News Roundup | Grand opening parties for new Knoxville businesses
Here’s your weekly roundup of business news from throughout the Knoxville region.
Hairston’s Naturals to host grand opening in East Knoxville
If you’re searching for locally made, all-natural skin and hair products, look no further than Hairston’s Naturals.
The all-natural beauty product line is holding a grand opening for its storefront in East Knoxville on Saturday, April 29.
There will be food, drinks, entertainment, and music from DJ Pryme Time, and the chance to see, try, and purchase Hairston’s Naturals products. You can find them at 3907 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. This is one of the first businesses to open in the soon-to-be-revitalized Burlington Community in East Knoxville.
Fable Hollow Bookshoppe to host grand opening in Fountain City
Knoxville’s newest independently owned bookstore is hosting its grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 29.
Fable Hollow Bookshoppe will celebrate its grand opening in Fountain City with food trucks, kids’ storytime, live music, raffles, and drink specials from its coffee bar.
The coffee and book store focuses mainly on fantasy novels but has something for everyone. You can find them at 2910 Tazewell Pike, Suite A.
Grand opening block party for two Central Avenue businesses
A brewery and a pizza restaurant that share a building are having a joint grand opening this weekend in North Knoxville.
Ebony & Ivory Brewing and Hard Knox Pizza are celebrating their Central Avenue locations with a block party on Saturday, April 29. It’ll kick off with a ribbon cutting with the Knoxville Chamber at 11 a.m. and continue through the night with food trucks, live music, food and drink specials, new bear releases throughout the day, and end with a late-night dance party through 1 a.m.
You can visit both businesses at the same time at 2300 N. Central St.
Dogwood Arts Festival continues all weekend
The three-day Dogwood Arts Festival at World’s Fair Park is one of the most celebrated cultural events in Knoxville.
The festival is held on the beautifully redesigned Performance Lawn at World’s Fair Park and features over 100 fine art vendors, live music, entertainment, children’s activities, food & beverage vendors, and more.
New this year, the Emerging Makers Tent will be open on the final day of the 2023 Dogwood Arts Festival on the stage in the World’s Fair Park Amphitheater. Featuring 30 local & regional artists, this space was developed to provide a supportive environment for makers to gain practical experience selling their artwork at a professional craft fair.
The Dogwood Arts Festival is April 28-30. It runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Aspera Life to hold open hours at Knoxville Entrepreneur Center
Starting May 9, every other Tuesday, Aspera Life will be working with entrepreneurs at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center from 3 – 5 p.m.
Aspera Life is a community that helps entrepreneurs develop their full potential through the power of personal engagement and life-enhancing learning.
New rollercoaster set to open at Dollywood
Big Bear Mountain, a new roller coaster spanning nearly 4,000 linear feet, will open at Dollywood on May 12.
The new ride is not only the largest single-attraction investment in Dollywood history but also the longest roller coaster in the park. Big Bear Mountain’s massive structure hugs six acres of undulating topography which runs along the border of Wildwood Grove, with riders racing through the wilderness before soaring high above the forest on the search for the legendary bear. Featuring a top speed of 48 mph, Big Bear Mountain takes guests through three separate launches, multiple airtime hills, high-speed carousel turns, and tunnels, including a pass behind a waterfall.
Big Bear Mountain also marks the first attraction at the park to feature onboard audio. The sound system provides auditory thrills to match the ride’s dynamic movements as guests come daringly close to finding the elusive “Big Bear.”
Longtime community leader dies
Richard E. (Dick) Ray, a longtime leader in the business community, died earlier this week at the age of 92. In 1977, he began his tenure as Operations Manager of the Aluminum Company of America’s (ALCOA) Tennessee Operations in, where else but the City of Alcoa. During his 15-year tenure in that role at one of ALCOA’s largest and oldest plant locations, the company invested more than $400 million in modernizing the East Tennessee aluminum making and fabricating complex. Education was one of his passions, and Ray spent 26 years serving on the Tennessee State Board of Education including being its Chair. He is the past chairman of the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont and has held membership and chairmanship of many other civic groups. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. May 20 at New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville.
