Blog: City Blog

Come Play in the Street on Sunday, May 21 - Open Street Knoxville's 4th Pop-up Street Celebration!

You won't want to miss the Appalachian Puppet Pageant, a mile-long parade of oversized puppets, costumed dancers and artists. The May 21 parade, organized by Cattywampus Puppet Council, kicks off the fourth installment of Open Streets Knoxville. (Click HERE for more details about the pageant.)

This next Open Streets event starts with the puppeteers and mobile fun-makers at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, at Magnolia Avenue and Chestnut Street. The Open Streets event runs through 6 p.m., with Magnolia closed to vehicular traffic for four hours between Chestnut and Randolph streets. There's a small loop onto East Depot Avenue as well.

The mile-long Appalachian Puppet Pageant will dramatically kick off the Open Streets Knoxville event on Magnolia Avenue on May 21.

Open Streets is an ongoing series of pedestrian- and bicycle-focused events, presented by Bike Walk Knoxville with support from the City of Knoxville, Visit Knoxville, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and dozens of local businesses and community groups.

In fact, the Magnolia Avenue gathering will feature more than 60 activity providers and seven food trucks. Plus, several of the business owners along the route will be serving food and refreshments as well.

The Open Streets event on Magnolia Avenue will be Knoxville's fourth. It follows well-attended Open Streets events on Central Street and in Bearden.

So what is Open Streets? Think of it as a pop-up neighborhood party with food and vendors offering a variety of physical activities – everything from Speedy's Ninja Obstacle Course, offered by AA Air Co., to an inflatable archery course, presented by the Boy Scouts.

Visit http://openstreetsknoxville.com/ for more details. Later this week, look for a detailed map showing where food and activity vendors will be stationed along the route.

But just to whet your appetite a little: The Ice Bears will be offering street hockey, the Hard Knox Roller Girls will be demonstrating skating techniques, the Knoxville Women's Rugby Club will be demonstrating the sport, and the Knoxville Track Club will be timing kids' runs - and giving out goodies to young sprinters and joggers.

The Vine Middle School cheerleaders will be rah-rahing the crowd. Urban Town Chess will be offering games with giant chess pieces. East Tennessee PBS will have costumed characters and a coloring station, and Pellissippi State Community College will offer balloons and jugglers. The Muse will have giant stacking cups and a puppet-making station.

Saw Works will offer its specially brewed Rough Cut beer, and Our Daily Bread will offer Chinese jump roping. Community Hands will hand out gardening tips and healthy recipes, and the FBL Porcelain gift shop will offer line dancing and children's crafts. Feral Feline Friends will paint kitty whiskers on kids' faces, and Good as New Appliances will be grilling and giving away free hot dogs. Nourish Knoxville will have gardening activities and veggie tastings.

Get the idea? Anticipate a lot of camaraderie, fun physical activity and opportunities to meet Magnolia Avenue business owners and residents from nearby neighborhoods. C'mon down from 2-6 p.m. on Sunday, May 21.

Posted by evreeland On 11 May, 2017 at 8:42 AM