Tag Archives: Mary Fran Darwin

Wine, moonshine and help for our neighbors

Volunteer Ministry Center, a non-profit organization founded more than 35 years ago to prevent and end homelessness, has found a way to combine fun and fundraising — and honor a longtime benefactor in the process. The group recently hosted the … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Knoxville | 4 Comments

World’s Fair celebration mimics the real World’s Fair — a great party followed by a stormy aftermath

Forty years ago, I was a reporter for The Knoxville Journal. I covered business and city government, which meant, of course, that in 1982, I covered the World’s Fair. The World’s Fair claims to have had 11 million visitors. That’s … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Knoxville | 9 Comments

Tom Jester: ‘Call me when you’re serious.’

Ad man Tom Jester’s business card had a drawing of a jester’s hat on it. The slogan on the card? “Call me when you’re serious.” I always loved that. Jester’s celebration of life was held last week and it was … Continue reading

Filed under: Knoxville, Media | 8 Comments

Surprise party hits high note for organist Bill Snyder

It’s been a big month for Dr. Bill Snyder. On Oct. 1, the former University of Tennessee chancellor and engineering dean, retired from his longtime position as house organist of the historic Tennessee Theatre and was honored with a 90-minute … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Food, Knoxville | 5 Comments

90th anniversary cocktail party: the bees’ knees!

“Party Prohibition style!” the invitation said. And a sold-out crowd threw on their pearls and feather boas and shelled out a bunch of clams to do just that! It was not your average night in downtown Knoxville as folks in … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Historic preservation, Knoxville, Music, Theater | 7 Comments

Knoxville’s best neighborhood (at least, for me!)

No neighborhood in Knoxville has as much variety of residential options as does downtown. That’s why the City People organization has been able to conduct a downtown home tour every year for decades. The 2017 version was this past weekend and … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Historic preservation, Knoxville | 19 Comments

Urban League: A place for doers and dancers!

Right up there with the Knoxville Opera as a nonprofit that really knows how to throw a party, you’d have to put the Knoxville Area Urban League. And, like the Knoxville Opera, the Urban League stays true to its mission … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Knoxville, Music | 8 Comments

Packed preview party launches Urban Home Tour

Wow. There was certainly something for everyone last night at the preview party for the East Tennessee Community Design Center’s Urban Home and Garden Tour, which is set for today and tomorrow. (Moxley Carmichael is honored to be a sponsor.) The … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Historic preservation, Knoxville | 7 Comments

A ‘Teenie’ view of the future

  It was a rainy day, and I wondered what effect that would have on the party planned outdoors at Teenie Hayworth’s beautiful West Knoxville horse farm called Penrose. But we grabbed our umbrellas and set out anyway. It seems … Continue reading

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Women “wine” down as Expo heats up

You can always count on seeing fun, quirky items and opportunities at the News Sentinel’s Women Today Expo. Normally, this is experienced in a frenetic crowd of laughing, noisy women of all ages. Which is nice, if exhausting. But this … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Knoxville, Media | 1 Comment