Big Orange Bash Location & Accomodations

The show is being held at the Hollingsworth Auditorium on the UT Agriculture Campus, Knoxville, TN. To download a map in .pdf format, click here.

BOB9 Host Hotel: The Red Roof Inn on Papermill Dr. is the offical hotel for the BOB room rate of $55 per night. Their phone number is 865-584-3911.

Directions to the Show Hall

Coming from the west on I-40

  1. After the junction with I-640 (Exit 385), get in the right lane.
  2. Get off I-40 at Exit 386B, "US 129, Alcoa Hwy, Smoky Mtns".
  3. Get off US 129 at the exit marked "TN 158, Neyland Drive, Univ of Tenn".
  4. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left onto Neyland Drive. Stay in the left lane.
  5. After about a quarter mile, turn left at the traffic light onto Joe Johnson Drive, which enters the University's Agriculture Campus.
  6. Proceed about a quarter mile. Watch for our signs to the show hall unloading zone (left) and parking lot (right). When you unload we'll give you a parking pass to display in the parking lot.

Coming from the north on I-75

  1. After Exit 108 (Merchant Dr) get in either of the left lanes.
  2. Incredibly, there are no early signs for I-275, so follow the signs for "Exit 3, I-640 East, Asheville". However, don't actually get off at Exit 3, but instead go straight -- there will finally be a sign indicating you are now on I-275 towards downtown Knoxville.
  3. As you approach downtown, get in the middle lane. Follow the signs for "West I-40 to South I-75" which will be a left split.
  4. After the split, get in the right lane (if you aren't already) and get off I-40 at "Exit 386B, US 129, Alcoa Hwy, Airport, Smoky Mtns". Helpful note -- You can safely stay in the right lane despite an "exit only" indication for 17th Sreet, and another "exit only" indication for Sutherland Ave.
  5. Get off US 129 at the exit marked "TN 158, Neyland Drive, Univ of Tenn".
  6. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left onto Neyland Drive. Stay in the left lane.
  7. After about a quarter mile, turn left at the traffic light onto Joe Johnson Drive, which enters the University's Agriculture Campus.
  8. Proceed about a quarter mile. Watch for our signs to the show hall unloading zone (left) and parking lot (right). When you unload we'll give you a parking pass to display in the parking lot.

Coming from the south on US 129 (Alcoa Hwy)

  1. After passing the UT Hospital, get in the right lane on the bridge over the Tennessee River.
  2. Get off US 129 at the exit marked "TN 158, Neyland Drive, Univ of Tenn".
  3. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left onto Neyland Drive. Stay in the left lane.
  4. After about a quarter mile, turn left at the traffic light onto Joe Johnson Drive, which enters the University's Agriculture Campus.
  5. Proceed about a quarter mile. Watch for our signs to the show hall unloading zone (left) and parking lot (right). When you unload we'll give you a parking pass to display in the parking lot.

Coming from the east on I-40

    After Exit 398 (Strawberry Plains Pk), get in the middle lane.

  1. At the junction with I-640 (Exit 393), follow the signs for "West I-40" which will be a left split.
  2. After Exit 390 (Cherry St), get in the right lane.
  3. Get off I-40 at Exit 388A, "West TN 158 to South US 441, James White Pky, Downtown, Univ of Tenn". Helpful note -- You can safely stay in the right lane on James White Parkway despite various "exit only" indications. The name changes from James White Parkway to Neyland Drive at the riverfront.
  4. After passing the football stadium and basketball arena, continue along Neyland Drive about a mile and a half. Get in the right lane.
  5. Turn right at the traffic light onto Joe Johnson Drive, which enters the University's Agriculture Campus.
  6. Proceed about a quarter mile. Watch for our signs to the show hall unloading zone (left) and parking lot (right). When you unload we'll give you a parking pass to display in the parking lot.

Lists of hotels near various exits, as of April 2010

One evening in mid-April we drove into Knoxville from all four directions, using a clipboard to write down the highway directions to the show hall, but also to make lists of hotels that we saw.

Obviously we have no idea which hotels are better than others -- our intent was simply to find out where they are concentrated. And we can't guarantee we saw them all.

There used to be a hotel on Cumberland Avenue, adjacent to the UT campus, which made it easily the closest lodging to the show hall. Unfortunately it has been replaced by an apartment building.

According to an online listing, there is a Rodeway Inn at 20th Street and Ailor Ave, which would place it close to the UT campus. It should be near the 17th Street exit on I-40, although we were so busy writing highway directions at that point we must have missed seeing it.

There are also some big hotels downtown, not near any highway exits, but not far from the UT campus.

Coming from the west on I-40

--Exit 373, Campbell Station Rd

Baymont Inn
EconoLodge
Comfort Suites
Country Inn & Suites
Holiday Inn Express
Super 8

--Exit 374, Lovell Rd

Homewood Suites by Hilton
Spring Hill Suites by Mariott
Candlewood Suites
Ameristay
Motel 6

--Exit 378, Cedar Bluff Rd

Hampton Inn
Holiday Inn
Country Inn & Suites
Days Inn
Ramada Inn
Budget Inn
Red Roof Inn
La Quinta
Microtel
Jameson Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Best Western
Mariott Courtyard

--Exit 383, Papermill Dr / Weisgarber Rd

Holiday Inn
Super 8

--Exit 380, West Hills / Morrell Rd

Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel
Ramada Inn

* * * * * *

Coming from the north on I-75

--Exit 112, Emory Rd

Super 8
Holiday Inn Express
Country Inn & Suites
Comfort Inn

--Exit 110, Callahan Dr

Scottish Inn
Express Inn
Quality Inn

--Exit 108, Merchant Dr

Comfort Suites
Sleep Inn
Days Inn
Red Roof Inn
Quality Inn
Best Western
Mainstay Suites
Hampton Inn
Clarion Inn
Motel 6
Super 8
America's Best Value
EconoLodge

Coming from the south on US 129 (Alcoa Hwy)

--vicinity of the Airport

Days Inn
Budget Inn
Hampton Inn
Family Inn
Country Inn & Suites
Fairfield Inn
Candlewood Suites

Coming from the east on I-40

--Exit 398, Strawberry Plains Pk

Fairfield Inn
Motel 6
Comfort Suites
Best Western
La Quinta
EconoLodge
Country Inn & Suites
Quality Inn
Ramada Inn
Baymont Inn
Motel 8
Holiday Inn Express
Hampton Inn

--Exit 394, US 11E & 25W & 70, Asheville Hwy

Days Inn

--Exit 390, Cherry St

Red Carpet Inn

Show Basics

BOB 9 Show Hostess:
    Carol Tuft
    ctuft@utk.edu

Show Date:
    June 18, 2011

Show Location:
    Hollingsworth Auditorium,
    University of Tennessee
    Agriculture Campus

Recent Updates

BOB 9 is SOLD OUT!

Click here to see the list of BOB 2011 attendees.

Our judges are:
  Heather Jackson-Lain - Foal division
  Jennifer Pomerance - OF China
  Tracy Hord - CM Mini
  Maureen Reynolds - OF Performance
  Jenn Read - CM Performance
  Linda Falkenstein - OF Minis
  Carol Tuft - OF Trads
  Rhonda McCusker - OF Resins
  Jennifer Pomerance - CM Glaze
  Brenda Brown - AR
  Jackie Hasser - CM Trads
  Jackie Hasser - Youth

BOB is a NAN-Qualifying show! All horses who place first or second in all NAN-qualifying classes will receive a NAN card.