🧭 Hundred-Mile Happenings: Hear an Irish Fiddle Legend in Chattanooga, Meet an Astronaut in Oak Ridge, Watch The Grinch Inside a Cave, Eat Pancakes With Santa in Winchester and Fill a Box at a 20,000-Cookie Walk

Or: Six Fresh Outings From Now Into Early December, From a Fiddle Night to a Christmas Movie 58 Degrees Underground

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Thursday, November 12, 2026

Howdy, neighbor. Here are six outings we haven’t told you about before. On Monday night, Nov. 16, Irish fiddle great Frankie Gavin plays a small Chattanooga stage, Barking Legs Theater. On Thursday, Nov. 19, astronaut Hayley Arceneaux signs books and tells her story at Oak Ridge’s American Museum of Science and Energy. On Saturday, Nov. 21, Cherokee Caverns near Knoxville shows The Grinch inside a real cave. The day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 27, Santa eats pancakes with families in Winchester. And on Saturday, Dec. 5, Oak Ridge’s 1945 Flattop House dresses up for Christmas while a Knoxville church sells nearly 20,000 homemade cookies. What it means for you: there’s a night out for music lovers, a great field trip for curious kids and four easy ways to start the holidays.

⏱️ Your 30-second trip list

• Mon., Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 our time): Frankie Gavin, Irish fiddle, Barking Legs Theater, Chattanooga. Tickets: check before you go.
• Thu., Nov. 19, 4–5 p.m. signing, 6 p.m. talk Eastern (3–4 and 5 p.m. our time): Meet Astronaut Hayley Arceneaux, American Museum of Science and Energy, Oak Ridge.
• Sat., Nov. 21, five showings from 11 a.m. Eastern (10 a.m. our time): Movie in the Cave: The Grinch, Cherokee Caverns. $15; ages 3 and under free. Buy ahead.
• Fri., Nov. 27, 10 a.m.–noon Central: Brunch With Santa, 200 2nd Ave. NW, Winchester. $10 pancake plate.
• Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Eastern (9–3 our time): A Flattop Home for the Holidays, Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. Adults $15, kids 2–17 $12.
• Sat., Dec. 5, starts 9 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. our time): Cookie Walk & Craft Fair, Faith Lutheran Church, Knoxville. $20 a box.

📝 The one thing to remember: Chattanooga, Oak Ridge and Knoxville run on Eastern time. They’re an hour ahead of us, so a 7:30 p.m. fiddle show is 6:30 p.m. in Dunlap, and a 9 a.m. cookie sale is 8 a.m. our time. Winchester is on Central, same as your kitchen clock.

🎻 Hear Irish Fiddle Legend Frankie Gavin Up Close at Barking Legs

If you love old-time fiddle, this is a rare treat on a Monday night. Frankie Gavin from County Galway is one of the best-known living Irish musicians. He was a founding member of the band De Dannan, and he wrote “Alice’s Reel,” a tune fiddlers everywhere now play. At 17, he won the All-Ireland fiddle and flute championships on the same day. He has even played with the Rolling Stones and with banjo great Earl Scruggs. Barking Legs is a small theater, so every seat is close to the music.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Monday, Nov. 16, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Eastern, which is 6:30–8:30 p.m. our time.
• Where: Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., Chattanooga.
• How far: About 45 miles, roughly 55 minutes by way of Signal Mountain or U.S. 127. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: The ticket page doesn’t show a price in plain text; one listing showed about $27. Check before you go.
• Who’ll love it: Bluegrass and old-time fans who want to hear where some of those tunes came from, and anyone who taps a foot to a good reel.
• Good to know: He’ll play as a duo with a guest accompanist. Questions: Barking Legs, 423-624-LEGS. It’s a school night, so plan on getting home around 9:30 our time.

👉 Read more (Barking Legs — Frankie Gavin: Traditional Irish Fiddle Music)

🚀 Shake Hands With an Astronaut at Oak Ridge’s Science Museum

Here’s a story worth hearing in person. Hayley Arceneaux beat childhood cancer and grew up to fly in space. On Thursday, Nov. 19, she visits the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) in Oak Ridge for a book signing and photos, followed by a talk about her journey. Museum educators also plan special learning activities all day, so it can be a full field-trip day for homeschoolers and grandkids.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Thursday, Nov. 19. Book signing and photos 4–5 p.m. Eastern (3–4 p.m. our time); presentation at 6 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. our time).
• Where: American Museum of Science and Energy, 115 E. Main St., Oak Ridge, Tenn.
• How far: About 100 miles, roughly 2 hours by way of Pikeville and Kingston. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: The museum’s event page doesn’t list a price. Check before you go by calling AMSE at 865-294-4531.
• Who’ll love it: Space-loving kids, cancer survivors and their families, and anyone who needs a little hope this season.
• Good to know: If you want a signed book or a photo, aim for the 4 p.m. Eastern start. Lines can form at signings.

