Downtown Knox ArtWalk

Addison's bookstore will be open for special extended hours First Friday!

6—9 PM.

Grab your gear, your friends, and your passport to experience our downtown! Meet some of East Tennessee’s most interesting amphibian residents in the form of little bronze sculptures!

Grab a passport at Mast General Store, Visit Knoxville, or download a digital version at knoxnewts.com. Study the clues, and find all 12 bronze newts hidden amid our downtown landmarks.

This permanent, self-guided scavenger hunt is free to play and open 24/7, year round. Happy hunting!

Hot shop Glassblowing Demonstrations at nationally known Pretentious. Don’t miss this.

5 PM—9 PM.

Join the Tomato Head as they'll be featuring music performed by DJ Soularia. Stay for some great food and drinks!

6–8:30.

Original oils by Robin Rohwer and photography by Christopher Rohwer. The husband and wife artist duo has lots of new work to share!

In studio until 9 PM.

Join Awaken for a special evening celebrating the opening of featured artwork by Kim Sanderson. Kim Sanderson is a contemporary abstract painter whose intuitive, gestural work explores the confluence of emotion, memory, and vivid color. Her current studio practice follows a distinguished thirty-year career in interior design, an experience that fundamentally shaped her rigorous approach to color theory and dynamic composition. Today, she channels her expertise in spatial balance into a passionate pursuit of personal expression on canvas.

Come enjoy the art and grab your favorite coffee! We can't wait to see you there.

6—8 PM.

Underground @ Mirage featuring a selection of house music. Enjoy house music all night long at this FREE event. (ID required.)

6 PM—1:00 AM.

RED Gallery will present Transitions in Weaving, featuring accomplished fiber artists Katherine Key, Raeus J. Cannon, and Geri Forkner. The exhibition explores movement across time, materials, and identity through the language of textiles.

5—9 PM.

Stop in Studio 106 Art Gallery. Located on the lower level of the Emporium Center inside suite 106, the gallery will offer specials and discounts for First Friday!

11 AM—9 PM.

Enjoy live jazz music from the Caleb Sherrod Quartet. Great spot for dinner and cocktails.

8—10:30 PM.

Enjoy music from the Fountain City Ramblers. Stay for some great food and beer!

7—10 PM.

Enjoy live music from Evie and the Who Knows. (21+ Free)

9 PM.

Visit Able Trade for beer, bites, and local talent.

This month features works by, Emma Huddler. In her work, she seeks to highlight the beauty of the natural and mundane and its importance in our lives. She is passionate about finding ways to express this through new and challenging techniques. Emma Hudler is currently based in Knoxville, TN but studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia and showcased work in Scotsdale Arizona and Orange California. Able Trade is thrilled to host her first Knoxville Art show.

Please join for art, great people, snacks and beer!

5:30—8:30 PM.

Join the UT Downtown Gallery for the opening of Movement, and Disability: Transcending the Beauty Paradigm.

Art, Movement, and Disability: Transcending the Beauty Paradigm is a 2026 book authored by University of Tennessee Associate Professor Emeritus of Art History, Dr. Timothy Hiles. The exhibition brings Hiles’ book into the gallery space, showcasing a selection of the artists featured in his research. These artists’ practices challenge conventional narratives of disability, embodiment, and representation. Art, Movement, and Disability is organized around three central themes: flipping the script—reclamation, invisibility, and the conversation.

5 PM—9 PM.

The musical guest for First Friday Live will be Handsom and the Humbles.

6—7 PM.

Union Ave Books is excited to present a Poetry Night in celebration of First Fridays, featuring featuring Iris Loehr, Alexandra Persad, Ernest Ohia, and Michael Emmanuel. RSVP for this FREE event by visiting unionavebooks.com/events.

6—7:30 PM.

Casa HoLa invites you to view Frutos Latinos 2026, while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!

The exhibition will remain available until the end of the month inside The Emporium (Suite 112).

5—9 PM.

Live music all night from Soulfinger with Throwin' Stones. Tickets at door.

8 PM.

Get ready to dance with music from DJ Andres Tapia.

10 PM.

Live music from Vivid Display with DJ Old Skull. Tickets at door.

8 PM. 

Gallery 1010 is the only fully student-run, non-profit, off-campus UTK exhibition space in the state of Tennessee. Gallery 1010 provides a location for School of Art artists to exhibit their work, curate exhibitions, and collaborate with other artists or disciplines outside of the School of Art.

Join the opening reception for "Power of Multiples", featuring student works curated by Maria Mitchell.

5 PM—7 PM.