The Knoxies: Best Local Fun and Entertainment

Editors Note: In the eight categories below we hope we’ve given you some ideas for having fun around Knoxville. Now that the weather is just right it’s time to get out and enjoy Knoxville.
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Best Television Station – WBIR. Russell Biven and Beth Haynes have the best dynamic in all of Knoxville, both in broadcast and on the web. We’ve decided to overlook the awkwardly titled “Live At Five At Four.” Spot on news coverage, alongside Robin Wilhoit’s trustworthiness and John Becker’s wonderful “Service & Sacrifice” series make WBIR the place to be.
 
Best Playground – World’s Fair Park. Be it the park’s interactive fountains, the vast expanse of the performance / festival lawn, or the majestic amphitheater, the World’s Fair Park is a wonderfully diverse location to take your young ‘uns to play and be merry.
 
Best Day Trip – Great Smoky Mountains. Bill Bryson spoke both happily and in disgust of the Smokies in his book A Walk In The Woods. What he thoroughly enjoyed is what we enjoy, a day hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to get away from the hustle and bustle of Knoxville. Original image by bslatas on flickr.
 
Best Billboard – Stephen A. Burroughs. Those eyes! That. Beard.
 
Best Concert Venue – Tennessee Theatre. The fact that The Tennessee Theatre has been called both a Faberge egg of a venue, and wholeheartedly (though filthily) endorsed by the likes of Ron White, what other venue could compare. The Tennessee houses ever sort of event from old movies, comedic performances, Broadway shows, and, best yet, musical concerts. Seeing Shara Worden’s 8-month-pregnant shuffle-dancing during last year’s Big Ears Festival vaulted The Tennessee to the top of the list.
 
Best Radio Station – i105. Coining themselves as Knoxville’s Independent Radio, i105 is the perfect station to tune in while hanging with friends, washing your car or when you’re looking to stream some tunes on your office computer.
 
Best Place to Go at 2AM – Fellini Kroger. The great filmmaker Frederico Fellini said, “I see no line between the imaginary and the real,” and at 2am in the Kroger on Broadway nicknamed after the famous Italian director, you might have a hard time seeing that line as well. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, just go see for yourself.
 
Best Place to Go Sledding – Lakeshore Park. The same hills that will test your lungs on a two mile run are the same hills that make for an epic snow day. While we doubt it will snow again this spring, put Lakeshore on your sledding destination list come winter time.