The performance portion of Diner au Blanc et Noir at Ridgefield Manor last month.
I’ve finally found an experience to replace in my heart what used to be my very favorite Knoxville event of the year: Symphony in the Park. As you probably know, Symphony in the Park was a fundraiser for Ijams Nature Center that featured the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performing a twilight show at Ijams. It went on for 35 years until Ijams suddenly pulled the plug on it in 2021. Continue reading
Caesar Stair IV and Christine Cloninger at the Scruffy City Soiree at the Mill & Mine. She’s executive director of Knox Heritage; he’s the organization’s general counsel. (When he stands up straight, he’s about twice as tall as her!)
Friday, September 20, was an extremely busy night in downtown Knoxville! Not only was country music superstar Morgan Wallen playing at Neyland Stadium (for the first of two shows), but the Knoxville Symphony was performing at the Tennessee Theatre, a Led Zeppelin tribute band had sold out the Bijou Theatre (except for eight tickets!), and Black Jacket Symphony was performing the music of Elton John at the Civic Auditorium.
But we weren’t at any of those places. We were at the Mill & Mine for the Scruffy City Soiree sponsored by Knox Heritage. We wanted to see our friends at Sanders Pace Architecture be awarded the Preservationists of the Year honor. It was a fun evening. But we sure are glad we live within walking distance because traffic and parking were murder!
“Sanders Pace Architecture has made significant contributions to historic preservation and revitalization in Knoxville,” Knox Heritage said in its program. “With over 100 local, regional, and national design awards, Sanders Pace has established itself as one of the most thoughtful and imaginative firms practicing in the Southeast.” Continue reading
Collectors Circle member Margaret Samples, left, with the evening’s hostess, Joan Ashe.
Well, the season has officially started in Knoxville — and I’m not talking about the football season!
I’m talking about the cultural-social season when the Knoxville Symphony, Knoxville Opera, Clarence Brown Theatre, and other artistic staples of our community swing into action with their scheduled slate of activities and programs that make Knoxville such a stimulating and exciting place to live.
The Knoxville Museum of Art, of course, is an important part of this mix. The museum’s Collectors Circle celebrated the new year with a party last week at the lovely Kingston Pike home of Victor and Joan Ashe.
The Collectors Circle is a membership group that provides opportunities for supporters to learn more about the art world, individual artists, and art collectors. The group also provides funds to allow the KMA to purchase works for its permanent collection. Members vote every year — with the help of KMA’s curator, Stephen Wicks — on what works should be purchased. Annual cost to join the group is $500 for a single person and $800 for a couple. (That’s on top of a regular $250 KMA membership.)
What you get for that is a number of fun visits to artists’ studios, galleries, and art collectors’ homes. Sometimes, there are trips, like one currently being planned to Italy.
Anyway, click here to get more information on the Collectors Circle. Meanwhile, let’s have a look at that party! Continue reading
Madge Cleveland in front of a huge mixer that once was used in the production of Kern’s bread. Madge is related to the Brown family that formerly owned Kern’s Bakery.
On Wednesday night, some close girlfriends and I decided to try something new for dinner and drinks. We went to Kern’s Food Hall. It was a lot of fun — and the food was terrific.
Some of the best things:
We were a little concerned, however, that there weren’t more people there. And several of the vendors we talked to — both food and retail — expressed serious edginess about that. I really haven’t seen much promotion or advertising for the food hall and I wonder how long the vendors can hang on if more customers don’t show up.
But, at least this past Wednesday, I felt like we did our part! Continue reading
Chefs Joseph Lenn, left, and Jeb Aldrich. Lenn, the owner of J.C. Holdway, is Knoxville’s only James Beard Award-winning chef. Aldrich is executive chef at Cataloochee Ranch. (Photo by Laura Lenn.)
A chef knows he has a dedicated following when he has a wine dinner in a location 99 miles away from his restaurant and more than a dozen hometown folks make the trek to attend!
That was the case this past Sunday when Joseph Lenn, the chef-owner of J.C. Holdway in downtown Knoxville, was invited to be the final featured guest chef in the popular Summer Supper series held at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Lenn joined forces with Jeb Aldrich, Cataloochee’s executive chef, and Brooke Sabel, national sales and marketing director of Peay Vineyards in West Sonoma, for a memorable culinary evening.
The five dinner courses plus three passed hors d’oeuvres were paired with a total of eight different wines over the course of the evening. Given that line-up, you can understand why Alan and I decided to spend the night at the ranch rather than drive back to Knoxville after dinner. Plus, we had never stayed overnight at the renovated version of Cataloochee Ranch and we wanted to check it out. We are glad we did! Continue reading
Violinist Rachel Loseke played in a small group outside the stone greenhouses at Knoxville Botanical Garden.
You often hear Aram Demirjian, music director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, say that 70 percent of the KSO’s performances occur outside of concert halls. By that, he means that, in addition to the scheduled concerts, the musicians also perform in schools, libraries, hospitals and other public places throughout the year.
