Create Appalachia welcomes Asheville-based artist Cynthia Decker to its Kingsport gallery with an exhibit of digital artwork featuring surreal environments and fantastical imagery. This exhibition will be displayed in the Gallery at Create Appalachia’s Kingsport Center for Art & Technology, 225 W. Center St., Suite 115, through June 3.
Johnson City’s Wildabout Walkabout scavenger hunt includes 28 bronze animal sculptures. All the pieces have been installed downtown in and around King Commons and Founders Park and around Main and Market streets. Printed copies of the scavenger hunt clues are available at various downtown businesses and at the Johnson City Public Library. Clues are also available online on the Johnson City Public Art website.
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.
Boozy Creek Community Center, 1989 Shelleys Road, Bristol, Virginia, will host the Roan Street Ramblers June 1 from 5-6:30 p.m. There will be a fish and chicken feast at 4 p.m., and door prizes will be given away at 4:45 p.m. For more information call 276-466-0026.
Johnson City’s Lakeside Concert Series brings together the community for free family-friendly entertainment in one of Johnson City’s most scenic parks. The concerts will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. each Thursday in June at Winged Deer Park’s Goulding Amphitheatre, 199 Carroll Creek Road, Johnson City. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or folding chairs for relaxing on the grassy hillsides. The venue offers easy access, free parking, concessions, and a playground. In addition to music, the series includes a kid zone, food trucks, theme nights, games, giveaways and more. This year’s concert schedule is as follows: June 6 — From the Edge; June 13 — Charlie Maples; June 20 — Mixtape 80s Tribute band; and June 27 — Nu-Blu. For more information call 423-283-5827.
The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA is coming to East Tennessee State University’s Martin Center for the Arts Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets visit ETSUMartinCenter.org or call the Martin Center box office at 423-439-2787.
Ben Folds: Paper Airplane Request Tour is coming to East Tennessee State University’s Martin Center Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. During the show, fans will be invited to launch their song requests to the stage via paper airplanes. To purchase tickets visit ETSUMartinCenter.org or call the Martin Center box office at 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.
The Friday Lunchtime Live concerts are returning to Glen Bruce Park next month for a summer filled with talented musicians and tasty offerings from local food trucks. Now in its fourth year, the lunchtime concerts will run from June 7 to July 19, starting at noon on each of those days. The concerts are free and open to the public. Simply bring a chair or blanket and enjoy lunch while listening to local musicians. A food truck will be in the parking lot behind the library during the concerts. The concerts series is sponsored by Friends of the Kingsport Public Library. For more information visit www.kingsportlibrary.org or call the library at 423-224-2539.
The Black Jacket Symphony presents Elton John’s “Madman Across the Water” on Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. at the ETSU Martin Center. You can order tickets online anytime by visiting ETSUMartinCenter.org.
Bristol Music Show Palace sponsors dances at the Outdoorsmen, 4535 Highway 11W, Blountville. Line dance from 6-7 pm. The band plays from 7-10 p.m. Potluck at 6:15 p.m.
The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society holds dances at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone St., the second and fourth Saturday of each month. Dancing to live music is open to community members of all ages. There will be a lesson of basic contra dance moves for beginners at 7 p.m. with dancing from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door. Contra dance is for all ages. No partner is needed. Contra dances are family friendly, alcohol-, tobacco- and fragrance-free. For more information visit the group’s site on Facebook.
Liberty Celebration, the biannual patriotic musical extravaganza featuring a 100+ voice choir and a live orchestra, returns with a 2024 show filled with the most requested songs from the event’s 27-year history. Two performances will be presented at the Toy F. Reid Eastman Employee Center at 400 S. Wilcox Drive in Kingsport at 7 p.m. on June 28 and again at 2 p.m. on June 29. Tickets are available at the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and the Eastman Employee Center box office. Military veterans and first responders will receive special recognition during each performance. For more information visit www.LibertyCelebration.com.
The Kingsport Public Library’s summer movie series has returned this year, offering families a free Saturday afternoon matinee of high adventure, animated fun and a free bag of popcorn. The free movies will be shown from 2-5 p.m. in the first-floor auditorium of the library on June 15 and July 6. The June 15 movie is a 2023 animated movie about a young girl who makes a wish upon a star and gets more than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her. The July 6 movie is a classic 1981 film about an adventuring professor in a race against Nazis to find the Ark of the Covenant. The film stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman and John Rhys-Davies. For more information call 423-229-9489.
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.
