Boomsday, Knoxville’s pride and joy, occurs each year on Labor Day weekend. The holiday is always accompanied by a slew of parties, and choosing a celebration to attend Saturday can prove overwhelming. Never fear– check out the Daily Beacon’s list below to find your perfect Boomsday hangout.
1. 7th Annual Boomsday Bluegrass & BBQ
The Mabry-Hazen House will host their 7th Annual Boomsday celebration this Saturday. The event will be held atop Mabry Hill, offering a great view of Downtown Knoxville. Tables, chairs and tents will be available for guests and WDVX will provide music for the night.
“It’s a wonderful event,” Calvin Chappelle, executive director of the Mabry-Hazen House, said. “It’s a way for a small section of the community to enjoy the event. It’s a great view of the fireworks without all of the traffic, and you get a little history on the side.”
Tours of the Mabry-Hazen House will begin at 6 p.m. and food will be served at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $60.
2. Orange and White Parade of Boats
The East Tenneessee Children’s Hospital will host the Orange and White Parade of Boats to raise money for the hospital. The most outrageously decorated boat, most enthusiastic crew and the biggest UT fans will each receive a trophy decked in orange and white. The “Committee of the Future” and a surprise celebrity will begin judging at 4 p.m. The parade and its winners can also be caught on ESPN this weekend.
Each boat entry is $100 with registration starting at 10 a.m.
3. Madre CD Release Party
Local indie rock band Madre will join forces with fellow Knoxville rockers Gamenight and Marina Orchestra at the Pilot Light this weekend, simultaneously celebrating their second album and the holiday. Kent Oglesby, founder of Knoxville Music Warehouse, recommends taking your post-firework energy to Old City, where you can dance the rest of your night away.
“With the holiday weekend and the show following Boomsday, it’s a time when energies are high,” Oglesby said. “If you put that kind of crowd momentum in front of Madre, whose live show is already a raucous good time, it has the makings of a special night.”
The show starts at 10 p.m., and tickets are $5.
4. 27th Annual Boomsday Festival
Be sure to stop by Boomsday’s signature party on Neyland Drive, complete with live music, shopping and entertainment hosted by Visit Knoxville, the city’s official tourism bureau. Visit Knoxville President Kim Bumpas said the event always strives to support East Tennessee artists and musicians.
“From the early stages of planning, Visit Knoxville worked to incorporate local entertainers, craftspeople and vendors into Boomsday 2014,” Bumpas said.
The free festivities will begin at 3 p.m.
5. Rodney Atkins Boomsday After-Party
Immediately following the fireworks display, country fans can pack into Thompson-Boling Area for the “Rodney Atkins Boomsday After-Party.” An East Tennessee native, Adkins will return home to keep the party going long after the sparks have flickered out.
The concert begins at 10 p.m., and tickets are $20.
