Legacy Parks Foundation

10/13/2026

Join us next week for a tree planting day along the SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk! We need your help to plant 37 flowering native trees to add even more color and beauty to the trail! 🌳

We’d love to have you join us!
Thursday, October 22nd from 9am-12pm.

Sign up here ➡ https://treesknoxville.org/event/tree-planting-sokno-rail-trail-and-art-walk/

10/08/2026

10/02/2026

We’re excited to announce another mural currently underway on the SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk! This vibrant mural by artist Anna Charney is located on the back of Kern's Bakery, joining the Shiny Objects mural by Naomi Haverland which was completed last month. Charney's mural design celebrates Tennessee’s botanical beauty, featuring stylized Dogwood, Trillium, Common Milkweed, Blue Iris, Passionflower and Tulip Poplar.

And the art is already expanding beyond the walls! Two large-scale sculptures by Nathan Pierce and Brian Ferriby are now installed along the trail.

You'll see lots of progress in the coming weeks. More sections of trail completed, more murals, more sculptures, and so much more to be excited about!

Learn more about the project at LegacyParks.org.

09/26/2026

"For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

At yesterday’s Legacy Luncheon for the Parks, more than 1,000 friends and supporters gathered to celebrate what we’ve accomplished together — and what’s ahead.

Guest speaker Conor Knighton shared the importance of protecting our natural spaces and the connection these places create — to nature, to one another and to our communities.

Every park created, trail connected, river access improved and acre protected is ultimately about creating places where people can play, explore, connect and enjoy the outdoors for generations to come.

Thank you to our sponsors, friends and everyone that came out to celebrate with us at the beautiful Johnson University campus. Your support makes our work possible.

Here’s to creating more great places to play — for the benefit and enjoyment of our community. 🌳

09/13/2026

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09/11/2026

An exciting start to the Art Walk!

09/08/2026

A new larger-than-life mural is taking shape on the back of Kern's Bakery and it’s pretty spectacular. 🎏

“Shiny Objects” by artist Naomi Haverland is the second mural to be added along the SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk. Inspired by a favorite pastime in East Tennessee and the unexpected beauty of ordinary fishing lures, the mural will use vivid colors, reflective details and trompe l’oeil techniques to make these oversized lures appear to hang right off the building.

It’s exactly the kind of unexpected, playful art we envisioned for the Art Walk. And this is just the beginning! Over the coming months, four large-scale murals and four larger-than-life sculptures will transform the 1.5-mile Art Walk into a vibrant outdoor gallery - along with rail-inspired elements and youth-created art.

See “Shiny Objects” at 2201 Kerns Rising Way and follow along as the SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk comes to life! Opening Fall 2026.

Learn more and follow project updates at LegacyParks.org.

08/26/2026

Help us put the SOKNO in SOKNO!

We’re raising $25,000 to bring 10-foot-tall, iconic metal letters spelling SOKNO to the SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk. Each letter will be transformed into a colorful mural, creating a one-of-a-kind photo opportunity and a signature feature along the Art Walk.

Every gift gets us one step closer to making these larger-than-life letters a reality. Help us reach our $25,000 goal and be part of something that will become a recognizable symbol of South Knoxville for years to come.

Want to help put the SoKno in SoKno? Donate today at https://tinyurl.com/SoKnoArtWalk

08/14/2026

Last week, our friends at The Davey Tree Expert Company generously helped open up another beautiful view at the French Broad Veterans Memorial Park.

We’re grateful to Davey Tree for their generosity and partnership and helping us expand opportunities for the community to experience and enjoy this special place!

08/14/2026