When spring is in the air, you can enjoy your favorite season with a plethora of great spring activities. Check out the best and brightest of the Knoxville, TN region, including finding things to do in downtown Knoxville. From the Dogwood Arts Festival, to holiday activities, to Ijams Nature Center, there are tons of spring activities favored by Knoxville locals that you can enjoy too!
4 Fun Spring Activities in Knoxville, TN
1. Seasonal Festivals
Knoxville is renowned for its rich arts scene, and every April, the city celebrates this legacy with the annual Dogwood Arts Festival. For 17 days in the heart of spring, the diverse arts and crafts of Appalachia—from bluegrass music to quilt-making–get their turn in the spotlight. Downtown’s Market Square serves as Grand Central Station for many of the activities: food stands, live music, art shows, and so much more.
You can also take the festivities on the road by using one of the many marked driving trails to bask in the beauty of this festival’s inspiration, the blooming dogwood trees that help usher in the season. The Knoxville Opera is another city mainstay, and it also becomes the belle of the ball in April with the opera and Italian culture-infused Rossini Festival. While you’re near downtown, make sure you check out historic Gay Street in Knoxville too!
2. Holiday Festivities
Spring in Knoxville is brimming with fun, bright holiday offerings. Celebrate Easter with the Easter Bunny and its Photo Experience at West Town Mall (7600 Kingston Pike) from early March to early April. Or participate in the Knoxville Zoo’s Big Egg Hunt at 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive. While at this world-class zoo, view and interact with some of spring’s favorite animals.
12130 Prater Lane’s RiverView Family Farm hosts its own egg hunt that’s part of a larger Easter extravaganza featuring hayrides, lakeside activities, and farm animals. St. Paddy’s Day gets plenty of love, too, with several downtown businesses offering specials, the home team Ice Bears putting on a St. Hat Trick’s game, and the Knoxville St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown capping off the celebrations.
3. Natural Beauty Bonanzas
The Tennessee River is Knoxville’s most scenic aquatic attraction, and spring’s the perfect time to take a picturesque cruise along the river and witness Mother Nature reawakens from her winter slumber. The Volunteer Princess at 956 Volunteer Landing Lane offers some of the best spring cruises, including an Easter brunch and dinner cruise. Each memorable trek lasts for about two hours.
The nonprofit Ijams Nature Center provides another perfect venue to connect with Knoxville’s natural beauty, with 318 acres of wildlands beginning at 2915 Island Home Avenue. Aside from seasonal favorites like biking, paddling, and rock climbing, plentiful spring educational programs for adults and children are available, as well as special spring events, including the Ijams River Rescue, Mayapple Marketplace, and the bluegrass concert series.
4. Collegiate Athletics
The University of Tennessee Volunteers men’s and women’s basketball teams—the latter of which has garnered national acclaim with legendary former coach Pat Summit—take to the courts in early spring. And 1511 Pat Summit Drive’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium hosts the Vols baseball team throughout spring.
Become UT tailgating royalty with the Toyota Rav4. Pack your coolers, chairs, and other game-day essentials in 38-plus cubic feet of cargo space while partying out with a premier sound system.
Have your fling with spring in style. Stop by Rick McGill’s Airport Toyota and browse an inventory continuously reborn with bigger, better innovation and efficiency.
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