Let us not forget that Memorial Day is not actually celebrated to honor the beginning of summer, but rather to honor those who’ve lost their lives in service to our country.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend everyone! While you reflect on the servicemen and women who’ve served our country, enjoy the official first weekend of Summer!

• WDVX Kidstuff Live returns this Saturday, May 25th. The Knoxville Visitors Center hosts this lively musical event from 10-11 a.m. where kids are invited to be members of the live studio audience. The Knoxville Visitors Center is located at 301 S. Gay Street.

• Angela Floyd Schools invites everyone to their 15th Annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 25th at 5 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. Tickets may be purchased online at knoxvilletickets.com.

• On Saturday and Sunday, May 25th and 26th, Marble Springs will host their annual Statehood Days Living History Weekend. On Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. see interpreters in 18th Century clothing portraying life on the frontier, including open-hearth cooking demonstrations and blacksmithing. There will be militia drills and an exhibit of Guns of the War of 1812. The weekend continues Sunday  from 12-5 p.m.  Marble Springs is located at 1220 W. Governor John Sevier Hwy.

• Rockin’ the Docks is one of my family’s most favorite events! Held at Lenoir City Park, enjoy live music, vendors, a children’s play area, and an absolutely spectacular fireworks display on Saturday, May 25th. The fun begins at 4 p.m. with fireworks once it gets dark. You can also come by boat, the display takes place just off Ft. Loudoun Marina. Lenoir City Park is located off Hwy 321 on City Park Drive.

• A cookout benefiting Knox Area Rescue Ministries will take place on Monday, May 27th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at The Cove at Concord Park, 11808 S. Northshore Drive. For $5 you get two hotdogs, chips and a drink with 100% of the proceeds going to KARM.

Our Knoxville Kids Calendar has many more events listed! You can also Follow us on Facebook and Subscribe to our FREE Weekly Newsletter!

(photo credit, top: isafmedia via Flickr, photo credit, right: OakleyOriginals via Flickr)

Knoxville is FULL of FREE or inexpensive family activities and events this summer! Check back often as more events will be added throughout the summer!

Our Interactive FREE Fun in Knoxville Map will help guide you to local parks and more! Click here to see our map!

Jump Directly to your favorite FREE summertime activity!

• Summer Movies
• Splash Pads and Pools
• Concerts and Theatre
• Kids Workshops and Classes
• Storytimes and Library Activities
• Safety City
• Fishing Derbies
• Farmers Markets

SUMMER MOVIES (Additional Information Coming Soon!)

• Regal Summer Movie Express –Tuesdays and Wednesday at 10 a.m. –June 4th-July 30th– $1
• Carmike Cinema Summer Kid Series –Thursdays at 10 a.m. –June and July — $2
• Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse –Wednesdays at 10 a.m. — June 5th-August 7th — $1
• Halls Cinema 7 Summer Film Festival –Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. –June and July — $2
• Carmike Movies 7 –Daily–Showtimes Vary — $2.50
• Movies in the Park (Lenoir City) — Monthly at 9 p.m. — May-September — FREE

SPLASH PADS & POOLS

• Click here for a complete list of area Splash Pads!
• Ed Cothren Pool, 1737 Reynolds St. (map) — Daily — Memorial Day Weekend-August — $1.50
• Inskip Pool, 4204 Bruhin Road (map) — Daily — Memorial Day Weekend- August  — $3
• Claire Donahue Aquatic Center Pool and Splash Pad, 120 Panther Drive, Lenoir City (map) — Daily — Memorial Day Weekend-August — $4 adults, $3 ages 4-7, children under 3 FREE.
• Clinton Outdoor Pool, 101 Hicks Street, Clinton (map) — Daily
• Norris Dam State Park Swimming Pool, 125 Village Green Cir, Lake City, TN (map) — Daily — Memorial Day Weekend-August — $4, children 2 and under FREE
• Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool, 172 Providence Road, Oak Ridge (map) — Daily — Memorial Day Weekend-August — $3.75 adults, $3 ages 12-17, $2 ages 3-11, children 2 and under FREE.
• Karns Pool and Splash Pad, 6618 Beaver Ridge Road (map) — Daily — Memorial Day Weekend -August — $5.50 adults, $3.75 ages 3-11, children under 3 FREE.
• Springbrook Pool, 636 Vose Road, Alcoa (map) — Daily — May-August — $4 adults, $3 ages 6-18, $2 ages 3-5, children 2 and under FREE
• John Sevier Pool, 1998 Sequoyah Ave, Maryville (map) — Daily — May-August — $4 adults, $3 ages 6-18, $2 ages 3-5, children 2 and under FREE

