One of my favorite things about living with my family in Knoxville is having such a wide variety of fun things to do with them. We are big fans of our downtown area and love to spend time wandering through festivals that fill the one-way streets in the summer and skating on the outdoor rink in the heart of Market Square in the winter. There is fun to be had during any season all around town. We are always thankful to be here, in a place that is so family-friendly!
I’d love to share some of our favorite things to do and some new ideas of things we’d like to do in the future, so you too can have an activity idea for each month of the year! Cheers to exploring Knoxville in 2018!
January
With January typically being our introduction to winter weather, most activities we do are indoors. A family fave, good for all of our ages is JumpJam. We have become big fans of the trampoline park since their newest renovation and are always sure to have a good time on the ninja course and playing in the dodgeball court.
February
February is best known for Valentine’s Day and with that holiday come lots of fun treats. This year we are planning to try a baking and decorating class at The Cutting Edge Classroom. (You must be seven years old to participate in these classes.) Another activity great for the younger ones and the entire family is a UT Men’s or Women’s basketball game. I think while the parents are there for the game, our kids mostly go for the game day treats, but that’s okay too.
March
Depending on the way the calendar falls, we often spend the month doing local Easter festivities. We have SO many great Easter celebrations around town that it’s hard to choose just one or two. Two of our favorites are the festivities at Riverview Family Farm and of course the Knoxville Moms Blog Easter Egg Hunt at The Muse. The wide open spaces and the beautiful backdrop at Riverview Family Farm, along with the laid back atmosphere, have us coming back year after year. We also love playing at The Muse, which allows us to explore and create, and participate in the exciting KMB egg hunt!
April
April starts the fantastic season known as Festival Season in Knoxville. It’s definitely one of our favorite times of the year! The Dogwood Arts Festival is a great family-friendly experience where you can spend time perusing the fantastic sidewalk drawings at The Chalk Walk or playing in the children’s creation station among many craft booths at the street fair.
May
We LOVE May because with May comes the opening of Splash Pads (opening May 5, 2018)! Our personal favorites are McFee Park and the Zoo Knoxville splash pads. We love to make it a full day adventure, packing or purchasing lunch on the way to either place and stopping for ice cream at places like Cruze Farm or It’s All So Yummy!
June
June is a special time of year as it is one of the very short times during which Safety City is open. This place is great for children of all ages and great for parents too, as there is only way one in and one way out. Supervision can be a little bit more lax in this safe environment, making it especially great for parents of multiple children.
July
We are looking forward to Where’s Waldo in Knoxville this July! We have enjoyed the downtown scavenger hunts in the past and can’t wait to do this one too! From July 1st until the 31st, you can hunt for Waldo all around downtown, much like the popular Elf on the Shelf hunts in the winter. We also really enjoy the Town of Farragut Independence Day Parade and the Rubber Duck Races downtown!
August
August is a perfect time to head to the lakes and rent a boat! We have rented boats at Beach Island Resort and Marina in the past and had great experiences on Norris Lake. With the typical heat we experience in August, nothing feels better than playing in the sun and cooling off in the water. Plus, you’re almost always guaranteed great napping with a big day on the lake!
September
September in Knoxville is probably my favorite time of year! The weather is perfect to spend days upon days outdoors and the calendar of events in Knoxville allows just that! Between UT football games, pumpkin patch festivities, and the beautiful fall leaves in Cades Cove and throughout the Smoky Mountains, there is no better time in East Tennessee.
October
Our October is often filled with Halloween festivities and getting the most wear out of our costumes. We love Boo at the Zoo, but for the event to be a treat, the trick is to get there early and not go on a Friday or Saturday night. A new event we really loved this past year was the Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Dollywood! One event that we have had every intention of going to for several years is Trick-or-Treat in the Cave. We’re hoping 2018 will be the year we finally make it!
November
November brings our first taste of winter weather and with that, our first holiday events. As a family, we look forward to the Fantasy of Trees event each year. Our kiddos love crafts, and this event is a crafter’s dream come true! We also love our annual tradition of going to the Regal Celebration of Lights to see Knoxville light up the big Christmas tree downtown.
December
There are many, many activities to celebrate the holidays in December. One of our absolute favorites is a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express out of Bryson City, NC. We also really enjoy the city parade downtown if the weather cooperates — some years it is just brutally cold and we can’t make it!
