Insider’s guide to Knoxville

An electric energy filled the bass fishing world when Knoxville, Tenn., was announced as the host city for this year’s GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. The venue, at the headwaters of the hallowed Tennessee River, would be a Classic first. The weigh-in site, at the palatial Thompson-Boling Arena, would be located just steps away from the takeoff ramp. And the city itself gave bass fishing fans from the Southeast, Midwest and East Coast an easy-to-reach destination for three full days in mid-March.

By now, thousands of B.A.S.S. fans have booked their rooms and planned their routes to Knoxville for the world’s grandest fishing tournament. With three days to soak in the sites, Tennessee’s third largest city offers plenty of opportunities for a break in between the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, takeoffs and weigh-ins.

Here are 13 things to do in Knoxville during the Bassmaster Classic.

1. Explore the Sunsphere and the Bassmaster Classic Expo Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods

The 2019 Expo will cover more than 220,000 square feet across two venues: the Knoxville Convention Center and the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall. The 266-foot tall Sunsphere bridges the gap between the two Expo venues. Created in 1982 for the World’s Fair, this giant, gold ball measures over 86.5 feet in diameter and serves as a microscopic replica of the 865,000-mile diameter of the sun.

Make a pitstop at the observation deck, open 9 a.m.—10 p.m. each day.

2. Grab a cup of Joe at Pete’s Coffee Shop

Pete’s family-owned diner has been a Knoxville institution since 1986. Conveniently located just a five minute walk from the Expo, this All-American restaurant serves a mean cup of coffee and a full breakfast menu until 11 a.m. That makes it the perfect rendezvous point for late risers headed to the Expo, or early birds coming from the launch.

3. Find brunch in the Old City

OliBea opened in Knoxvlle’s Old City in 2014, and leans on local farms for key ingredients in breakfast tacos, carnitas tostada, squash bowls (complete with duck egg) and sorghum-topped chicken biscuits. OliBea opens on Friday at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on the weekend.

4. Visit the nicest place in America for lunch

Yassin’s falafel house sits two blocks east of the Expo at the corner of Church Avenue and Walnut Street. In October of 2018, it was named the nicest place in America by Reader’s Digest. Just $12 will buy you almost about anything on the menu here, from chickpea balls to pitas — both a welcome break from the typical concession stand.

5. Meet the Elites

The Expo is one of the best places in the country to meet Bassmaster Elite Series pros. Bill Lowen, Harvey Horne, Brock Mosley, Clark Wendlandt, Jay Yelas, Jesse Tacorante, Brad Whatley, Keith Combs, Shane Linerberger and Scott Canterbury will all be available from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. on Friday outside of the Knoxville Convention Center. If you miss them there, you can find them working all weekend at the Expo.

6. Blend bassin’ and brews

Balter Beerworks is a gas station turned brewery that opened its doors in 2016 in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Brewers range from house-made ales and lagers to a coffee oatmeal porter dubbed the Bear Blend. Cocktails and wine are also available for the non-beer crowd.

Didn’t get your fill at Balter’s? Knoxville is home to nearly two dozen breweries. Wander over the Printshop Brewery just south of the Tennessee River, or grab an expertly-crafted cocktail at The Corner Lounge. You can pick your favorite from the expert list at KnoxBrewTours.com.

7. Attend an unforgettable weigh-in

The doors at Thompson Boling Arena open at 3 p.m. for B.A.S.S. Life and Nation members. The general public can gain entry at 3:15 p.m. each day. Held in the 20,000-seat home of the University of Tennessee men’s and women’s basketball programs, Thompson Boling is poised to fill with raucous crowds of B.A.S.S. fans, even as the Vols and Lady Vols find themselves elsewhere for a weekend.

8. Get to know the Urban Wilderness

If city life has you aching for the outdoors, Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness has the cure. This 500-acre wildlife area hosts 50 miles of trails and greenways for hiking, biking and reconnecting with fresh air. Pair a visit with a trip to Ijams Nature Center, where you rent a road or mountain bike, spend a few hours on a kayak or explore the forest canopy on a zipline.

9. Dig into Asian cuisine at Kaizen

In some aspects, Tennessee cuisine is a victim of its own success. The Volunteer State has a well-earned reputation for barbeque, but Knoxville has undergone a food renaissance this decade. The low-key atmosphere at Kaizen is the perfect example of this. Kaizen’s menu offers an ever-changing variety of asian fusion foods alongside house specialties like pork belly fried rice, hot and sour duck noodles and takoyaki — a Japanese octopus fritter with pickled ginger, mayo and takoyaki sauce.

10. Grab a handmade pizza at Barley’s

Some of the city’s best post weigh-in pizza can be found at Barley’s. You’ll find the well-known Knoxville taproom on South Central Street, about 5 minutes from Thompson Boling Arena by car or Uber. Barley’s lays claim to sourdough or wheat dough pizzas that are made from scratch when you order. Scope out the Georgia Dry Rub, Brussel Crow or Barley-Q for a flavor you’re unlikely to find at home.

11. Taste the roots of Appalachia at J.C. Holdway

What happens when you live your entire life as a bachelor? You never cook. J.C. Holdway was named for a man who ate out for nearly every meal his entire life, only returning to restaurants that gave him the best service. Chef Joseph Lenn is a James Beard award winner who, inspired by his uncle J.C.’s legacy, set out to build an old school, Appalachia restaurant that would do his uncle proud.

J.C. Holdway serves up ribeye, smoked trout, catfish and pork specialities — most of which come from a wood-fired oven that nods to the restaurant’s roots in the nearby mountains.

12. Relive classic movies at Central Cinema

Knoxville’s Central Cinema is unique among movie theaters for offering no tickets to any current blockbusters on the silver screen. Depending on your taste, that could be a good thing. Each week, Central Cinema hand picks a selection of vintage films like American Psycho, Ferngully and Lost in Translation. Entry is just $10.

13. Make time for takeoff

It’s impossible to understate the energy of a Bassmaster Classic takeoff. Anglers will depart from Volunteer Landing each morning, and while the weigh-in peaks on the final day of fishing, the blast off is most impressive when the full field is even at the start of Day 1.

If you’re a fan of bass fishing, do yourself a favor and make time to attend a takeoff. And hey, if you’ve got a few hours to kill before the Expo opens, you now know where to look.