SPRING TIME … There is not a season in East Tennessee that does not simply take your breath away but, spring has the special effect of an explosion of color and sweet fragrant flowers. The feeling of waking up from the cold of winter makes your senses sing. Daffodils, hyacinth, crocus, tulips, redbud, dogwood, magnolia, apple and cherry blossom, azalea and wisteria are just a few of the flowers that are on display on the Dogwood Trails around Knoxville. Spectacular personal gardens are open to the public every spring and the Knoxville Botanical Garden and University of Tennessee Gardens are open to the public year round. Farmers Markets start popping up around town like mushrooms in April. There is nothing like the flavor of those locally grown strawberries and tomatoes. These markets have a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as incredible baked goods and unique locally made craftsman and artist’s merchandise.
SOUNDS OF SPRING … The tradition of music in East Tennessee tells all the stories of our deep and varied cultural influences. The Rhythm N’ Blooms and Big Ears Festivals are two of the largest gatherings of extraordinary musicians of any city in the United States. Rhythm N’ Blooms gathers so many popular national and local talents that it takes three days to showcase the numerous acts that converge on Knoxville in April. Big Ears is a phenomenal collection of International talent. It takes four days of continuous music to fit all the acts into this festival. Knoxville will sometimes have more Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winners over those four days than any place in the nation. East Tennessee has traditionally been a cradle of country music by producing great singers and musicians that have developed out of these hills but, it has now become a gathering place of international music masters in rock, jazz, classical, folk, electronica, americana and ameripolitan music.