Springtime has finally arrived in East Tennessee and Historic Crescent Bend House & Gardens is proud to announce the calendar of events for the 11th annual TULIPTIME @ CRESCENT BEND festival. 30,000 tulips of various shades of Pink have been planted in the gardens which will serve as the backdrop for a variety of special events and exhibits. The plethora of Pink tulips will make for the perfect setting for the feature event called “Blooms for the Cure” which is a Crescent Bend fundraiser to benefit the Knoxville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in their continuing efforts to raise funds for Breast Cancer research and awareness education. For more information on this featured event and other TULIPTIME events and exhibits please see the detailed descriptions below.

Crescent Bend High Teas: (April 2nd, 6th, 8th, 13th, & 14th, 2010)
  Come and enjoy the elegant pleasure of partaking in a formal High Tea and take the tour of the house museum and gardens were 30,000 tulips will be in bloom. Special entertainment will also be provided during tea time. Tea time is at 2:00pm. Cost is $22.00 per person and includes the price of admission to tour the house museum and gardens. Guest may choose to tour the house and gardens before or after the tea. To make tea reservations please call Crescent Bend at 865-637-3163. For groups of 30 or more guest’s additional dates and tea times can be arrange at any time of the year.

Riverboat Luncheon Cruises: (Saturday’s April 3rd, 10th, 19th, 22nd, & 24th, 2010)
  The cruise will board the Star of Knoxville Riverboat at Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville. Guest can enjoy a delicious lunch on the way to Crescent Bend. Upon arrival guest will have an hour to tour the house and gardens. Coffee and desert will be served on the return trip. Cost is $29.95 per person, or $16.95 for children, plus tax for the Luncheon Cruise and $19.95 per person, or $11.95 for children, plus tax for sightseeing only. Admission price to tour Crescent Bend is included. For more information and to make reservations call the Tennessee Riverboat Company at 865-525-7827.

Funny Bunny Day @ Crescent Bend: (Saturday, April 3rd, 2010) (10:00am until 4:00pm)
  Bring the entire family and hop on over to Crescent Bend House & Gardens and enjoy a wonderful day with the Easter Bunny in the garden who will bound around playing with children and delivering his eggs filled with candy and “jokes”. Refreshments and Punch will be served. Activities for the kids include an Easter Egg Hunt and Arts & Crafts. With the abundance of blooming tulips in the garden makes Crescent Bend a great place to make a family Easter picture. Standard admission charges apply. Call Crescent Bend at 865-637-3163 for more information.

Picnic @ Crescent Bend: (March 25th – April 25th, 2010)
  Every Tuesday through Friday during TulipTime you can have a leisure box lunch picnic at Crescent Bend. Picnic tables have been placed in various locations throughout the garden. Guest will have a choice of Sandwich, Side Salad, Dessert, and Beverage. The picnic lunch will be ready by 12 noon each day. Cost is $15.00 per person or $10.00 for children age 12 and under. The price includes the admission to tour Crescent Bend. Reservations are required. Please call Crescent Bend at 865-637-3163 at least 24hrs.in advance to place your order.

Historic House Museums of Knoxville Bus Tours: (Saturday, April 17th, 2010)
  As an official activity of the Dogwood Arts Festival, the Historic House Museums of Knoxville will conduct two 3-hour bus tours on Saturday, April 17th, 2010. The two tours will be divided into a Morning and Afternoon tour. The Morning Tour, (9:00am -12:00pm), will begin at Blount Mansion, with stops at The Mabry-Hazen House, and Crescent Bend House & Gardens. The Afternoon Tour, (1:00pm – 4:00pm), will begin at James White’s Fort, with stops at Ramsey House Plantation, and Marble Springs Historic Farmstead.

    Each tour will have step-on tour guides who will discuss additional points of interest, history, and will point out historic landmarks in and around Knoxville. The tour will stop at each historic house museum on the route so that guests may tour the historic homes, grounds, and gardens. An hour in-between the morning and afternoon has been created so guest may have lunch if they wish to do both tours. Free parking is available at both Blount Mansion for the morning tour and James White’s Fort for the afternoon tour. Seating is limited and reservations are required. The cost is $20.00 per person per tour. For more information and to purchase tickets please call 865-523-7521 or go online at www.KnoxTix.com.

Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon @ Crescent Bend: (Wednesday April 21st, 2010) (12:00pm)
  Administrative Professionals Day recognizes and celebrates the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, and other office professionals for their growing and diverse contributions to the workplace. Let Crescent Bend serve your administrative staff a wonderful lunch to show them how much their efforts are appreciated. Before or after the luncheon they can enjoy a tour of the historic house museum and botanical gardens where 30,000 tulips will be in bloom. Each attendee will receive a gift bag full of unique gifts and mementos. Cost is $24.95 per person. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Tickets may be purchased by calling 865-523-7521 or go online to www.KnoxTix.com. For more information please call Crescent Bend at 865-637-3163.

