Arts and entertainment throughout the region

ART Kingsport is seeking local artists to hand-paint five storm drains within the city to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our rivers, stream habitat and aquatic wildlife. To enter the contest, send a color sketch of your proposed artwork to: Amanda McMullen, Water Services Center, 1113 Konnarock Road, Kingsport, TN 37664 or AmandaMcMullen@KingsportTN.gov. The deadline to submit entries is Aug. 8. The five winning artists will receive $150 each. Fischman Gallery is hosting its fifth annual Juneteenth exhibit celebrating local and regional Black artists through June 28. Fischman Gallery is located at 133 N. Commerce St., Johnson City. The exhibit is free and open to the public, and the entrance is accessible. Hours are Monday through Wednesday 1-4 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call 423-430-4881. Kingsport's 15th Sculpture Walk has been installed and is ready for the public to enjoy. The Sculpture Walk is a program where the city leases sculptures from artists across the country to put on display within the city. This year, Kingsport Cultural Arts has brought five new sculptures to the city. The sculptures can be found along the Kingsport Greenbelt by the Holston River. Fischman Gallery is accepting entries for the 2026 "International FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social & Politically Engaged Art," which will be on exhibit Aug. 7 through Sept. 27. An opening reception will be held Aug. 7, and an awards reception will take place Sept. 4. Fischman Gallery is located at 133 N Commerce St. in Johnson City. The call for entries is open through June 23 and requires a non-refundable fee of $40 for submission of up to three entries, with an additional fee of $10 per artwork/title over three. The extended deadline is June 24-30, with non-refundable entry fee of $45 for up to three pieces plus $10 per additional artwork/title. For more information call 423-430-8441. Melinda Fritts is the latest exhibiting artist at The Circle Gallery. Fritts is a painter best known locally for creating work in the presence of live music — setting up among the crowd and painting bands as they perform. The Circle Gallery is located on the first floor of Kingsport City Hall, 415 Broad St. Fritts' exhibit will be on display through June 16. BIRDING Birding in the Gap will be held on the second Saturday of June and November at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Sessions are planned for June 13 and Nov. 14 from 9-11 a.m. Led by knowledgeable park rangers and enthusiastic volunteers, this series is designed for bird lovers of all experience levels. We'll meet at the museum's front gate and set out together to explore the beautiful museum grounds and the scenic Powell River greenbelt in Big Stone Gap. This easy, accessible walk is a perfect way to enjoy nature while discovering the fascinating world of birds. The program takes place rain or shine, so please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Binoculars are welcome but are not required. No registration is needed. For more details about the "Birding in the Gap" series, contact the park at 276-523-1322. CONCERTS June Jams with the Kingsport Community Band will be held Thursday, June 18, at 7 p.m. in the park behind the Old Deery Inn, 3425 Highway 126, Blountville. The Larry Prevatte Memorial Duffield Jam is held on the first, third and fifth Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at the Thomas Village Community Center, 355 Cecil D. Quillen Drive in Duffield, Virginia. For more information call 276-431-1083. Twilight Alive concerts have returned to downtown Kingsport. The free concerts take place in the 100 block of Broad Street on Friday nights beginning at 7 p.m. The concert lineup is: KP and the Classics on June 19; Hooch – Music on the Rocks on June 26; Grand Funk Railroad with opener Nashville Yacht Club Band (on Main Street as part of Kingsport's Red, White and BOOM Independence Day Celebration) on July 4; Departure: The Journey Tribute Band on July 10; and Fun Fest's Broad Street Boogie presents Sons of Sailors: a Jimmy Buffett cover band (start time at 8 p.m. or following the Fun Fest Parade) on July 17. The Lakeside Concert Series has returned to Winged Deer Park's Goulding Amphitheatre. The concerts take place from 7-9 p.m. every Thursday in June at the amphitheater, located at 199 Carroll Creek Road in Johnson City. The concert lineup is From the Edge on June 18, and The Legacy Motown Revue on June 25. Admission is free and open to all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Fridays After 5 summer concerts, hosted by Downtown Johnson City's Main Street Program, offers free, family-friendly fun. The series is held in King Commons, 112 N. Commerce St., Friday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in June and July. The concert schedule is as follows: June 19 — The Maggie Valley Band; June 26 — Florencia and the Feeling; July 10 — Donnie and the Dry Heavers; July 17 — Isaac Hadden; July 24 — Crawford and Power; and July 31 — Charlie Maples. The Black Jacket Symphony will present Def Leppard's "Hysteria" at East Tennessee State University's Martin Center on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, contact the ETSU Martin Center Box Office at 423-439-2787. The Temptations and The Four Tops will perform at East Tennessee State University's Martin Center on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, contact the ETSU Martin Center Box Office at 423-439-2787. CORNHOLE Cornhole Tournaments will be held at the Johnson City Elks Lodge at the upstairs lounge every Monday at 6:30 p.m. for six weeks starting June 15 . The lounge is located at 121 W. Adams St. (corner of North Boone and West Adams) in Johnson City. DANCE Outdoorsmen, 4535 Highway 11W, Blountville, will host Crossroads Band on June 19 and Nightshift on June 26. Line dance from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Potluck at 6:15 p.m. The band plays from 7-10 p.m. FARMERS MARKET Johnson City Farmers Market, located at 105 W. Main St., will be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. through Oct. 31. Jonesborough Farmers Market, located behind the courthouse on East Main Street, will be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon except during Jonesborough Days and the Storytelling Festival through Oct. 31. Kingsport Farmers Market, located at 308 Clinchfield St., will be open on Saturdays through the end of November and on Wednesdays through the end of September. The hours are from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until produce and products are sold out. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, artisan crafts, and fresh flowers, the market will feature programs including Market Jams (live music monthly), Saturdays with the Chef, National Farmers Market Week/Tomato Fest, and the Fall Festival. NATURE An exhibit at The Nature Center at Steele Creek Park in Bristol is examining plant and animal species that originated elsewhere and now pose harm to the region's native wildlife. "Aliens Among Us: Non-Native Invasive Species in the Park" is open in the Lakeview Gallery at The Nature Center each Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1-6 p.m. For more information, call 423-989-5616. Bays Mountain Park has an interactive exhibit in the Nature Center titled "Discover Our Appalachian Highlands Home." The exhibit features a large lake diorama with various mammals, reptiles, birds and aquatic life native to our region. The exhibit also includes information panels and interactive sensory stations. For more information about Bays Mountain Park and its programs, events and activities, visit www.baysmountain.com. PLANETARIUM Bays Mountain Park's latest planetarium show is "Living Worlds" — a look at how life makes Earth livable and how we might detect life on worlds beyond our solar system. "Living Worlds" debuted May 1 and will continue showing as the main feature in the Planetarium Theater through Aug. 30. The 25-minute program is being shown daily at noon and 4 p.m. The program will be followed by a brief tour of the current evening sky. The alternate planetarium feature showing Saturdays and Sunday at 2 p.m. through June 30 will be "Appalachian Skies." PROJECT FRIENDSHIP Project Friendship by the Kingsport Altrusa Club is continuing its meet-and-greet events at Shooters Billiards in Kingsport on the second and fourth Fridays at 6 p.m. This event is for anyone who works from home, is new to the area, or just doesn't get out often. It's a low-key way to meet others and have fun! Text to 423-384-0425 for more information. REUNION Army Reserve 80th Division, Abingdon and Bristol units, reunion and picnic will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, from noon until 7 p.m. at Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol, Virginia, at Shelter "D." Bring your favorite picnic foods. Soft drinks will be provided. (If you are in contact with prior members please remind them.) SCIENCE Hands On! Discovery Center is an all-ages science center that offers a guest experience that includes fun, interactive programs and immersive, STEM-based exhibits for the whole family as well as exhibits and information about the Gray Fossil Site, an active fossil dig site dating back 5 million years. Tickets may be purchased at https://visithandson.org/tickets. SWIM The Kingsport Aquatic Center's outdoor water park will be open daily through July 31, and then weekends only in August and September until Labor Day. The outdoor water park is open weather permitting, while the indoor facility will be open during most inclement weather. Outdoor water park hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. For information on season passes, call 423-343-9758. Johnson City's Legion Street Pool will be open daily through Aug. 1 and will be open weekends only Aug. 2 through Sept. 6 (closed Labor Day). Pool hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m. For more information call 423-900-7902. Wetlands Water Park in Jonesborough is open for the season. For more information call 423-753-1553. The Riverview Splash Pad, 1101 Martin Luther Jr. Drive, Kingsport, and the Healthy Place Splash Pad, 875 W. Industry Drive, Kingsport, are open for the summer season. Both splash pads will be active from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day during the summer through Labor Day. The splash pad can be turned on during these hours by rubbing a silver activator pad located near the attraction. THEATER The Bonnie Kate Theater, 115 S. Sycamore St., Elizabethton, will present "Steel Magnolias" through June 21 as the inaugural production under the new Elizabethton Community Theatre banner. For more information call 423-895-1762. Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present "The Savannah Sipping Society" through Aug. 8. In this comedy, four very different Southern women, all strangers, are drawn together by an impromptu Happy Hour and decide it's high time to reclaim the excitement their lives once held. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com. Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present "The da Vinci Code," based on Dan Brown's international bestseller, through Aug. 8. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com. Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will present the musical "Guys and Dolls" through Aug. 9. This great American musical comedy features hits like "A Bushel and a Peck" and "Luck Be a Lady" and tells a story of romance, adventure, second chances, and the transformative power of love. For ticket information call 276-628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com. Theatre Bristol will present "Grease" June 19-28 at the Paramount Bristol, 518 State St., Bristol, Virginia. Performance times are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. For ticket information or to make reservations visit ParamountBristol.org/Grease or call 423-212-3625. TRAINS The Chuckey Depot Railroad Museum in Jonesborough is open free of charge, but donations are appreciated. The depot is located at 110 S. Second Ave. in Jonesborough. Museum hours are: March through September: Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. October through February: Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit Jonesborough.com or call 423-753-1010. Submit items for Out & About at features@sixriversmedia.com.