CONCERTS & THEATRE

• Second Saturday Concerts at The Cove, 11808 Northshore Drive (map) — Monthly from 6-8 p.m. — June-September — FREE
• Second Saturday Under the Bridge, 400 Williams St. (map) — Monthly at noon — FREE
• Shakespeare on the Square, Market Square downtown — July and August — shows begin at 7 p.m. — FREE, but donations of $10 are requested

KIDS WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

• Home Depot Kids Workshops – first Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. — for children ages 5-12 — FREE
• Michaels Kids Club – occasional Free Family Craft Time, plus Kids Club on Saturdays — 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on the 1/2 hour — $2
• Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics – select Saturdays at 10 a.m. and select Sundays at 2 p.m. — for children in grades 1st-5th — FREE
• Mommy, Daddy, and Me Art Activities at Smart Toys and Books — Fridays at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. — for ages 2 and up — $5

STORYTIMES & LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

• Click here for more information about Summer Reading Programs!
• Knox County Storytimes, Summer Productions, Crafts, and More — Times and Dates Vary — FREE
• Knoxville Botanical Gardens Story Time in the Garden — Wednesdays at 1 p.m. — for preschoolers and a caregiver — FREE
• UT Gardens Books & Blooms — Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. — for preschoolers and a caregiver — FREE
• Storytime with Miss Helen at Smart Toys and Books — Mondays at 11 a.m. — FREE
• Storytime at Barnes and Noble — Saturdays at 11 a.m. — FREE
• Storytime at Union Ave. Books — select Saturdays at 11 a.m. — FREE
• Blount County Public Library Storytimes and Activities — Times and Dates Vary — FREE
• Clinton Public Library Storytimes and Activities — Times and Dates Vary — FREE
• Norris Community Library Summer Reading Program Activities — Times and Dates Vary — FREE

SAFETY CITY

• Safety City is a place where families can bring their bikes, non-motorized scooters, battery-powered cars, and helmets for kids to ride around a miniature city complete with working traffic signals and traffic signs. They are open Mondays and Thursday beginning June 10th and ending July 29th from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. They will be closed the week of July 1st.

FISHING DERBIES

• The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency sponsors Family Fishing Events across the state where people of all ages can learn to fish!  Most events are FREE! See the full schedule of Fishing Derbies here!

FARMERS MARKETS

• Pick Tennessee Products has a complete listing of most every Farmers Market in the state of Tennessee. We compiled a list of local markets that can be found by clicking here. Many markets offer FREE kids activities!

The FREE Fun in Knoxville map includes:

• Playgrounds
• Green Spaces and Nature Centers
• Splash Pads
• Libraries and places that offer FREE Storytimes
• Biking areas
• Museums
• FREE movies, music, and theatre
• FREE kid workshops

Everything on the map is FREE at least one day per week or month. We’ve also rounded up lots of LOW COST Summer Fun in Knoxville, click here to see our list of FREE and Low Cost Summer Fun in Knoxville!

Click on any icon to see photos of the location, as well as hyperlinks to more information.  If you visit the full map in Google Maps, you will be able to see all of the attractions listed on the left, by category.

We realize we may have missed some spots, just let us know and we’ll get them added. Email Jennifer at familyfriendlyknoxville@gmail.com with your suggestions.

Having trouble seeing the map, click here for a direct link to a map of FREE fun in Knoxville.

From biscuits to books to baseball, this weekend is sure beat your boredom. See what I did there?