Case in point: the KSO kicked off its 2024-25 season last Thursday with a free concert in four different locations in the Knoxville Botanical Garden. Hundreds of people attended. And the crowd was diverse with the age of listeners ranging from literal babes in arms to very senior citizens. It was wonderful!
Some folks brought folding chairs and blankets; some packed food; others purchased dinner from a food truck on site. The program featured the music of Franz Joseph Haydn, although many other composers were represented, too, during the fast-moving 90-minutes of music. It was fun for the audience to move, as well, as we listened to small groups of musicians play in various gardens before everyone ended up at the Dogwood Center for the finale by the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Continue reading
DeeAnn Dean, left, and Holly Watkins were two friendly Knoxvillians we ran into last month when we visited The Swag. They were celebrating DeeAnn’s birthday. You will almost always see someone you know there!
On top of the normal relaxing good times that define a visit to The Swag and Cataloochee Ranch, there are a couple of unique — and newsworthy — events on the horizon. Both Relais & Chateaux resorts, located just 90 miles from downtown Knoxville, are owned by Knoxvillians Annie and David Colquitt.
This coming Sunday, Sept. 8, Knoxville’s only James Beard Award-winning chef, Joseph Lenn of J.C. Holdway, will star in the final event of Cataloochee’s Summer Supper Series. Lenn, with the ranch’s executive chef, Jeb Aldrich, and his culinary team will prepare a five-course prix fixe menu with wine pairings. The cost: $200 per ticket. A bargain.
Brook Sabel of Peay Wines, located on the West Sonoma Coast, will introduce the wines from Peay Vineyards that will be paired with Lenn’s courses. Make reservations here.
Then, from Nov. 14-17, Garden & Gun magazine will buy out both The Swag and Cataloochee Ranch for its annual Garden & Gun Society meeting. It includes beautiful lodging, gourmet meals, experts giving talks, musical entertainment, and outdoor activities like horseback riding and hiking, in addition to the stunning views and relaxing environment that are the mainstays of these two Western North Carolina treasures. You must be a member of the Garden & Gun Society to participate. But it sure sounds like fun! (Here’s a link to the Society’s website, if you’d like to join.) The scheduled visit is sure to mean great exposure for the beautiful venues!
Continue reading
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash and his wife, Vonda, at the Tremont Celebration.
The annual Tremont Celebration at Marblegate Farm was another whopping success this year, raking in more than $200,000 for the nature organization. “Thank you to everyone who supported our ongoing work of connecting people to nature,” the organization said in its newsletter and Facebook posts.
Founded in 1969, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont‘s theory is that “we all belong in nature.” The group, through its research and residential programs, seeks to facilitate inclusive outdoor experiences that contribute to each participant’s sense of belonging in nature and in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Even for this die-hard city girl, the group’s annual fundraiser at Bill and Donna Cobble’s beautiful Marblegate Farm in Friendsville is an education in the power of nature to bring people together. Continue reading
At the Summer Swing, from left, Nikki Elliott; Todd Cramer’s parents, Linda and Richard Cramer; and his husband, Ernie Hoskins. (Photo by Judson Hall.)
Summer Swing, a popular fundraiser for Positively Living and Choice Health Network, was held as usual this year, and the mood was still festive. But everyone paused for a few minutes to remember Knoxville business executive Todd Cramer, a tremendously popular community supporter who passed away in January at age 53.
“It is without a doubt that the contributions of Todd Cramer have touched everyone in this room in some way,” said Steve Jenkins, executive director of Positively Living and Choice Health Network. “For most of us, his work in the community will continue to touch and move us for years to come.”
Cramer was on the Positively Living board of directors on and off for 15 years. He was one of the founders of Knox Pride (the East Tennessee Equality Council) and was a driving force behind the annual Pride Parade. He was president and CEO of Johnstone Supply, a leading provider of HVAC equipment, supplies, and parts. Continue reading
Chef Joseph Lenn delivers our leftovers in a very special container!
In a way, I wish I’d never had the delicious sweet tea-brined fried chicken I had for the first time last week at J.C. Holdway in downtown Knoxville. It was the most delicious chicken I’ve ever tasted.
So, what’s my problem? It’s this: no other fried chicken will ever measure up! And it’s not on the eatery’s normal menu. It was a once-in-a-blue-moon special offering called “Bubbles and Bird Night.” So, what’s a girl to do?
Here’s the deal. About once a month, from January to August, J.C. Holdway offers a special “chef’s counter” dinner. It’s not cheap. We paid $249 each for two seats. But, I’m telling you, it was worth it. For the price (plus tip), we got four killer courses, a wonderful bottle of champagne selected by the restaurant’s sommelier, Jason Drotar, and special touches and surprises all through the night. But, dammit, what am I going to do about that chicken??
Well, for starters, we enjoyed the leftovers. Every couple was served a whole chicken, so we had plenty to take home. Continue reading
