Arts and entertainment throughout the region

ART The Kingsport Arts Festival will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, in the 100 block of Shelby Street and feature the following events and activities: Chalk art and large canvas finger painting for kids; glassblowing with Ryan Gothrup; iron pour with WNC Sculpture; juggling, music and storytelling; Raku ceramics firing with the Clay Gurus; tie dye festival shirts with Engage Kingsport; and watercolor painting for teens and adults. The festival will also feature more than a dozen local and regional vendors, a gallery crawl and a number of demonstrations by local art groups. CIRCUS The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus will bring its diverse roster of circus, sideshow, vaudeville and variety talent to the Wise County Performing Arts Center at J.W. Adams Combined School in Pound, Virginia, on Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m. The show features jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, vaudevillian novelty, plate spinning, sword swallowing, and other risk-taking feats. Tickets are $20 at the door. Children and students will be admitted free. For more information and to make reservations, please visit proartva.org. CONCERTS Symphony of the Mountains will present "Echoes of Reverie & Light" at East Tennessee State University's Martin Center on Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. For ticket information contact the ETSU Martin Center Box Office at 423-439-2787 or email Tickets@ETSUMartinCenter.org. ••• The Black Jacket Symphony will present Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" at East Tennessee State University's Martin Center on Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information contact the box office at 423-439-2787 or email at Tickets@ETSUMartinCenter.org. DANCE Outdoorsmen, 4535 Highway 11W, Blountville, will host Savage Outlaws on March 20. Line dance from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Potluck at 6:15 p.m. The band plays from 7-10 p.m. Upcoming bands are Julie Williams and the Hired Guns on March 27. DOLL SHOW Doll Sale and Show will be held Saturday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone St. There will be doll appraisals and doll repair available. Free admission and door prizes. For more information call 423-753-0022 or 423-276-5273. GARDENING "Vegetable Gardens" is the subject of the next Gardening Seminar Series set for Saturday, March 21, at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the Community Room and is free to the public. For more information call 423-543-5808. Sponsors are the Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners and Sycamore Shoals State Park. Presenters will be Master Gardeners Ben Hunter, Cameron Coates and David Faller. KAYAK STARGAZING Bays Mountain Park will host Kayak Stargazing from 8-9 p.m. on April 14, 16 and 21, and from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on May 7, 12 and 14. Each program is limited to 20 boats. Participants are required to bring their own kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard and paddling equipment, along with a Type III personal flotation device. You will also be allowed some time to paddle around the lake as you wait for the sky to darken. To register, visit https://bit.ly/4scXg2N. For more information about Bays Mountain Park visit www.baysmountain.com. NATURE 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. PICKLEBALL Kingsport Parks and Recreation is hosting Beginner Pickleball classes every Thursday from 6-7 p.m. through April 9 at the Riverview Park pickleball courts. The classes are for participants ages 14 and up, and the cost is $40 for city residents and $45 for non-city residents. Students will enjoy an instructor-led course covering all aspects of basic pickleball, including the rules of the game, serving, the return serve and dinking. All equipment will be provided. To register, visit https://bit.ly/4kJ01X0. You can also click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the "CivicRec" link, then search for "pickleball" in the search bar. 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. TRAINS The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will host a Spring Blossom Rail Excursion through the scenic Hiwassee River Gorge of East Tennessee on Saturday, May 16. The boarding location is 9406 US Highway 411 in Delano, Tennessee (5.2 miles south of Etowah). Free parking is available at the train loading site. Passengers will start boarding the train in Delano at 11:30 a.m. for a 12:01 p.m. departure. Premium crown and coach tickets are available. Visit www.wataugavalleynrhs.org for more information and to purchase tickets. ••• 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. ••• The Kingsport Model Trains Project operates eight model train layouts in six rooms at the Lynn View Community Center including a 24-by-20 "O" scale representation of the Santa Train. The site is open the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and most Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. To double check, visit the group's Facebook page. The project continues to seek a new home or at a minimum 3,000 to 4,000 square feet of storage until a new home is found. ••• Submit items for Out & About at features@sixriversmedia.com.