• Uniquely Kids Friday is a monthly event at the Knoxville Visitors Center. It’s held the third Friday of every month and features coloring activities and seasonal crafts. Check it out this Friday, May 17th from 2-4 p.m. The Knoxville Visitors Center is located at 301 S. Gay Street.

• The International Biscuit Festival takes place this weekend in downtown Knoxville. Tickets for biscuit eating go on sale at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 18th at the Biscuit Festival Information Booth, located at the corner of Market and Clinch and at the Biscuit Breakfast Tent, located on Market, just north of Church. The cost is cost $10. There are also other biscuit related activities throughout the day.

• After eating your biscuits, the Children’s Festival of Reading will be taking place at World’s Fair Park beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 18th. There will be all sorts of fun activities including storytelling, music, opportunities to meet authors and illustrators. Angela Floyd School of Dance, a FFK sponsor, will be performing at the Children’s Stage at 11 a.m. For more Children’s Book Week activities, visit our article from Wednesday.

• The Tennessee Volunteer baseball team takes on Texas A&M for their last regular games of the season this Friday, May 17th at 6 p.m., Saturday, May 18th at 6 p.m., and Sunday, May 19th at 1 p.m. The Vols play at Lindsey Nelson Stadium located at 1511 Pat Summitt Dr. Admission for adults is only $4 and parking is available behind the stadium for FREE, with on-street parking available also.

• Fairy gardens are a great way to get kids interested in gardening, and this workshop is a terrific family activity. This Saturday, May 18th, Ijams will host a Magical Fairy Gardens workshop for all ages at 1 p.m. The fee for this program is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. Call 577-4717, ext. 130 to register and pre-pay for materials.

Visit our Knoxville Kids Calendar for more events (it’s our BRAND NEW calendar, so check it out)! You can also Follow us on Facebook!

Starting week after Knox County Schools get out, we’ll be rolling out our weekly Summer Boredom Buster Series on Mondays. Family Friendly Knoxville Newsletter Subscribers will get a sneak preview on Fridays so they can plan ahead! Subscribe now!

(photo credit: Joelk75 via Flickr)

River Sports Outfitters has teamed up with Ijams Nature Center to host a monthly Family Campout this summer. Families will have the opportunity to camp on the lawn at Ijams beginning this Saturday, May 18th. There will also be all sorts of outdoor activities including climbing walls, night hikes, movies and more!

Additional campouts will be June 8th, July 13th, August 10th, and September 14th.

Campers can begin their setup at 5:30 p.m. Ijams will offer food for purchase from 6-8 p.m. and beverages from 6-9:30 p.m. The cost to camp is $25. River Sports Outfitters does have tents available for rent for $10, reservations for tents can be made by calling RSO at 523-0066.

Pre-registration is required for these fun Family Campouts by the prior Thursday to each event. For this Saturday’s campout, you must register by tomorrow, May 16th. Call RSO at 523-0066 to make your reservations.

Ijams Nature Center is located at 2915 Island Home Ave.

(photo credit: avhell via Flickr)

Children’s Book Week is a nationally celebrated event with library, schools, and bookstores participating in the festivities, May 13th-19th. Established in 1919, CBW is the longest running national reading initiative in the US, according to bookweekonline.com. The Every Child a Reader literacy organization and the Children’s Book Council are co-sponsors of this week.

Here in Knoxville, there are several events that celebrate children and reading.

Smart Toys and Books, 9700 Kingston Pike, will be hosting a Children’s Storybook Festival to celebrate CBW. This will be held this Saturday, May 18th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Children who come dressed up as a storybook character will receive a special gift will have the opportunity to enter their Facebook Storybook Character Costume Contest.

This Saturday, May 18th is the Children’s Festival of Reading, hosted by the Knox County Public Library. This festival takes place at World’s Fair Park from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. There will be all sorts of fun activities including storytelling, music, opportunities to meet authors and illustrators. Angela Floyd School of Dance, a FFK sponsor, will be performing at the Children’s Stage at 11 a.m.

Other ways to celebrate CBW include downloading the 2013 Book Week bookmark by Grace Lin and ordering your free 2013 Poster by Brian Selznick. Both Lin and Selznick are children’s literature illustrators.

