The 2019 Big Ears Festival— billed as "effortlessly crossing the boundaries of musical genres as well as artistic disciplines"—is this week in downtown Knoxville.
From Thursday to Sunday, Knoxville will host musicians and artists from a variety of genresand attract fans from around the globe.
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Big Ears is a collection of concerts, film screenings, art displays, panels, workshops and other activities during its four-day run.
Some of the lineup includes the Punch Brothers,Animal Collective frontmanAvey Tare,Béla Fleck,Spirtualized, Nils Frahm, Bill Frisell, Rhiannon Giddens and others.
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Here's what you need to know about Big Ears, including passes, venues, parking and restaurants.
Big Ears weekend and daily pass options
Big Ears offers several pass and ticket options for admission to the festival. The box office is at the Emporium Center on100 S. Gay St.
Weekend passes, which include admission to all four days of the festival, are still available in two categories since the Premier Weekend passes have sold out.
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The General Admission Weekend Pass costs $225 and includes access to all Big Ears concerts, screeners and venues. If all tickets are purchased in the GA Weekend Pass first tier, they will increase to $250.
The Sonic Explorer VIP Weekend Pass includes everything the GA Weekend Pass has along with access to "no wait" lines, special entrances, preferred seating, advance notice of secret shows and invitations to special Big Ears events.VIP passes cost $650.
Daily passes also have two categories: General Admission and Premier.
Daily GA passes include admission to all Big Ears concerts, screeners and venues on a specific day, and Premier passes have those perks and "jump to the front line access," according to Big Ears website.
Thursday and Sunday Daily GA passes cost $65, and Friday and Saturday GA passes cost $75, according to Big Ears' website.
Thursday and Sunday Premiere passes cost $95, and Friday and Saturday Premier passes are sold out.
Passes are available atbigearsfestival.org/tickets.
Free Big Ears events
Don't want to spend money on tickets or passes? Each year, Big Ears offers some free festival experiences to the publicso everyone can get a taste of what the event has to offer.
The Pilot will host four days of free music during the festival. For a lineup, visitbigearsfestival.org.
Other free performances will take place at Old City Javaduring the festival'sAmpient Brunch events. They will go from 10 a.m.- noon on Friday to Sunday and feature local musicians who will provide ambient music, according to Big Ears' website.
Big Ears 2019 venues
Big Ears events will take place inside several downtown Knoxville venues.Here's a list of them in alphabetical order with addresses.
- Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria, 200 E. Jackson Ave.
- Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay St.
- Boyd's Jig & Reel, 101 S. Central St.
- Church Street United Methodist Church, 900 Henley St.
- Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St.
- Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Drive
- The Mill & Mine, 227 W. Depot Ave.
- Old City Java, 109 S. Central St.
- The Pilot Light, 106 E. Jackson Ave.
- Regal Riviera Cinema 8, 510 S. Gay St.
- The Square Room, 4 Market Square
- The Standard, 416 W. Jackson Ave.
- St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Ave.
- Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St.
- UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St.
- Visit Knoxville Visitors Center, 301 S. Gay St.
Big Ears venue map
If you aren't from Knoxville or you need a refresher on where these downtown venues are, take a look at this map below.
Where to park in downtown Knoxville
Downtown Knoxville has several garages and parking lots that festival attendees can use.
Here's a list with some options that are free during nights and weekends and what Big Ears venues they are close to.
- State Street Garage, 500 State St.,close to Tennessee Theatre, Regal Riviera, The Square Room and Visit Knoxville.
- Dwight Kessel Garage, 900 State St., close to Bijou Theatre andSt. John's Episcopal Cathedral.
- Market Square Garage, 402 Walnut St., close to The Square Room, Regal Riviera,Tennessee Theatre and Visit Knoxville.
- Locust Street Garage, 540 Locust St., close to St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, Tennessee Theatre, The Square Room and Regal Riviera.
- Jackson Avenue Lot, 400 W. Jackson Ave., close to The Standard, Emporium Center, UT Downtown Gallery, Boyd's Jig & Reel and Old City Java.
- City-County Building Garage, 400 Main St., close to Church Street United Methodist, Knoxville Museum of Art, Bijou Theatre and St. John's Cathedral.
- Old City Public Parking, 298 E. Jackson Ave., close to Barley's, Boyd's Jig & Reel, Old City Java, the Pilot Light and the Mill & Mine.
While all of the Big Ears venues are in walking distance, you don't have to walk everywhere after you've parked.
Knoxville Area Transit has a free trolley system with three routes available in downtown Knoxville.For more information on the specific routes, visitkatbus.com/178/Free-Trolley.
Where to eat in downtown Knoxville
With all the walking that music festivals demand, you're going to need to refuel.
Downtown Knoxville has restaurants that will satisfy many cravings.
Want gourmet burgers? Try out Stock & Barrel or Not Watson's in Market Square.
You'll find several varieties of tacos at ChivoTaqueria and BabaluTapas and Tacos on Gay Street and Tako Taco, which is next to the Mill & Mine.
Asian flavors can be found at Kaizen on Clinch Avenue, Nama Sushi Bar on Gay Street and Kabuki in Market Square.
Don't forget to get your fix of comfort food either. Make sure to stop at Pete's Coffee Shop on Union Avenue for breakfast or lunch and get some ice cream at Cruze Farm on Gay Street.
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