City of Knoxville offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday.
All trash and recycling services will operate on their regular schedule, and recycling centers will remain open with Goodwill staff on site to accept donations. However, the City’s Solid Waste Facility at 1033 Elm Street will be closed on June 19 and will resume regular hours on Thursday, June 20.
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City Recreation Centers, including the Knoxville Arts Center, will also be closed, and no summer camp sessions will be held on June 19. The City’s outdoor pools, Inskip and Ed Cothren, will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional pool information is available here.
The Kid A’Riffic Fun in the Park event, usually scheduled for Wednesdays, will not take place on June 19. The next event is scheduled for June 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fort Kid, located at 1049 World’s Fair Park Drive.
Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) buses will follow a Sunday schedule on June 19. Trolleys will not operate, and the Knoxville Station customer service counter will be closed. Regular services will resume on Thursday, June 20. For more details, visit KATBus.com.
On Juneteenth, Mayor Indya Kincannon, members of the City Council, and City staff will join the MLK Jr. Parade/March and Juneteenth Celebration organized by Knoxville’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission. Participants will include Summer in the City interns and the Office of Community Safety and Empowerment, alongside a special display featuring national and local Black history figures.
The parade/march will commence at 10 a.m. from the Chilhowee Park Midway (3300 E. Magnolia Avenue), proceed along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, and end at Dr. Walter Hardy Park, where a Juneteenth Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will feature live entertainment, a DJ, music performances, a drumline, a precision drill team, a kids’ area, food and retail vendors, and crafts.
MLK Jr. Avenue and its cross streets will be closed along the parade route from 10 a.m. to approximately 11 a.m.
Additional local Juneteenth events hosted by community organizations include:
– **Juneteenth Celebration: Taste and See the History**
Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Cherokee Health Services’ Director of Research and Health Equity, Dr. Eboni Winford, will lead a one-mile walk starting behind CHS’ East Knox location at 2202 MLK Jr. Avenue. The walk will end at Dr. Walter Hardy Park for a Community Celebration featuring soul food tasting and a special performance by Drums Up, Guns Down. More information can be found on the CHS website.
– **Little History Lessons: Juneteenth**
Monday, June 17, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
East Tennessee History Center
Preschoolers and their families can learn about Juneteenth at the East Tennessee History Museum, located at 601 S. Gay Street. Free for members and children under 16. Reserve a spot here.
– **Juneteenth Commemoration**
Wednesday, June 19, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Beck Cultural Exchange Center
A day of commemoration and celebration at Beck Cultural Exchange Center, 1927 Dandridge Avenue, featuring a new exhibit, children’s art workshops, and oral history experiences from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will also include a Young Adult Town Hall at 4 p.m., a Taste of Soul Food event at 5 p.m., and a Tennessee Black Caucus meeting from 5:30-7 p.m., with Chairperson State Rep. Sam McKenzie.
For more information about City services, visit KnoxvilleTN.gov.
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Nashville’s July 4th Celebration with Chris Young
The Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th event in Nashville will feature Chris Young as the headliner, along with performances from artists like Yola and Girl Named Tom. The celebration will include one of the country’s largest fireworks shows, synchronized with live music from the Nashville Symphony and augmented by drone light elements. The event is free to the public and includes family-friendly activities, sustainability initiatives, and fundraising efforts for local schools. For more details, visit the official site here.