Families can also purchase 4 used children’s book from Better World Books for just $10.  Raven Tree Press is offering a sale price of $6.95 on their hardcover titles. Use the code CBW13 at checkout.

• Angelina Jolie shares her story about her double mastectomy she went under to cut her chances of developing cancer.

• Here are photos of the last shot of The Office, the last show airs this Thursday.

• Jodi Arias has been guilty and her sentence will be decided this week.

• Justin Timberlake announced a world tour and new album coming out. YES.
  • Ooh, here is a new study: Americans Dislike Justin Bieber, Would Vote Justin Timberlake For President.

He has my vote.

• Here’s the story behind the David Foster Wallace video that was given a lot of attention last week.

• Hmmm…did Alyson Hannigan reveal anything about How I Met Your Mother?

• YouTube is rolling out some paid channel subscriptions. What YouTube videos are your neighbors watching? Take a look and see if they are watching what you are…

Interesting, I love data.

• I haven’t heard a lot of great things about Gatsby, but in other news Iron Man 3 lead the weekend.

• This flight was forced to made an emergency landing because a female passenger refused to stop singing Whitney Houston songs.

• The planets are aligning at sunset right now and through the end of May, I am going to check it out – planets are cool.

I just LOVE astrology!

• Michael Jackson‘s autopsy reveals some interesting things.

• Savannah Guthrie is engaged, see the photo that Al Roker instagrammed.

• Artist Kathyrn Hudson imagines what it would be like if some of your favorite Disney characters went to prom.

It would be a tight run for Homecoming Queen.

• The trailer for Sandra Bullock and George Clooney’s movie Gravity is out.

• Tic toc – tic toc – tic toc…Arrested Development will be up on Netflix the 26th, with every single new episode up at the same time. Brilliant. I can’t tell you how excited I am! Here is the trailer…

• There is a rumor on the inter web that Beyoncé is pregnant with #2…

Is she or isn’t she?

• 32 facts about MTV’s original DJs.

• Here is NBC‘s upcoming sitcom schedule, here is the canceled list for ABC. Will Arnett, Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar have shows on order for CBS.

• After a client asked them to photograph a burrito cut neatly in half, food photographer Beth Galton and food stylist Charlotte Omnès decided to portray the interior of other packaged and processed foods, giving us an unusual view of everyday foods.

How in the world did they do this???

• The CMT Music Awards nominees are out.

• The years have not been good to O.J. Simpson.

• Ralph Macchio is getting a lot of jobs being Ralph Macchio.

• Amy Phoehler and Mindy Kaling look like they are about to do some shots.

Those girls know how to party!

• Neil Patrick Harris will host the Tony’s again this year.

• Love this, 24 Reasons Why Lorelai Gilmore Is The Coolest Mom Ever.

• Here are a few photos of the new season of True Blood, wonder what kind of crazy stuff is going to happen now???

• 27 Things The Simpsons Taught Us About Love.

• Seth Meyers will replace Jimmy Fallon on Late Night.

With Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers on
the late night roll I might actually watch.

• King and Messiah are among the fastest-rising baby names for American boys right now.

• Don’t make me cry, Vince Gilligan talks here about the end of Breaking Bad.

• Here are photos from the 2013 Met Gala, lots of out-of-the-box attire.

Oh, Gwynnie…how I love thee.

• Barbara Walters will definitely retire next year.

• View Nick Offerman read tweets from young female celebrities, it’s good stuff.

• Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey will never be friends.

OK, I know that is a lot of information – but the more you learn, the more you grow. It’s true.

This article is brought to you by ADS Security. ADS Security is a Tennessee based company that provides a full range life safety services including burglar and fire alarms, as well as video surveillance and home automation systems.

Summer is right around the corner. As the weather gets warmer, this often leads to an increase in burglaries and property theft. The summer months are busy, and many families spend time away from home on vacation, outdoors, and at pools.

With these upcoming vacations, pool parties, and other fun in the sun activities planned, ADS Security has some tips for keeping your family safe during these summer months and beyond.

