didn't make it. · There's a new brunch room on the river: Mimosas · Kern's trades the World Cup big screen for a hoedown · Emo drag, Sunday bluegrass, and a stained-glass class · Earl's runs the margarita clock again · Beyond the stage: paddles, storytelling, and the banders are back

• Thu–Sun, Jul 16–19, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 5
  Shakespeare takes the Ijams Park lawn — and opening night is pay-what-you-can

  Two openings in two nights: The Merry Wives of Windsor Thursday, King Henry V Friday, then they trade off all weekend. Every Thursday show is pay-what-you-can.

  Also in this episode: Spain's in the final. Tickets start at $7,253 — or you could walk to Kern's. · The Sevier Ave rezoning is dead — and the Kerbela apartments got sent back · Disco Chicken turns one — with a gluten-free festival and a silent disco · Spicy Rita Friday at Earl's — and you'll still make curtain · An evening paddle — and a Friday night scheduling problem · Two gentle ones at Ijams Park: storytelling Saturday, yoga Sunday · Sunday Funday is still pouring

• Thu–Sun, Jul 9–12, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 4
  Terror in the Woods: scary movies under the Ijams Park stars

  Friday night the Movies Under the Stars series goes horror — a Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Wrong Turn double feature on the lawn, with a haunted trail, food trucks, and a beer garden.

  Also in this episode: The Sevier Ave rezoning gets its hearing — and staff says no · The World Cup hits the quarterfinals — Kern's keeps the screen warm · A sunrise paddle for the early risers · Sunday morning with the bird banders · Sunday Funday at Hi-Wire: cheap mimosas, long afternoon · Heads up: Shakespeare takes the Ijams Park lawn next week

• Thu–Sun, Jul 2–5, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 3
  The Fourth at Kern's: fireworks, a dog pawrade, and a full day of fun

  Kern's Bakery throws South Knoxville's big Independence Day party on Saturday — bounce houses and axe throwing by day, live music into the evening, and a fireworks show to send everyone home.

  Also in this episode: Live music runs all weekend at Trailhead · A pollinator morning for the kids at Ijams Park · Ease into Sunday with yoga at Ijams Park

• Fri–Sun, Jun 26–28, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 2
  The World Cup is on, and SoKno's got a screen for it

  Five matches roll through the weekend — group-stage drama Friday and Saturday, then the first knockout on Sunday. Pull up a stool at one of the neighborhood's sports-screen spots and settle in.

  Also in this episode: Matt Woods brings his Appalachian songbook to Trailhead · An afternoon soirée of local makers at The Pink Cactus · An evening paddle on the river, kayaks provided · Eight comics stack the bill at the After Brunch Special · Hi-Wire packs the weekend: trivia, a dance party, and stained glass

• Fri–Sun, Jun 19–21, 2026 · Vol. 1 — No. 1
  Pride takes over Sevier Avenue

  Three acts, one Saturday: a morning 5K and yoga by the river, the street festival on Sevier from noon to six, and official after-parties scattered across SoKno from eight on.

  Also in this episode: The fireflies are back, and Ijams will walk you in · Up early? Watch the songbirds get banded · Make Music Day turns the whole neighborhood into a stage · Roni's Mac Bar has landed at Kern's · A quiet corner of Sevier Avenue could go commercial · For the locals

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