East Tennessee Residential Communities : Holrob Communities : Private Communities near Knoxville, Knox County, Blount County, Anderson County, Sevier County

For the past two decades motorcycle sales have been on the rise. Since 2002, new purchases have topped over 900,000 each year, a trend that is likely to continue with rising fuel costs. It's estimated that nearly nine million motorcycles are currently in use in America; with such popularity it's no surprise that bike owners have an annual event to share their enthusiasm. Celebrating its eighth consecutive year in Knoxville, Honda Hoot attendees will soon arrive at Chilhowee Park to "blow out the candles" for the Hoot's fifteenth anniversary.

Photo by goatmanbaldy.

This "Top 20 Event" is much like a reunion, drawing visitors back year after year to visit with old friends, make new ones, and to "enjoy the variety of activities and events - from self guided rides through the serene Knoxville outdoors to demonstration rides that offer exclusive opportunities to experience dozens of brand new bikes." Many daytime activities are suggested, highlighting the area's wonderful attractions and scenery. For instance, bikers might take a ride to nearby Dollywood, go white water rafting, visit the Knoxville Zoo, or take a riverboat cruise on the Star of Knoxville. In past years, the rides through the Cumberland Gap and Cherohala Skyway have been popular. This year, new rides include "Bikes and Boats at the Lake" (in which attendees will visit) Lenoir City for water activities and lunch and the "Capes and Cavern Ride" will provide a day of exploring caves..." Over 200 vendors will participate in the vendor expo and nightly shows, fireworks, and games are planned with Wynonna Judd performing a special private concert to Hoot attendees as a grand finale. The June 18-21 event will bring over 16,000 bikers to the city with an estimated city/county economic impact of over $23 million.

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There's something magical about a blinking bug. The firefly has been a part of many childhoods, a dusk-to-dark distraction for little ones who hop about, filling mason jars to make twinkling lanterns. The Smoky Mountains are fortunate to have 14 species of fireflies, including the only species in the United States that can "synchronize their flashing light patterns." No one knows why these flies synchronize but the effect is otherworldly. For the observer, it looks something like this: "One moment, the forested slope above the clearing would be dark - cavernously dark.  Then, suddenly, a few flashes would appear off to the right, and like a fuse, they seemed to set off a chain reaction.  In a diffuse and unruly wave, thousands of flashes would appear from right to left across the field of vision, lighting up the entire forest in an eerie green light.  It was as if the world’s largest chain of blinking Christmas lights had been turned on and then was suddenly unplugged again.  The forest would return to that deep, cavernous dark for a few seconds… then… a few flashes occurred off to the right and the cycle would repeat itself."

Photo by jamelah.

It's such a beautiful sight that the two mid-June weeks of firefly synchrony have become a busy Smoky Mountain attraction. As one of only two places in the world where such a spectacle can be seen (the other is in Southeast Asia), the event draws around 2,000 people each weekend night to the site near Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Folks spread their blankets and open lawn chairs, maybe pic-nic a bit while the kids squirm in excitement for the start of the show. Then it does and even the little ones are transfixed. Writes Matt Wasson: "As the blue twilight faded toward darkness and dozens of blinking lights became hundreds – and then thousands - the din of conversation gradually faded into a quiet undercurrent of whispers and gasps of wonder." Just one more reason to love East Tennessee.

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Beating the likes of Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Burning Man, April's Rolling Stone Magazine named Tennessee's Bonnaroo the "ultimate, over-the-top" Best Festival! Bonnaroo is in its seventh year with a full slate of musical, comedic, and other entertainment events to appeal to each of the 80,000+ folks who will attend this year. As a massive caravan in the middle of farm country, they arrive in campers, cars, on bikes, and foot to camp out for this four-day event (there is an RV park for those with campers). Bonnaroo is held each June in Manchester, southwest of Knoxville, on a 700-acre farm, upon which multiple stages are set for "some of the best performers in rock and roll, along with dozens of artists in complementary styles such as jazz, Americana, hip-hop, electronica, and just about any contemporary music you can think of." Promoted by Knoxville based A.C. Entertainment and Superfly Productions, last year's line-up included the Police, Wilco, Widespread Panic, Tool, among many others. The event caught, once again, national attention with write-ups  by the New York Times,  E! Online, Variety, MSNBC, and more. This year's schedule starts with Pearl Jam, Metallica, and Jack Johnson, but the list seems endless - the event organizers have promised over 100 bands!

Besides music, there are several other activities and events, many of which offer air conditioned spaces to hot and sweaty festival-goers. Some of those activities include the cinema, which runs a variety of movies around the clock; the Arcade Discotheque offers Xbox games galore; a new yoga tent will host classes; and the Broo'ers tent offers a wide variety of "hearty bocks, revitalizing pilsners, crisp pale ales, and more, offered up by great microbreweries from around the country."
 