1.  Protect your family with an alarm system and make sure all family members know how to properly use it.

2. Keep children safe around pools with life jackets and by installing a fence at least 4 ft. high all the way around the pool. Use self-latching gates that are out of the reach of kids. Make sure to install a chime or alarm on any doors or windows that lead to the pool so that you can be alerted if a child attempts to gain access to the swimming area.

3. Going to be away from home? Monitor your home from your mobile device. Receive important text alerts, alarm system control, and live video. Here is a video that demonstrates a home control security system with mobile capabilities:

4. Protect your family from fire with monitored smoke alarms. Monitored smoke alarms help to quickly alert your family and emergency responders to fire to help save lives and reduce property loss.

5.Carbon monoxide, also known as “the silent killer,” is a an odorless and colorless gas that can go undetected.  Monitored carbon monoxide detectors can help keep your family safe from this harmful gas.

6. Use all natural insect repellents to protect your family from mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and other outdoor pests.

7. Always wear sunscreen! The Environmental Working Group suggests that you select a sunscreen with zinc oxide with at least 15-50 SPF depending on your family and children’s skin tone and the sun’s intensity. Water-resistant, lotion sunscreen is also a good idea.

(photo credit: Orin Zebest via Flickr)

What started out as an after school cooking activity for her students at Thackston School has now become a full-fledged business for Laura Broun, owner of Artichoke Heart, a kitchen classroom for children.

“I originally started teaching cooking classes…for the students last fall. It quickly became very popular, so I decided to offer classes to other schools and organizations in Knoxville,” says Broun.

Artichoke Heart offers classes, birthday parties, play dates, and summer camps to get kids in the kitchen. Cooking combines life skills, math, science, geography, and history, not to mention helps kids develop creativity. There’s also teamwork and fun incorporated in the classes, parties, and camps.

Broun explains, “I have a strong passion for both cooking and teaching and love that I am able to combine the two.”

This summer’s cooking camps will take place in the kitchen at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike. Younger campers will make age-appropriate recipes, extra adult hands will be there to help! Older campers will work individually and in small groups to make recipes. They’ll learn how to read and follow recipe directions, step by step.

“All of the camps are hands-on, allowing they children to do nearly all of the cooking themselves (with assistance from the cooking teachers). At the end of the day, all campers are able to take what they cooked home with them,” Broun explains.

There are three camps offered this summer.

Top Chef Camp
Rising 2nd-5th graders
June 17th-21st from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
$250

Children will learn to cook different dishes using one specific ingredient each day. On the last day, campers will create their own menu and recipes.

Cooks and Books Camp
Ages 4-7
July 8th-12th from 9-11 a.m.
$150

The recipe each day will be based on a different children’s book. While their food is cooking in the oven, children will enjoy a short story time reading of the book of the day.

Edible Passport Camp
Rising 2nd-5th graders
July 15th -19th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
$250

Each day children will learn how to cook ethnic dishes from different countries.

To register for camp, call 236-0886 or register online at http://myartichokehearts.com/Camps.html.

Artichoke Heart is Offering Half-Off a Week of Camp to One Lucky Family Friendly Knoxville Reader!!

One lucky winner will win half-off one week of the camp of their choice for one child, a $125 value!

To enter: (required)

1. Check out Artichoke Heart’s Facebook Page
2. Check out Family Friendly Knoxville’s Facebook Page
3. Complete the Entry Form Below: (if you’re having trouble seeing the form, click here for a direct link to the form.)

Bonus Entry:

Family Friendly Knoxville Newsletter Subscribers will receive special instructions for a 2nd entry to the contest when our newsletter is mailed out this Friday, May 17th. Sign up for our newsletter here so you don’t miss out on the bonus entry opportunity!

This giveaway will end on Sunday, May 19th at 11:59 p.m. The winner will be chosen by random.org and notified via email, so be sure to leave a VALID email address. If the winner’s email address is found to be invalid, another winner will be chosen. The winner will have 24 hours to respond before a different winner is chosen. Two entries per person, including the Bonus Entry.

(photo credit: eyeliam via Flickr)

Artichoke Heart is a Sponsor or Family Friendly Knoxville.