👉 Read more (American Museum of Science and Energy — Events)

🎬 Watch The Grinch Inside a Real Cave at Cherokee Caverns

This one is downright one-of-a-kind. Volunteers at Historic Cherokee Caverns, just west of Knoxville, show a Christmas movie in a “Theatre Room” deep inside the cave, among the stalactites and stalagmites. This month’s feature is The Grinch, the Jim Carrey version. Your ticket also includes a self-guided walk through the cave before or after the movie, and there are hot dogs, nachos and popcorn for sale down in the Grotto.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Nov. 21. Showtimes are 11 a.m., 1:15, 3:30, 5:45 and 8 p.m. Eastern. That’s 10 a.m., 12:15, 2:30, 4:45 and 7 p.m. our time.
• Where: Cherokee Caverns, 8524 Oak Ridge Highway, Knoxville, Tenn.
• How far: About 95 miles, roughly 1 hour 50 minutes by way of Pikeville and Kingston. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $15 per person (a small online fee is added). Children 3 and under free with an adult ticket. All sales are final.
• Who’ll love it: Kids who think a movie in a cave is the coolest thing ever, and grown-ups who agree.
• Good to know: Buy tickets online ahead of time. The caverns says these movies sell out, and its page showed a sold-out notice, so check before you go which showings are still open. The cave stays 58 degrees, so bring a jacket. The path is wheelchair and stroller friendly but goes steadily downhill and back up. No pets at the movies. Questions: 865-275-5196.

👉 Read more (Cherokee Caverns — Movies in the Cave)

🎅 Eat Pancakes With Santa the Morning After Thanksgiving in Winchester

Need something easy for the grandkids on the Friday after Thanksgiving? Winchester Downtown hosts ‘Tis the Season Brunch With Santa, a pancake brunch that raises money for the Franklin County Rebelette basketball team. You get pancakes with your choice of bacon or sausage, a visit with Santa and a chance to help some hometown players.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Friday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.–noon Central, our time.
• Where: 200 2nd Ave. NW, Winchester, Tenn.
• How far: About 65 miles, roughly 1 hour 20 minutes by way of Jasper, Monteagle and Cowan. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $10 for the pancake plate. Tickets are sold on Eventbrite, and the listing says no refunds.
• Who’ll love it: Little ones with a Christmas list, and grandparents looking for a calm, sit-down holiday morning.
• Good to know: Bring your camera for Santa. Whether walk-ups are welcome isn’t stated, so check before you go or buy ahead.

👉 Read more (Eventbrite — Brunch With Santa, Winchester)

🏠 Step Into a 1945 Christmas at Oak Ridge’s Flattop House

During World War II, Oak Ridge was a secret city built almost overnight, and many families lived in small, prebuilt “flattop” houses. The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge keeps an original Flattop House, and for one day it’s decorated just as a family might have done it for Christmas 1945. Your ticket includes the whole Children’s Museum, special holiday activities, holiday refreshments and a visit with Santa.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Eastern, which is 9 a.m.–3 p.m. our time.
• Where: Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 W. Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
• How far: About 100 miles, roughly 2 hours by way of Pikeville and Kingston. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Adults $15. Children 2–17 $12. Babies under 2 and museum members are free. No other discounts, and no refunds unless the museum cancels.
• Who’ll love it: History buffs, grandparents who remember their own parents’ stories of the 1940s, and kids who want to see Santa.
• Good to know: Tickets are sold online. Questions: 865-482-1074.

