First Friday Was More than a Christmas Parade



Gay Street, Knoxville, December 2010

I usually try to talk a bit about each First Friday downtown and I really kind of blew past it this time because it also happened to be the night of the Christmas Parade. While Gay Street was packed for that event, it is also true that other events were held all around.



Krutch Park, Knoxville, December 2010

Krutch Park was beautifully illuminated, art exhibits filled the 100 block and ice skaters crowded into the rink on Market Square.



Ice Skating on Market Square, Knoxville, December 2010

There is an interesting recent blog post on Blue Streak about the ice rink. It appears not everyone is delighted with having it in the middle of Market Square and that some sentiment is building to have it in Krutch Park Extension. It makes sense to me, though it would mean replanting the grass in that part of Krutch Park each year. But for this year, it is where it is and most evenings it is busy. Tonight when I walked by, it wasn't so busy, but then, I can't say it looked very appealing to me on a twenty degree Knoxville evening.

Outdoor Dining, Cafe Four, Knoxville 2010

There were also outdoor diners, which might seem surprising since it was a pretty cold night. A number of downtown restaurants actually have heaters installed in their awnings, providing enough warmth to enjoy the outdoors even in the winter without freezing to death. We do like to eat outside. Yes we do.