Autumn is officially here, but most leaves haven’t changed color — yet.
If you’ve already peeped a few red, yellow, and orange leaves in Knoxville, they’re only going to become more bountiful. According to Smoky Mountain’s fall foliage predictions, leaves in the Knox County area are starting to lose their chlorophyll — the compound responsible for their green color. This transition will give us a few weeks when we can see the foliage before it hits the ground.
Here’s an anticipated timeline of when Knoxvillians can expect to see the most colorful foliage:
Week of Sept. 22 — the first signs of changing leaves are expected
Week of Oct. 6 — more leaves are changing, so it shouldn’t be hard to find colorful trees
Week of Oct. 20 — this is when peak fall foliage is expected
The Tennessee Theatre opened in 1928 as a grand movie palace with a distinctive Spanish-Moorish design, complete with stunning chandeliers and a lofty organ. Audiences delighted in films, vaudeville, concerts, and community events (paying just $0.60 for the evening show).
The theatre has undergone several restoration projects, eventually landing on the National Register of Historic Places as the official State Theatre of Tennessee.
Building the future
Today, the theatre remains a cultural anchor in downtown Knoxville, continuing to host community events, films, concerts, and Broadway shows, while introducing education and outreach programs.
With its latest expansion, the theatre is adding more rehearsal space, modern backstage facilities, and more educational + community areas, benefiting artists and audiences alike.
Knox County leaders are working to draft a unified development ordinance as part of its Advance Knox plan. The regulation will have countywide benefits, particularly for natural resources, zoning codes, and street standards. The county expects to have the draft in nine months. (WBIR)
Traffic
Expect closures on Interstate 275 this weekend. Traffic will be restricted in both directions between Elm Street and Bernard Avenue starting Friday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 29, 6 a.m. The work is necessary for the I-275 bridge replacement project; alternate routes are in place.
Community
Meet your new neigh-bors. After asking for community input, the Knoxville Police Department has named their three new horses. The winning names are Ranger, Cormac, and Summit.
Announced
Soul food restaurant Jackie’s Dream has found a new home base. The popular spot plans to move to Covenant Health Park in the spring in a space two doors down from the Smokies’ merch store. The new location will also debut an expanded menu with new brunch + alcohol offerings. (Knox News)
Edu
UT approved two new building names: the Charles and Julie Wharton Chemistry Building + the John H. McLeod Food Science Building. The names honor Charles Wharton, a NASA engineer, and McLeod, a former dean of the College of Agriculture. (Knox News)
Open
The Pink Cactus is ready to put on a show. The South Knoxville karaoke bar is now open, offering a musical experience along with food and drinks. WBIR reporter Kaitlin Riordan steps inside the new hangout to see what you can expect when you visit. (WBIR)
Sports
UT will face Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt as its Southeastern Conference opponents starting in 2026. The local experts break down what this game-changing decision means for the Tennessee Volunteers with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Seasonal
With autumn comes crowd-favorite fall festivals + so much live music (we’re ready to jam to the Jonas Brothers in November). Luckily, these hearing aids are the world’s first with multi-stream processing, designed to help you engage in conversations effortlessly (even in noisy environments).*
Fact or Fiction
There’s a luxury hotel inside the iconic Memphis Pyramid, just under six hours from Knox. Fact or Fiction? Reveal the truth.^
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.
It’s officially scary movie season — at least it is in my house. Scary movies are always a little creepier when they hit close to home, so I recommend watching 1981’s “The Evil Dead.” It was filmed in a cabin in Morristown, not far from Knoxville.
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