👉 Read more (Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge — A Flattop Home for the Holidays)

🍪 Fill a Box at Knoxville’s 20,000-Cookie Walk

Picture long tables covered with homemade Christmas cookies, nearly 20,000 of them, and you get to pick your own. That’s the Annual Cookie Walk & Craft Fair at Faith Lutheran Church in west Knoxville. Fill a box with cookies, then browse handmade ornaments, wreaths, pottery, stationery and jewelry from local crafters. The church calls it a long-standing tradition that folks look forward to all year.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Dec. 5, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern, which is 8 a.m. our time. The end time isn’t listed, so check before you go.
• Where: Faith Lutheran Church, 225 Jamestowne Blvd., Knoxville, Tenn.
• How far: About 95 miles, roughly 1 hour 50 minutes by way of Pikeville and I-40. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $20 for a box of cookies. Bring extra money for the craft tables.
• Who’ll love it: Anyone with a sweet tooth, folks hosting a holiday party and shoppers hunting handmade gifts.
• Good to know: The best cookies usually go early, so leave Dunlap by about 6:15 a.m. our time to be there at the start. Questions: church office, 865-966-9626.

👉 Read more (Faith Lutheran Church — Cookie Walk & Craft Fair)

✅ Your Trip-Planning Checklist

• ✅ Clock check: Chattanooga, Oak Ridge and Knoxville are on Eastern time (7:30 there = 6:30 here). Winchester is Central.
• ✅ Mon., Nov. 16: Frankie Gavin at Barking Legs. Confirm the ticket price first.
• ✅ Thu., Nov. 19: Astronaut visit in Oak Ridge. Call AMSE about cost and arrive by 3 p.m. our time for the signing.
• ✅ Sat., Nov. 21: Buy Movie in the Cave tickets online now; they sell out. Pack a jacket for 58 degrees.
• ✅ Fri., Nov. 27: Brunch With Santa in Winchester, 10 a.m. Central.
• ✅ Sat., Dec. 5: Pair the Cookie Walk (early) in Knoxville with the Flattop House in Oak Ridge (until 3 p.m. our time). They’re about half an hour apart.
• ✅ Remember the no-refund rules for the cave movie, Santa brunch and Flattop tickets.
• ✅ Fill up before you go. Need gas, a tire check or a good breakfast spot on the way? Look on Dunlap.Directory.

— Dunlap.Today

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these is closest to Dunlap?

Frankie Gavin’s show at Barking Legs in Chattanooga, about 55 minutes away. Brunch With Santa in Winchester is next, at about an hour and 20 minutes.

Is the cave movie OK for someone who uses a wheelchair?

Cherokee Caverns says the cave path is wheelchair and stroller friendly. There’s a long, steady slope down into the cave and back out, so bring a strong helper.

Do I need tickets ahead of time?

Yes for the cave movie: the caverns says you must buy online in advance. The Santa brunch and Flattop House also sell tickets online. For Frankie Gavin and the astronaut visit, call ahead to check.

Can I do two in one day?

Yes. On Saturday, Dec. 5, go to the Cookie Walk early in west Knoxville, then drive about half an hour to the Flattop House in Oak Ridge before it closes at 4 p.m. Eastern.

What’s a “flattop” house?

It’s a small, prebuilt home put up quickly in Oak Ridge during World War II for families working on the Manhattan Project. The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge keeps an original one.

Why do the Chattanooga, Oak Ridge and Knoxville times look an hour off?

Those cities are on Eastern time. Subtract one hour to get Dunlap’s Central time.

🔗 Other Resources

• Barking Legs — Frankie Gavin: Traditional Irish Fiddle Music
• SimpleTix — Frankie Gavin tickets
• American Museum of Science and Energy — Events
• Adventure Anderson — Meet Astronaut Hayley Arceneaux
• Cherokee Caverns — Movies in the Cave
• City of Oak Ridge calendar — Movie in the Cave: The Grinch
• Eventbrite — Brunch With Santa, Winchester
• Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge
• Faith Lutheran Church — Events
• Dunlap.Directory — local businesses and services

🌅 Take It Easy, and Pick the One That Fits

You don’t need to do all six. If you love a good fiddle tune, Frankie Gavin is close by on a Monday night. If you have a young dreamer at home, the astronaut visit could stay with them for years. The Grinch in a cave is a story the grandkids will tell at school, Brunch With Santa is an easy morning after Thanksgiving, and Dec. 5 pairs a 1945 Christmas with a box of homemade cookies. Jot down three things: Chattanooga, Oak Ridge and Knoxville are an hour ahead; buy cave tickets early; and call before you go for anything we couldn’t confirm. For more calm, useful news from right here at home, keep reading Dunlap.Today and find local help on Dunlap.Directory.