Feb 2, 2021 9:37 AM
(Knoxville, TN) – Little signs of love will be displayed in Downtown Knoxville through Feb. 14. The community can express “Much Love” in celebration of Valentine’s Day from photo ops to light displays to a special I LOVE KNOX mailbox.
The Downtown Knoxville Alliance, in partnership with the City of Knoxville and Dogwood Arts, has created the safe, outdoor activities, including a mailbox inviting visitors and residents to write love letters to Knoxville.
“The pandemic has changed the way people celebrate holidays, and Valentine’s Day will be no different,” said Michele Hummel, executive director of the Downtown Knoxville Alliance. “We wanted to provide couples and friends some safe and memorable ways to celebrate downtown and to inspire the community to express love and appreciation.”
Surge in neighborhood’s popularity continues as sense of community draws new residents
Native Knoxvillian Gary Koontz has been ordering the same meal at Rankin Restaurant on North Central Street since the early 1960s. He remembers well growing up in North Knoxville’s Oakwood-Lincoln Park neighborhood, attending Christenberry Junior High and Fulton High School. And he remembers eating at the diner.
Gary, a realtor with Realty Executives, still drops in from time to time at Rankin’s, a North Knoxville staple since 1953. On Rankin’s Facebook page the diner is described as “the oldest operating restaurant in Knoxville.” The restaurant is not far from The Original Freezo, another retro restaurant in the neighborhood. It opened in 1942 and is the home of a great swirled soft-serve cone.
Dec 12, 2020
Dec 12, 2020
Downtown Knoxville has transformed into an immersive holiday experience for residents and visitors, including thousands of new holiday lights, decorated windows, murals and new twists on both the Peppermint Trail and The Elf on the Shelf® scavenger hunt.Â
âDowntown Knoxville has become the heart of the holidays, and we want to make it extra special this year,â said Michele Hummel, executive director of the Downtown Knoxville Alliance. âDue to the pandemic, weâve worked with the city of Knoxville to create a safe and family-friendly experience for residents and visitors as they eat, drink, shop and explore this holiday season.âÂ