Paintings from the “Paint Kingsport 2022!” art show have moved from the Renaissance Center to Impressions Fine Art, 246 Broad St. The show, which depicts scenes of Kingsport by local plein air artists, will be on display at its new location through Sept. 18. All paintings are painted by local artists from the Kingsport Art Guild and feature scenes painted on location in downtown Kingsport, Bays Mountain, Exchange Place and more.
The Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University presents “Local Art in the Age of the 2020 Global Pandemic,” an exhibition featuring the work of 40 artists living or working in Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District during the early days of the pandemic. The exhibition is on display now through Sept. 30. The Reece Museum is located on the campus of ETSU and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information visit etsu.edu/reece or call 423-439-4392.
The Kingsport Carousel is a totally renovated 1956 Allen Herschell carousel located inside the temperature-controlled “Pal’s Roundhouse” at 350 Clinchfield St. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12:30 to 5 p.m. All rides are $1.
Tri-Cities Vinyl Collectors Shows will be held Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Double Tree Hilton, 211 Mockingbird Lane, Johnson City. Admission is $2. Come shop for rare vinyl LPs and 45s, plus CDs, music DVDs, memorabilia, and more. Masks are recommended for all customers and vendors.
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson is back on the road with his 2022 U.S. Summer Tour with his former bandmates, Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin. They will perform Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. at East Tennessee State University’s Martin Center for the Arts. To purchase tickets visit https://etsutickets.com/martincenter/Online/default.asp or call 423-439-2787.
Music on the Square takes place in front of the Washington County Courthouse on Main Street in downtown Jonesborough each Friday evening through Sept. 30 from 7-9 p.m. Music on the Square is a free event open to the public.
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox will bring its jazzy vintage covers to the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts’ Grand Hall Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information visit ETSUMartinCenter.org or call the Martin Center box office at 423-439-2787.
Chart-topping, all-male a cappella group Straight No Chaser will perform Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts. To purchase tickets, visit ETSUMartinCenter.org or call 423-439-2787.
Grammy winner Michael W. Smith is embarking on his Christmas tour this holiday season with special guest Michael Tait of the Newsboys. Smith will perform Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts. To purchase tickets, visit ETSUMartinCenter.org or call 423-439-2787.
Larry Prevatte Memorial Duffield Jam will be held the first, third and fifth Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at the Thomas Village Community Center, 355 Cecil D. Quillen Drive in Duffield, Virginia. For more information call 276-431-1083.
Historic Jonesborough Dance Society has moved to the Tusculum University campus, located at 60 Shiloh Road, Greeneville, Building 9 in the old gym in the Niswonger Commons. Contra dances will be held every second and fourth Saturday from 7-10:30 p.m. Contra dances are family-friendly, alcohol-, tobacco- and fragrance-free events. A beginners lesson is held prior to each dance where the basic moves are taught. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and $25 for families. Dress comfortably and wear soft-soled shoes. Bring a water bottle. No concessions available on site.
With sponsorship from Eastman, the Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council has launched Farmacy Fit, a farmers market walking program, in partnership with the Kingsport Farmers Market and Healthy Kingsport. Everyone is welcome to participate Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 9-11 a.m. through the end of October. Participants will sign in upon arrival at the Farmers Market and walk a one-mile walking route at their own pace. At the completion of the route, participants will receive $4 in tokens to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables from participating vendors.
Blue Highway Fest is coming this fall to Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, Oct. 7-8. Blue Highway Fest will kick off at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6 with a special event at Mountain Empire Community College featuring internationally acclaimed guitarist Tommy Emmanuel C.G.P. Blue Highway Fest will feature the Sam Bush Band, Blue Highway, Sierra Hull, Dan Tyminski, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Travelin’ McCourys, Balsam Range, Seldom Scene, Ralph Stanley II, Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, Beth Snapp, and Ed Snodderly. To purchase tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blue-highway-fest-tickets-274674497817
The Tri Cities Civil War Round Table is will host a program on Sept. 12. A. Wilson “Will” Greene will speak on “The Good, The Bad, and the (Really) Ugly: Leaders and Leadership at the Petersburg Campaign.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Eastman Employee Center, 400 S. Wilcox Drive, Kingsport, in Room 219. There is no charge for the event.
The Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum in Jonesborough is open with no admission price, but there is a suggested $2 donation per visitor. History town tours have also returned. Jonesborough’s Historic Strolling Tour is available every Saturday at 1 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the museum.
The Wilderness Road Blockhouse at Natural Tunnel State Park is open every Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. The Blockhouse was built in the spring of 1775 on the North Fork of the Holston River by John Anderson. Tour a replica of the Anderson Blockhouse as members of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association provide information about the history of the building and area.
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday. The Andrew Johnson National Cemetery will continue to remain open seven days a week, 8 a.m. until dusk. Guided tours of the historic Andrew Johnson Homestead are offered at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Call 423-638-3551.
The Kingsport Public Library is hosting a Tuesday morning walking group. Meet in the library parking lot Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. through October. Strollers, kids and friendly dogs welcome. For more information call 423-224-2539.
The Kingsport Public Library has StoryWalks next to the library in Glen Bruce Park, in Ridgefields Park and in Preston Forest Park. Each StoryWalk features a different story, and stories are changed quarterly.
Hands On! Discovery Center is an all-ages science center that offers a guest experience that includes fun, interactive programs and immersive, STEM-based exhibits for the whole family as well as exhibits and information about the Gray Fossil Site, an active fossil dig site dating back 5 million years. Tesla Experience Shows are offered at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $2 per person with general admission. Paleo Tours are offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are $2 per person with general admission. Operating hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. General admission is $11 for adults and children 4 and older, free for children 3 and under, and free for members. Tickets may be purchased at https://visithandson.org/tickets.
The Kingsport Splash Pad, 1101 Martin Luther Jr. Drive, will remain open until the end of September. The splash pad will be active from 10:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. every day during the summer.
The Kingsport Aquatic Center’s outdoor lap pool will be open every day — weather permitting — through the end of October.
LampLight Theatre, 140 Broad St., Kingsport, is hosting a Children’s Theatre Program. The after-school classes will meet weekly throughout the school year from September through the end of May. During class, biblical devotionals are given that relate to the day’s theater lessons. In the fall, classes will develop students’ skills, and in the spring the classes will work toward creating acts for the end-of-season variety show “Let It Shine!” For more information visit www.lamplighttheatre.com or call 423-343-1766.
Jonesborough Repertory Theatre will present “Annie Get Your Gun” through Sept. 11. Tickets are $18 general admission, $16 for students and seniors. There is also a special group rate for parties of 15 or more. To purchase tickets call the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010 or visit jonesboroughtheatre.com. The theater is located at 125.5 W. Main St., Jonesborough.
LampLight Theatre will present “In the Valley” through Sept. 25. “In the Valley” is a 1920s retelling of the story of Job in the familiar setting of the Appalachian Mountains. This show will feature some favorite hymns and bluegrass music and some original music. “In the Valley” will be presented at LampLight Theatre, 140 Broad St., Kingsport. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for students, and free for children 5 and under. A dinner theater add-on option is available on Sept. 17. For reservations and information call 423-343-1766 or visit www.lamplighttheatre.com.
The U.S. tour of “Blue’s Clues & You! Live On Stage,” a brand-new theater production based on the hit preschool television series “Blue’s Clues & You!” will stop in Johnson City at ETSU’s Martin Center on Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. For tickets and additional information visit ETSUMartinCenter.org.
The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor a train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad on Sept. 17. The one-day excursion will cover most of the operating trackage of the line. Passengers may ride a chartered tour bus out of Johnson City, or drive directly to Bryson City, North Carolina. Tickets and pre-purchased meals must be ordered online by credit card at www.wataugavalleynrhs.org. Click on the Excursions link.
The Kingsport Model Trains Project operates eight model train layouts in six rooms at the Lynn View Community Center. A 24-by-20 “O” scale representation of The Santa Train. There is a work day every Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. and an open house the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special hours/days are possible for events/birthday parties. Call 423-502-5359, email Kingsportmodeltrains@gmail.com or check us on Facebook.
The Chuckey Depot Museum in Jonesborough is open free of charge, but donations are appreciated. Attendees can visit the museum Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit Jonesborough.com or call 423-753-1010.