Downtown Knox ArtWalk

Join in for a moving celebration and parade of Dolly Parton’s life, love, and legacy. Parade, dance, and sing your way down to Market Square with Cattywampus Puppet Council and the Knox Honkers and Bangers, as we reflect on Dolly Parton’s impact on our region, our world, and our own lives. What did Dolly mean to you? What did she teach you? What does it mean to honor her legacy? What piece of her do you want to take forward with you in your own story?

Meet at the City County Building Lawn and walk towards Market Street, passing the East Tennessee History Center, and ending at the Market Square Stage right around the corner from the Strong Alley Dolly Parton Mural. You are encouraged to bring offerings to place at the mural - art, flowers, or anything else that feels meaningful. Dress bold, bright, colorful - wear and carry things that represent what Dolly means to you.

Line up at 6:30 pm on the lawn of the City County Building - 400 Main Street. The parade will kick off at 7pm, turning left onto Main Street, right on Walnut, right on Cumberland, and

7 PM.

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.

This month's featured artists:

Christine Westbrook, Acrylics and Mixed Media
Christine Westbrook is an artist based out of Louisville, TN. She has always been fascinated by the power of layers in her work. Through the exploration of acrylic paint and mixed media, she has discovered new techniques and methods to build depth and texture into her pieces. Color plays a central role in her art, whether she is creating wildlife or abstract paintings. Each stroke and mark is carefully considered to create a harmonious and impactful design. Her goal is to capture the essence of her subjects and bring them to life through her use of vibrant colors and unique layering methods.

Marianne Custer, Leather
Marianne Custer is a professional costume designer and professor emerita of costume design at the University of Tennessee. As a costume designer, she has won numerous juried competitions nationally and has been selected to represent the United States in three international design competitions. Her leather sculptures represent the confluence of her work in the theatre and her interest in the world of fine art. She explores floral form through the manipulation of leather.

Explore the marketplace of more than 50 juried-in East TN artists.

5:30—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.

Join Dogwood Arts for the First Friday opening reception of 'Keeping Trees', a solo exhibition by Ashton Ludden, founder & director of Relay Ridge. 

5—8 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.

Enjoy live music outside of the Tavern from 6—8 PM! Then stick around for Trivia with the The Trivia Guys on the Coffee Shop Patio (6:30PM) and live music from Kirk Fleta at 8PM. And don't miss new work in the Curio by Risa Hricovsky, Hsiu-yi Lai, and Douglas Lawrence!

5—9 PM.

This month's featured maker at the Visitor's Center will be Susanna Rouse with The Lettering Loft.

5—7 PM.

Fair Portions II by Robert Grassel
Much of Robert Grassel’s lens-based work involves fragmented and detached subject matter, often recorded through the lens as a street photographer. Typically, his method of initiating visual encounters utilizes the derive, a mode of random urban walking first theorized by Guy Debord which places the individual solidly into the urban landscape.

Collected Exposure: A Gathering of Creative Perspectives by Professional Photographers of East Tennessee
Collected Exposure brings together a juried selection of photographic works by members of the Professional Photographers of East Tennessee (PPETN). This exhibition allows each photographer the freedom to present work that reflects their individual vision and artistic interests. The resulting collection encompasses a range of subjects, styles, and approaches, demonstrating the breadth of photography as an art form. Together, these individual perspectives create a collective portrait of the region’s photography community and invite viewers to see familiar subjects and experiences in new ways

A Slight Tilt on its Axis by Douglas Molinas Lawrence
A Slight Tilt on its Axis is a presentation of new works by local artist Douglas Molinas Lawrence. Inspired by the constant change of the natural world that surrounds us as a result of that small quirk in planetary orientation, the tactile sculptures and abstracted landscapes are intended to prompt a meditative exchange with nature and the emotion of familiar place and remembered moments.

Be.Coming / Be.Longing: Tennessee Asianx Artists curated by Karlota I. Contreras-Koterbay
BeComing/BeLonging explores the materiality of the self in the midst of diaspora, displacement, longing and belonging. Artists in the exhibition represent polyphony of visual voices that provide glimpse on the identities tethered to the notion of Asia and Tennessee, both as linchpins, rather than monoliths.  The complex dialogue on identity, becoming and belonging is unshrouded, foregrounding each individuals’ whisperings through creative practices.

5—9 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.

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 Joe Mitchell and co-curated by Kirana Richmond

5 PM—7 PM.

Bliss is excited to be featuring ORC Collections for this month's First Friday artist! Olivia is a young entrepreneur who loves expressing her creativity. Her products range from apparel to buttons to watercolor and even jewelry. Here's a little bit from Olivia herself: 

My name is Olivia Roddy. I started ORC in July of 2023 when I picked up stitching sweatshirts over the summer. I love creating, especially when it is meaningful for my customers. I started my Instagram page, and my side hustle became my small business. What started with just stitched sweatshirts has expanded into doing an array of items. Thank you for letting me share a bit of my love for creating with you!”

5–9 PM.

Visit Mast General Store for a First Friday event featuring works by Matthew Israel. 

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. 

Locals can enjoy Free Admission to the Sunsphere from 10-6 PM.

Guests may show their Knox County driver's license at the 3rd floor Welcome Center to get complimentary access to the 4th floor Observation Deck

Must show a valid Knox County Drivers License!