Spring

Knoxville’s [1] stalwart arts festival celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2010. The Dogwood Arts Festival (www.dogwoodarts.com [2]) takes place in April to coincide with the springtime blooming of dogwood trees. The core of the festival is the opening of 70 miles of dogwood trails that pass through historic and architecturally significant neighborhoods and by thousands of blooming dogwood trees.

The Dogwood Arts Festival also includes a slate of art shows and other events—workshops, festivals, and concerts—aimed at promoting the arts in the community and in area schools.

In April, the Knoxville Opera [3] organizes the Rossini Festival (www.rossinifestival.org [4]), an Italian street fair that takes place on Gay Street [5] and at Market Square Mall in downtown Knoxville [1]. Special wine tastings, opera performances, and European music combines with a vibrant street fair with a pronounced Mediterranean theme.