If this sounds like a modern day Woodstock, you're not the first to make the connection. All of the things that happened there are likely to happen in Manchester, despite rather successful attempts to curb the more questionable behaviors. And festival-goers seem to revel in the hippy-esque environment. Although all aren't into the long skirts and flower themes, those who are rather set the tone. If you are thinking of attending, you must also be prepared to suspend access to some of the creature comforts that most of us consider instrumental to a civil society. Soap is scarce, showers aren't for everyone, and it's June - so it's hot. But for those who can make it, there's a marathon of memories to be made at the Best Festival in the country!

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Meant to boost regional tourism and Knoxville’s economy, the Knoxville Convention Center has proven a successful addition to the city. In the late 1990s, city planners, developers, citizens, and leaders began to discuss the construction of a public attraction to draw visitors to the area. The goal was to identify a project that had just the right mix of cost and benefits that would result in extra tax revenue and jobs. While other cities have opted for sports arenas and stadiums, planetariums or aquariums, Knoxville, drawing on its central location, environmental beauty, and Southern hospitality, settled on a convention center. Upon its opening in 2002, the city anxiously waited while the convention center built its clientele and reputation, efforts which have reaped a positive economic impact of $288 million since 2002, certainly justifying this $93 million construction.

The convention center has won national awards for quality service. Last year, nearly 380,000 people attended meetings, conferences, weddings, and shows at the center; their satisfaction and endorsements have helped to increase convention center bookings by 81 percent from the 2005-06 to the 2006-07 fiscal year. Some of the center’s highlights? Fourteen meeting rooms which seat from 100-460 in theater style; a 27,000+ square foot ballroom which can be divided into six break-out rooms; a nearly 120,000 square foot exhibit hall, which can be divided into two spaces; three luxury conference rooms; a 460 seat lecture hall; and first class amenities including a business center and full kitchen services.

The 500,000 square foot convention center is located in the heart Knoxville, adjacent to the 1982 World’s Fair site which has recently been renovated into a beautiful park. The park’s meticulously groomed festival and performance lawns, an interactive water fountain that produces a “stories-high geyser,” and man-made lakes and streams provide a beautiful setting for the modern structure. A short walk away is Knoxville’s downtown, Market Square, and the Old City, featuring great restaurants, shopping, and night life opportunities.

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For the young and young-at-heart, visiting the Knoxville Zoo has been a favorite area activity for several decades. Located in East Knoxville, the zoo spans 53 acres and provides for over 215 species – over 800 animals! Home to a long list of endangered species and a number of birds, mammals, and reptiles, many indigenous to the area, the Knoxville Zoo is a unique experience that can be enjoyed 364 days of the year. Some of the most popular exhibits?

• Since 1978, the zoo has successfully bred over 90 red pandas, making the Knoxville Zoo the Red Panda Capital of the World! Thanks to the generosity of an area family, the zoo’s six pandas were treated to a new home in October, The Red Panda Village.

• The zoo is also home to one of the largest reptile collections in the nation; the zoo cares for over 500 reptiles representing over 100 species of turtles, lizards, and snakes.

• In 1978, the Knoxville Zoo welcomed Little Diamond, the first African Elephant to be bred and born in captivity in the Western Hemisphere. Although Little Diamond now lives in North Carolina, The Stokley African Elephant Preserve, which opened in 2002, is home to three very talented elephants who, when they aren’t throwing mud on their backs, produce paintings which are sold to support the zoo.

• Black Bear Falls is home to four Smoky Mountain native bears. The one-of-a-kind bear exhibit opened in 2000, featuring four waterfalls with over 20-foot drops, a 40-foot long tunnel that offers views of the bear dens, and a forest of trees native to the area.

A number of events are offered each year. Feast with the Beasts is an August event for adults over twenty-one. Area restaurants and drink vendors offer their best to visitors who taste, sip, and browse the animals, a silent auction, and live bands. More than 400 guests attended the 2007 Zoofari, the twentieth anniversary of the zoo’s most important fundraising event of the year. A bit more upscale than Feast, Zoofari guests were treated to a seated dinner, live music, and a special auction. What about the kids? This year, over 10,000 visitors turned out to celebrate the twenty-first annual - eight nights of “not-too-scary fun.” Kids enjoyed trick-or-treating at treat stations, checking out the character costume shows, and participating in games, rides, and “monsterific music and fun.”

Through the efforts of volunteers, community partnerships, and the support of private and public sector sponsors, the Knoxville Zoo is an active and respected participant in the East Tennessee community. With its family-friendly environment and its commitment to “the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education,” the zoo is a worthwhile destination, a great place to visit, and a great place to be a kid.

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