Consider this your ticket to a good time. | Photo via @rmewfe03
Get ready to ride, the Tennessee Valley Fair is coming back to the Chilhowee Park + Exposition Center starting today through Sunday, Sept. 14.
This year’s event may be the greatest of all time. It will feature rides, food, entertainment, contests, and exhibits featuring a “G.O.A.T. Big or Go Home” theme.
What to do
When you think of the Tennessee Valley Fair, you might think of rides, games, and over-the-top food. Don’t worry, you’ll find all of these things in the Midway area, but there are plenty of other ways to have fun at the fair, including:
Agriculture plays a big role at the fair, and you can see animals at the Livestock Barn + huge vegetables at the Giant Growing Contest.
First Friday: “Sleep Cycle” by Lauren Adams | 5-8 p.m. | Dogwood Gallery | Free | Explore the gallery by the Knoxville-based oil painter whose works explore themes of sleeping and dreaming.
Nicolas Cage Trivia | 7-9 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing | Free | “Face/Off” with other teams to see how much you know about this “National Treasure.”
Specialty Iris Sale | 9 a.m. | Stanley’s Greenhouse | Free entry | Local plant breeder Bob Lauf will be selling some of his Iris rhizomes, available until they’re sold out.
UT Arboretum Butterfly Festival | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | UT Arboretum | $5 | Learn from the UT Insect Zoo with two butterfly tents, lectures, and children’s art activities.
UT Football Home Opener | 3:30 p.m. | Neyland Stadium | $59+ | Kick off the football season with this home opener against the East Tennessee State University Bucs.
Sunday, September 7
Foreign Film Club | 1-3:30 p.m. | Blount County Public Library | Free | Join other movie lovers and watch a foreign film at this 18+ club — this month, it’s German romantic comedy “Mostly Martha.”
Bayker Blankenship | 7 p.m. | Tennessee Valley Fair | $42+ | Head to the Tennessee Valley Fair to see the rising country star perform — fair entry included with ticket.
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Knoxville City Council voted to award $1.29 million to build sidewalks and bike lanes on Liberty Street in West Knoxville. The new paths will be installed from Sutherland Avenue to Division Street, where there are not currently pedestrian routes. Construction is expected to begin in November. (WBIR)
Award
Covenant Health Park’s first year has been a home run, and the new stadium has scored a major honor — it’s been named Ballpark of the Year. BaseballParks.com awards this merit-based honor to recognize one park for its design, community offerings, and gameday experience. (MLB)
Opening
Amalfi, a new Italian restaurant, is preparing to open at the Kingston Pike location that formerly housed The Lunchbox. The eatery is expected to debut in early November. Its menu will draw influence from owner Paul Martin’s grandfather who owned a restaurant in Boston. (Knox News)
Sports
The Vols are getting ready to face East Tennessee State University tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. for their 2025 home opener. If you’re heading to Neyland Stadium for the game, WBIR reporter Ainslee Raasch has all the need-to-know details, from parking + entering to the Vol Walk. (WBIR)
Edu
Knox County Schools (KCS) have earned top marks. KCS was rated Level 5 (the highest score) in every subject by the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, but it still wants to improve. Locals are invited to share thoughts on the curriculum through the “Innovative Schools” survey. (WBIR)
Try This
Zoo Knoxville has introduced a new feeding encounter that will let kids and families get close, but not too close, to ostriches. The experience is now available on Saturdays + Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. (WBIR)
History
The Georgian-style Knott-York house, originally built around 1845, has been placed on Knox Heritage’s “Fading Fast” list. The home is currently boarded up + in need of repairs, but its historic overlay would require local officials to approve any changes to preserve, relocate, or replace the home. (Knox News)
Listen
Vols transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar faced ETSU while he was with Appalachian State in 2024. The local experts analyze this performance and what it could mean for the Tennessee Volunteers’ home opener with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Giveaway
Get ready for a double dose of live tunes: We’re giving away concert tickets to see St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Molly Tuttle at the Tennessee Theatre. Subscribe to 865today by Friday, Sept. 12 at noon for your chance to win. (Already subscribed? Fill out this form instead.)*
Games
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Which one of these shades of orange is trademarked by UTK?
Make sure to wear orange to support the Vols’ home opener tomorrow. Not just any orange, their official shade — Hex FF8200.
Looking at the image above, that’s choice 2. When we asked 865today readers to identify that shade, you did a great job, with 62% of you answering correctly.
If the other shades of orange seem familiar, it’s because two of them are from other universities. Choice 1 is from Syracuse and choice 3 is from Clemson — but we just made up choice 4.
The Wrap
The Wrap
I love checking out concerts at local fairs because there’s a chance you’ll see an artist before they reach superstar status. One example: Morgan Wallen performed at the Tennessee Valley Fair in 2019. I wasn’t too familiar with him then, but now, I couldn’t escape his music if I wanted to.
