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Monday feels a little lighter when the Rossini Festival is on the horizon. The free international street fair returns to downtown Knoxville this Saturday, April 18 + Sunday, April 19, celebrating music, food, and culture from around the globe.
🎤 Music + performances
Visitors can enjoy more than 11 hours of performances across four outdoor stages, featuring genres like opera, jazz, gospel, and dance.
🛍️ Artisans + activities
More than 75 regional artisans will be on hand selling handmade clothing, jewelry, and home goods — plus, the Kids + Family Fun Zone will feature activities for the whole family to enjoy.
🌮 Food + beverage
Food vendors will round out the experience with a mix of local and international flavors, from tacos and baklava to cocktails and lemonade.
A new gallery has opened its doors in the Arts District. Sienna Art Gallery and Gifts at 129 Gay Street features original works, smaller prints, and greeting cards. Bonus: Locals can sign up for private watercolor classes. (Inside of Knoxville)
Community
1,700. That’s how many people showed up to watch high schoolers strut the Pre-Prom Stop red carpet last year. The stylish sendoff returns this Friday, April 17 in the Five Points neighborhood, featuring “the biggest kid fashion show in Knoxville” + food vendors. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
Mansion Monday
Another Monday, another lakeside retreat.This luxurious listing just hit the market in Jefferson Park with six bedrooms, seven full baths, two half baths, and an eight-car garage. We love the soaring paneled ceilings, spa-like primary bath, and pool with a tanning ledge.
Number
$1,699. That’s the median annual property tax bill in Knoxville, which ranked No. 302 in the country. According to a study by SmartAsset, that figure represents ~1.9% of homeowner income — a lower percentage than Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis.
Fun Fact
Zoo Knoxville’s newest western lowland gorilla finally has a name: Cletey. His moniker was inspired by a longtime supporter of the zoo. Did you know Cletey is the first gorilla to be born at Zoo Knoxville since 2016? (WBIR)
Ranked
Tennessee clocked in at No. 12 on a new WalletHub ranking of the best states for working from home. The report weighed factors like internet costs, home size, and cybersecurity, but we’d argue there’s one more metric that matters: great coffee shops. Luckily, Knoxville delivers.
Plan Ahead
Hosting an event? Spread the word to our thousands of engaged subscribers. Explore our business promo portal to find the perfect fit for your budget — from standout banner ads to scroll-stopping social content.
Category
History
🗑️ Talkin’ trash
Check out this 1954 ad for the Depmster Dumpster. | Photo via University of Tennesee, Knoxville Digital Collections
One man’s trash spawns another man’s world-changing invention. Knoxville businessman, inventor, and politician George Dempster was the mastermind behind the Dempster Dumpster, the modern dumpster that transformed the garbage collection process. His inventions don’t stop there either — the word “dumpster” was invented along with the machinery.
Here’s how the influential Knoxvillian went from manual laborer to millionaire to mayor.
Rubbish brings riches
A son of Scottish and Irish immigrants, the Knoxville native began inventing in his teens while working as a steam shovel operator on the Panama Canal. Although he was called lazy for it, he mechanically engineered his shovel dipper (aka the scoop on an excavator) to empty itself. The idea caught fire, and all shovels were required to be mechanized the same way shortly after.
But it was more than two decades later, in 1935, when Dempster’s invention would revolutionize public sanitation.
Where were the first dumpsters in existence placed?
A. In an alley where Krutch Park now resides B. Along the Tennessee River near Volunteer Landing C. On industrial land that would later become World’s Fair Park D. Behind a warehouse in the Old City
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Don’t get yourself in a pickle this National Pickleball Month without a place to play. Whether you’re new to the sport or chasing your next open play session, head to one (or all) of these Scruffy City spots.
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