Things To Do
Retropolitan Craft Fair
Date + Time: Sunday, May 4 from 11am-6pm This is one of our favorite craft fairs in Knoxville! Located at the Mill & Mine (our favorite concert venue), the Retropolitan Craft Fair has grown from a small, local market into one of the premiere maker events in the Southeast. This year is also their 10-year anniversary! Go check out some of our favorite makers and creatives in East Tennessee.
VOLS Baseball
Date + Time: Friday, March 2 at 6:30pm Sunday, March 4 at 1pm Take me out to the ballgame! Vols Baseball hosts a home series against Auburn May 2-4 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Tickets are available at the link here or via the Ticketmaster app. Pre-purchasing tickets is a MUST (they are the 2024 National Champs after all!). Never miss an opportunity to see Tony Vitello!
Maple Hall
Looking for something fun (and kid-friendly) to do on Saturday before the wedding? Maple Hall is the perfect spot! This stunning bowling alley is located under Gay Street and houses the original bowling lanes from the University of Tennessee (shameless fun fact). Kill some time and enjoy the cozy vibes.
Tennessee Smokies
Date + Time: Friday, March 2 at 7pm Sunday, March 4 at 2pm Take me out to the ballgame...AGAIN! The Knoxville Smokies, Knoxville's minor league baseball team, host a home series against Rocket City May 1-4 at Covenant Health Park. This year, the Smokies returned to Knoxville with a brand new ballpark off East Jackson Avenue. Tickets are available at the link here. Pre-purchasing tickets is highly recommended!
Potchke
POTCHKE means to fuss around in the kitchen, to dwaddle, to waste time. This Jewish deli is one of our favorite brunch spots in town. It's so unique and literally everything is made from scratch. Fun fact! There's also a new bagel-centric location in Cedar Bluff! Our favorites: Matzoh Ball Soup (you MUST 'Fuss it Up'), Lox Bialy, and the Turkey Melt. Open daily from 9am-3pm.
The French Market Creperie Downtown
Sometimes you just gotta pretend you're back in the Cote d'Azur, right? This adorable little brunch spot was home to one of our early dates and may or may not have inspired Hunter's 30th birthday trip. For those of you heading west on I-40 post-wedding, there's also a location in Farragut! Our favorites: Nutella with Strawberries and Bananas and Monte Cristo w/ Ham. Open daily at 9am.
A Dopo Sourdough Pizza
Easily the best pizza spot in Knoxville and one of our favorite date spots (do the 'Trust Fall for 2')! A Dopo is a dinner only, wood-fired pizzeria that specializes in sourdough, Neapolitan-ish pizzas, small-batch gelato, Italian wine, and local beer. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made online via Resy. Our favorites: Pate and Pickle Plate, Ovoline, Pizzicletta, Spicy Greens, and Calabrese. Open daily at 5pm.
Kaizen
This is arguably our favorite restaurant in town. Home to TONS of celebrations with our friends. Incredible Asian-fusion. Daily specials (check their Instagram @knoxkaizen). Weird vibes. Spectacular bathroom wallpaper (not even joking). Our favorites: Spicy Chicken Steamed Buns, Dry Fry Eggplant, Drunken Pork Noodles, and Fried Shrimp w/ Bang Bang (Maggie, not Hunter...he's allergic). Walk-ins welcome, reservations encouraged. Open Monday-Saturday.
Abridged Beer Company
Abridged Beer Co (Abridged Burger Co) is home to our favorite burger in Knoxville. Visit the world headquarters and have your mind blown! We love their beers, their food, their cocktails, and probably everything about them. Plus their HQ is only 5 minutes from the wedding venue! Our favorite foods: Abridged Burger, Pot Roast Nachos, Fried Chicken Club, and Fried Cornbread. Our favorite drinks: Toppy Rock and Dolly Pop. Open Tuesday-Sunday at 11am.
Yassin's Falafel House
Voted 'Nicest Place in America' in 2018! Owner, Yassin Terou, is a Knoxville institution, thanks only in part to his incredible falafel. We love everything about this restaurant. It's wholesome and delicious. Our favorites: Spicy Gyro Plate, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Falafel Salad, and Baklava. Open Monday-Saturday from 11am-9pm.
Chaiyo Thai & Sushi Bar
Maggie's favorite Thai restaurant, and home to the best Pad Thai in Knoxville (Maggie's tried them all). Located right off campus and in walking distance of the Cumberland House. Don't let the fact that it's connected to a residence hall fool you, this place is PHENOMENAL. Our favorites: Pad Thai w/ Chicken (spice level 3), Drunken Noodles, Pad See Eauw, and Fried Wontons. Open Monday-Saturday from 11am-8:30pm.
Sticky Rice Cafe
Sticky Rice is a one-of-a-kind, unassuming Laotian restaurant in West Knoxville. It's always packed and always delicious. Everyone who eats there is immediately hooked, so we can't recommend this place enough. Our favorites: Kow Pek, Pho, Kow Poon, Phorrito, Nam Kow, and Chuenh Beek Gai. Open Monday-Saturday from 11am-9pm.
Brother Wolf
An absolutely stunning apertivo bar in the Old City! Perfect for happy hour, pre-dinner cocktails, or a nightcap. Brother Wolf is lively, romantic, and a staple of Knoxville nightlife. Our favorites: Aperol Spritz, Hugo, Sgroppino (an extra fun treat), and the Martini Service. Open daily from 4pm-1am or later.
Schulz Bräu Brewing Company
Schulz Bräu Brewing Company contains Knoxville's first German Biergarten. It's family-friendly and the perfect spot for an outdoor beer and a late lunch. We love their casual vibes and sense of community. Plus, who doesn't love drinking inside a castle?! Our favorites: Wiener Style Schnitzel and Currywurst. Open daily until midnight or later.
Pretentious Beer Co
Pretentious Beer Co is an experimental brewery located in the heart of the Old City. This is what happens when a glass artist opens a brewery. They are the only place in the world where you can drink beer made in-house, out of glassware made in-house, and watch everything being produced! Stop by for a beer and observe the magic. Open daily.
Cruze Farm Ice Cream - Downtown Knoxville
Cruze Farm Ice Cream is a Knoxville icon located in the heart of Gay Street. Their dairy farm produces ice cream, milks, and cheeses that are sold all across the city. You can't miss their giant red and white neon cone and the line out the door. Trust us, it's worth the wait. BYOL (bring your own lactaid). Open 12pm-10pm on weekends.