Dogwood Retrospective Limited Edition Print Exhibit: (March 25th – May 1st, 2010)
  Come see some of East Tennessee’s finest works of art that will be showcased at Crescent Bend House & Gardens during the Dogwood Arts Festival. Many of the prints are still available for purchase. For more information on The Dogwood Arts Festival and the Limited Edition Prints one can go to www.dogwoodarts.com or call 865-637-4561.

Barbershop Quartet Exhibit: (March 25th – May 1st, 2010)
  Come see Crescent Bend exhibit display room filled with historical mementos that tells the story of local Knoxville Barber Shop Quartet groups. Live performance will be held at Crescent Bend on Saturday April 10th, 2010 for the “Blooms for the Cure” event and on Saturday May 1st, 2010 for “Derby Day @ Crescent Bend” event. Call Crescent Bend at 865-637-3163 for more information.

***Featured Event*** “Blooms for the Cure”: (Saturday April 10th, 2010) (10:00am until 4:00pm)
  30,000 Tulips of various shades of Pink will serve as the backdrop for this day long special event as Crescent Bend raises funds for the Knoxville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in their continuing efforts to raise funds for Breast Cancer research and awareness education.

  Activities for the day will include informal modeling of the latest fashions, a pink flower show, shopping for ladies Spring and Summer dresses, make-up touch up’s and giveaways by Estee Lauder Cosmetics, gardening lectures on container gardening and tulip planting, Barber Shop quartet singers, antebellum period dressed docents will give guided tour of the museum, door prizes and various other activities. In addition, Patricia Frankum, a well-known Milliner from Indiana, will be selling Ladies hats that would be suitable for wearing to a Kentucky Derby Day event or other such type of spring or summer social gathering. A portion of the hat sales will also be contributed to the cause.

  Picnic lunch will be served in the garden with a variety of very delicious cupcakes, cheesecakes, chocolates, candies and pink cotton candy for dessert. Each attendee of the event will receive either an “In Honor of” or an “In Memory of” marker that can be personalized and placed among the pink tulips in the garden. Cost is $50.00 per person. Ticket may be purchased by calling 865-523-7521 or by go online to www.KnoxTix.com. For more information please call Crescent Bend at 865-637-3163.

General Description of Crescent Bend House & Gardens:
  Historic Crescent Bend House & Gardens is one of the Southeast finest house museums and gardens. Built in 1834 by Drury Paine Armstrong, Crescent Bend was once a 900 acre working farm and so named for its prominent setting overlooking a majestic crescent bend in the Tennessee River just west of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee.

  The Armstrong-Lockett House Museum at Crescent Bend contains an extensive fine antique art and furniture collection from notable artisans like Michael Allison, Honore Launnier, Benjamin Frothingham, Samuel McIntire, and Sir Thomas Lawrence. Also on display is an outstanding American and English Silver collection dating back to the 16th century with eminent silversmiths like Paul de Lamerie, Paul Storr, and seven women silversmiths that includes the works of Elizabeth Godfrey and Hester Bateman. Visitors will be able to discover the mystery behind the hidden trap door of this historic home and hear the tale of how the Jean Zuber wallpaper made its’ travels to Crescent Bend by the way of a United States President and a Pirate.

  The William P. Toms Memorial Garden at Crescent Bend is a three-acre formal Italian terraced pleasure garden that overlooks the Tennessee River. Visitors can stroll among the nine terraced gardens of Japanese Maples, Roses, Conifers, Perennials and thousands of colorful blooming annuals that are set to the backdrop of the dancing waters from five large fountains.

  Hours: One can visit Crescent Bend House & Gardens Tuesday through Friday from 10:00am until 4:00pm, Saturday 10:00am until 2:00pm, and Sunday 1:00pm until 4:00pm. (Closed Easter Sunday).

  Location: From either West or East Interstate 40/75 through Downtown Knoxville take exit 386B to Alcoa Highway (US129). Proceed 1/2 mile and take the Kingston Pike (US 11/70) exit. From the exit ramp turn right to proceed West on Kingston Pike. Crescent Bend is located at 2728 Kingston Pike 500 yards west from Alcoa Highway.

  Admission: General Admission to tour the house museum and gardens is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students, children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. A $2.00 discount on an Adult admission is given to AAA, AARP, & Knox Heritage members.