🎅 Your cheat sheet to this weekend’s festive chaos

If brunch is your love language, Ruby Sunshine speaks it fluently, especially this time of year.

Their kitchen turns out tens of thousands of those cloud-soft, handmade biscuits weekly, each one crowned with cane-syrup butter that feels downright celebratory.

Seasonal specials sweeten the deal, from white-chocolate cranberry beignets to grillades over smoked-gouda grits, plus a warming dirty chai latte. It’s the festive brunch stop that makes Knoxville feel like home for the holidays.

Glitterville sits right in the heart of Knoxville, but stepping inside feels like you’ve wandered into a world dipped in sugar and sparkle.

This season the studio store is open on Fridays and Saturdays, and it’s overflowing with Baby Papa ornaments, whimsical character art, porcelain candle holders, and those famous tree skirts everyone raves about.

The place lifts your spirits the second the doorbell jingles, like a little burst of joy on a chilly day. If you love bold color and playful holiday décor, this shop delivers it with Tennessee pride.

The Gist: After 18 months of detours and waiting, the historic Gay Street Bridge is officially open again, this time for pedestrians and cyclists only. City leaders reopened the 127-year-old bridge following a $2.7 million stabilization project that wrapped up on time and under budget. The work also refreshed the north entrance with new landscaping, benches, and green space, turning a traffic-heavy corner into a more welcoming plaza.

Why It Matters:
The bridge reconnects downtown Knoxville and the South Waterfront in a safer, more relaxed way that fits how people move today. A larger public celebration is planned for January.

The Gist: On a cool December morning, city leaders and garden supporters gathered at the Knoxville Botanical Garden to celebrate completed repairs to the historic Howell Family Home. Built in 1929, the house now safely serves as the garden’s visitor center, gift shop, and offices after critical roof, masonry, and foundation work. Phase 1 was made possible through a city grant, matching funds, and private donations.

Why It Matters: This beloved East Knoxville landmark is preserved and welcoming visitors year round once again.

Meet Ray Charles, a spirited 2-year-old Doberman.

He proves that vision impairment can't dim a bright personality! This 80-pound bundle of joy loves people, gets along well with medium to large dogs, and has mastered basic commands like "sit" and navigating stairs.

Ray adores walks, water hoses, and carrying his beloved balls everywhere. He's house trained, crate trained, and ready to bring endless entertainment to an adult-only home without cats.

To learn more about this handsome boy...