Tag Archives: Jim Haslam

Cuisine to crave! (Don’t read this if you are hungry.)

I may already have had my best meal of 2020 — and it’s only February! You can’t beat the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s annual trek to Blackberry Farm for what many think is the best fundraiser of the year. That occurred … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Food, Music | 4 Comments

‘The most important artist Knoxville ever produced’

We are in full-on Beauford Delaney season here in Knoxville. And that’s a good thing. Because, according to David Butler, executive director of the Knoxville Museum of Art, the late Delaney is “by any standard, the most important artist Knoxville … Continue reading

Filed under: Art, Events, Knoxville | 7 Comments

‘We are going to be dreaming big.’

That’s what just-hired UT-Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman announced recently at a community reception held in her honor at the beautiful new Student Union on the University of Tennessee campus. The reception, sponsored by Pilot Flying J, Cherokee Distributing Company, The … Continue reading

Filed under: Business, Knoxville | 4 Comments

Dining on pinto beans at Blackberry Farm. No kidding.

Blackberry Farm, of course, is the elegantly rustic Relais & Chateaux property located on 4,200 acres in Walland adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A 45-minute drive from downtown Knoxville, it features gourmet dining as well as rooms … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Food, Music | 6 Comments

Chopin and champagne: as elegant as it gets

For a few idyllic hours on this past rainy Sunday, a couple dozen music lovers were transported from West Knoxville to a lovely salon in mid-19th century Paris by virtue of music, dainty nibbles and flowing champagne served in fine … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Food, Knoxville, Music | 5 Comments

Testerman for Council: Make the best better!

It seemed like a good excuse for a party. Our friend Janet Testerman is running for an at-large seat on Knoxville City Council and needed a fun fundraiser. We have our new condo downtown that we haven’t yet occupied. (I … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Knoxville, Politics | 7 Comments

Governor Bill Haslam: It’s been the honor of a lifetime.

With exactly 100 days left in his term of office (as of today), Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, last night had a casual chat with 100 or so community leaders who are the biggest donors to the United … Continue reading

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Coach Pruitt scores with Knox leaders

With the University of Tennessee football season starting in about a month, you can feel the excitement growing in the Knoxville air with each passing day. I see more people wearing orange. And I definitely hear more discussion of the … Continue reading

Filed under: Business, Downtown, Events, Knoxville, UT sports | 3 Comments

Ken Burns: U.S. needs ‘less pluribus; more unum’

Historian Ken Burns was in Knoxville recently, appearing on behalf of the East Tennessee Historical Society and Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law. The $300 per seat dinner at the downtown Hilton featuring Gov. Bill Haslam interviewing Burns was … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 4 Comments

Notable night with two of Knoxville’s biggest stars: Chris Blue and the tantalizing Tennessee Theatre

Of course, Knoxville’s newest star, Chris Blue, is a great draw for a fundraiser — even at $400 per ticket. But another element that made the Stars on Stage event so successful last Sunday was the unique chance to eat … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Historic preservation, Knoxville, Music | 4 Comments