Apr 20 Saturday
Have you ever been curious about an Electric Vehicle (EV)? If so, you have a great opportunity to talk to over two dozen owners and test out a number of dealer cars at the Drive Electric Appalachian Highlands event, Saturday April 20th. The Friendship Automotive group at 2638 West State St, in Bristol TN, will host a Spring Earth Day event from 10 AM – 3 PM. We plan on having many local owners present, who are happy to show their cars and answer any EV related questions you may have. Ask about the cars, taking long trips, home charging and public charging quirks. In addition, Friendship will have many of their EVs available for test rides. This will be a great opportunity to see and experience a large number of EVs.
Live music, food trucks, arts & crafts vendors, kids' activities, rock climbing sessions, and more... don't miss RockyFest 2024 on Saturday, April 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area! Live music will be performed under the big tent with bench seating provided. Performers include: Hilltoppers Review (10:00 am), Nobody’s Business (11:00 am), Gap Civil (12:00 noon), Twin Creeks Stringband (1:00 pm), Whitetop Mountain Band (2:00 pm), and Kelley & The Cowboys (3:00 pm). Children will enjoy the inflatables, trackless train, face painting, and more. A wide variety of vendors will delight attendees. There will be free rock-climbing sessions for beginners that last 1.5 hours (online registration will be available on Eventbrite). Visit https://rockyfacepark.com/rockyfest for complete details about this awesome free family-friendly event!
Snarky Puppy is a collective of sorts with as many as 20 members in regular rotation. At its core, the band represents the convergence of both black and white American music culture with various accents from around the world. Japan, Argentina, Canada and the United Kingdom all have representation in the group’s membership. But more than the cultural diversity of the individual players, the defining characteristic of Snarky Puppy’s music is the joy of performing together in the perpetual push to grow creatively.
Their latest Grammy-winning album, Empire Central, was released in September 2022. Its sound is big and bold, chill and laid back, rooted in its native culture while reaching outward, forward bound. With 16 new compositions, the group looks fondly at where it’s come from, confident in the polished power from which its members continue to build the unique Snarky Puppy sound.
Apr 21 Sunday
Join us for the monthly Downtown Elizabethton Maker's Market - an opportunity to directly support local artists, crafts-workers, and makers in our community. A variety of live musicians and food trucks will also add to the festivities each month.
This is a free event with plenty of public parking available. Gather your friends and family for an afternoon filled with creativity, camaraderie, and charm. We invite you to join us in celebrating the talent and beauty found in our region!
Date: 3rd Sunday of the MonthTime: Noon to 5pmLocation: 411 East Doe Avenue, Elizabethton, Tennessee
The most followed military music group in the world, Six-String Soldiers, will play Lee Theatre in Pennington Gap at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 21st. Six-String Soldiers is a five-member music group performing country, Americana, and patriotic music to connect America to its army. Brought to you in conjunction with the Town of Pennington Gap and Pro-Art’s 47th season, the performance is free and open to the public. For more information and to make reservations visit proartva.org.
Six-String Soldiers is a component of the U.S. Army Field Band formed in 2015 by active-duty soldiers who were looking for ways to fulfill the Army’s commitment to its soldiers and veterans. From Boston to Baghdad, Tampa to Toronto, the United States Army Field Band has been thrilling audiences of all ages for more than six decades. The internationally acclaimed organization travels thousands of miles each year presenting a variety of music to enthusiastic audiences throughout the nation and abroad. Through these concerts, the Field Band fosters the support of the American people for members of the armed forces and supports diplomatic efforts around the world. Since its formation in March 1946, the Field Band has appeared in all fifty states and in more than thirty countries on four continents.
Raising children isn’t easy! We want to make it a little sweeter. Parenting Prime Time is a free group for parents and caregivers to gather and unload the stress of the week. Connect weekly with other parents and caregivers, sharing highs and lows, comparing experiences, and talking through life’s challenges.
Discussion topics include everything from sleep, discipline, first foods, preparing for separation, sibling relationships, and more, but the priority is addressing parents' interests or questions. Parenting Education Specialist Samantha Gray with over 20 years of training will be available to assist in any way she can.
Parenting Prime Time meetups are on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 pm both online and in-person at the Parenting Sweet at 100 Ash Street, Bristol, TN (leftmost outside door). To learn more about Parenting Sweet's programs, or chat, ask questions, connect with other parents, get referrals, etc., sign up at tinyurl.com/PrimeYourParenting !!
Apr 26 Friday
The Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra has moved up its spring concert schedule this year with two concerts in the final week of April and one more in late May. On Friday, April 26th at 7pm the orchestra will be performing in the theater as Lebanon High School; on Saturday, April 27th the concert will be performed in the theater at Abingdon High School, also beginning at 7pm. On Thursday, May 30th, the orchestra will perform starting at 6:30pm at the Lyric Theater in St Paul, a concert that will include a few different selections from those in April.
All performances are free, though attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items which the orchestra donates to local food pantries.
The Spring concerts have a little bit for everyone, including music from the Pink Panther, a medley of classics from the Rolling Stones, two takes on What a Wonderful World, and Jerry Brubaker’s orchestral arrangement of three of Josh Groban’s most popular songs. Other pieces will include a lovely arrangement of Amazing Grace, performed by the brass, Millennium, under the guest direction of Rebecca Sykes and the soulful Blue from the suite Krisanna’s Colors. Audience members who like a bit of daring should enjoy The One-Bow Concerto, in which the violin, viola and cello soloists will use a single bow between them as they play familiar Classical melodies. That’s right, just one bow!
For more information on the Lebanon, Abingdon or St Paul concerts, contact orchestra director, Kevin Townsend at kkirkt@yahoo.com.
The Regeneration story slam: The Theme for this month is "HOME. " Come tell a story about your childhood homes, yearning for home, being unhomed, creating your first adult home, spaces, places, landscapes, people all can conjure the feeling of home.• The audience will vote for their favorite story, and the top story gets $50. There is no admission price, but organizers suggest a $5-$10 donation to help support the event.
Apr 27 Saturday
The Johnson City Radio Controllers Club (JCRC) is hosting our annual Spring Fun Fly In event. A fun-fly gives us a chance to show off our aircraft, tools, and flying skills to other flyers and the General Public. We will have a variety of aircraft airborne throughout the day. There will be several flying skill events, such as the Flying Limbo, the Fast and Slow, and a Maneuvering Tricks event.Guest flyers are welcome with proof of current AMA Membership and there will be a landing fee of $10.00 for flyers; there will be a pilot’s Safety meeting at 9:00AM.There will be food available for a $5.00 Donation from 11AM until 1 PM.The J.C.R.C. is an Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) chartered, non-profit club dedicated to educational and recreational use of model aircraft.
The Friends of the Library Book Sale is open to the public on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday, April 28 from 1-3 p.m. in the Library's Jones Meeting Center. Sunday's sale includes a special $5 per bag deal.
Paperbacks cost $1 and hardbacks cost $3; children’s books are 4 for $1 and children's chapter books are 2 for $1. CDs are 4 for $1 and DVDs are $1 each. People can also purchase a library tote bag full of books for $25. All proceeds support Johnson City Public Library.
Friends of the Library members are invited to a preview book sale on Friday, April 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. If you're interested in joining the Friends, visit jcpl.org/friends or sign up at the preview sale.