The Washington County-Jonesborough Library will host Open Mic Word Nights on the fourth Thursday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This new program is free and open to all. Performances must be appropriate for a general audience and should not include language that is inappropriate for young audience members. Performances should be 10 minutes maximum and can include storytelling, poetry, comedy, riddle, spoken word and more. All ages welcome. For more information visit wclibrarytn.org or call 423-753-1800.
The first of a two-part program is showing in the Bays Mountain Park Planetarium throughout the summer. “One Sky: To Seek Far” is showing through Aug. 30 and includes two stories highlighting the theme of developing tools — “Thunderbird” and “Jai Singh’s Dream.” The show will take place Tuesday through Friday at 4 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 4 p.m. The 35-minute show is followed by a live tour of the night sky using the planetarium’s optical star projector. The second part of the program — “One Sky: Finding Patterns” — has not been scheduled yet but will be shown at a future date. The alternate planetarium feature showing Saturdays and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Aug. 30 will be “Appalachian Skies.”
Prince and Princess Pageant
Tri-Cities Talent will host the 2024 Royal Ball and Prince and Princess Pageant on June 1 at 2 p.m. on stage at the Renaissance Center Theater, 1200 Center St. in Kingsport. Ages 2-14 are invited to dress as a favorite Prince or Princess and join the fun. Special entertainment will be provided by 2024 National Dance Champions JoElla Graybeal, Natalie Butterworth and Sara Grace Osborne.
Project Friendship by the Kingsport Altrusa Club is continuing its meet-and-greet events at Shooters Billiards in Kingsport on the second and fourth Fridays at 6 p.m. This event is for anyone who works from home, is new to the area, or just doesn’t get out often. It’s a low-key way to meet others and have fun! Text to 423-384-0425 for more information.
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. Tickets may be purchased at https://visithandson.org/tickets.
Statehood Day Celebration
Statehood Day Celebration, celebrating the birthday of our great state of Tennessee, will be held June 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Crockett Springs Park in Rogersville. The event, presented by the Hawkins County GOP, is free to the public and will feature voter registration, food, live music, and a program. Bring a chair. For more information contact Pam Jenkins at 423-754-3849
Ray Christian is the next performer in the 2024 Storytelling Live season, a series curated by the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough. He’ll offer daily matinees at the ISC June 4-8 (Tuesday through Saturday) starting at 2 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Call 800-952-8392.
The Kingsport Aquatic Center’s outdoor water park will be open daily through Aug. 2. From Aug. 3 through Sept. 1, the outdoor water park will only be open on the weekends, with the last day of operation being Sept. 2. Season passes and memberships can be purchased at www.kingsporttn.gov or in person at the KAC front desk. For more information call 423-343-9758 or visit swimkingsport.com.
The Riverview Splash Pad (1101 Martin Luther Jr. Drive, Kingsport) will be active from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day during the summer. The splash pad can be turned on during these hours by rubbing the silver activator pad located on the wall between the restrooms.
The Jonesborough Repertory Theatre will present one of Stephen Sondheim’s most well-known musicals, ”Into the Woods,” through June 2. The story takes audience members on the journey of several fairytale characters as they discover that wishes that come true also come with consequences. To purchase tickets, call the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010 or go online to jonesboroughtheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”Grandma Gatewood Took A Walk” through June 2 at Barter’s Smith Theatre. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”The Wizard of Oz” through Aug. 18 on the Gilliam Stage. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Disney’s ”The Little Mermaid,” presented by Theatre Bristol, comes to the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts live on stage Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, June 7-16. Tickets are on sale at www.ParamountBristol.org or call 423-212-3625.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”The Shawshank Redemption” June 15 to Aug. 17 on the Gilliam Stage. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”Cry It Out” June 21 to Aug. 17 at Barter’s Smith Theatre. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”The Play That Goes Wrong” Aug. 31 to Nov. 9 on the Gilliam Stage. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily” Sept. 14 to Nov. 8 on the Gilliam Stage. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”The Trip To Bountiful” Sept. 20 to Nov. 2 at Barter’s Smith Theatre. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”A Christmas Carol” Nov. 14 to Dec. 22 on the Gilliam Stage. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present ”Go Tell It On The Mountain” Nov. 20 to Dec. 29 at Barter’s Smith Theatre. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
The Kingsport Model Trains Project operates eight model train layouts in six rooms at the Lynn View Community Center including a 24-by-20 “O” scale representation of the Santa Train. There is a workday 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.
