First Friday has been running for about six years, but while walking from gallery to gallery, it's not uncommon to hear someone say of the monthly event, "I never knew this was down here."

As the number of stops on the art tour has grown, so has the art scene of casual gallery goers that follow it.  The participating galleries and venues vary each month, but approximately 24 locations list themselves as participating stops on the First Friday map.  The mostly-walkable area runs primarily down Gay Street to Central Avenue.  The free event, unless specified otherwise, begins at 5 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. on the first Friday of each month.

The exhibitions range from photography to live performances. This month included a single, large installation by Michael Aurbach called "The Administrator," a silver jewelry display at Yee Haw Industries and a belly dancing performance.

At the corner of Gay Street and Summit Avenue, the Visitor Center featured live music with Wade Hill and the Hillians performing, while Rita's ice stand offered complimentary cups of flavored ice outside the entrance door.

Just past the ongoing construction, Brian Wagner showed his "Sound Booth" exhibit at the Emporium Center for Arts & Culture Balcony gallery. The photo booth, used to shoot the collection of local musician photographs, was part of the exhibit, and attendees were able to close the curtain and have their own photos captured at the event.

At the same time, on the other end of Market Square, UT Professor Rob Heller exhibited photography focused on light in cityscapes. The display, located on the 14th floor of the East Tennessee Foundation offices, featured Heller's photography taken from San Francisco to Poland. All proceeds from the sales of Heller's works benefit the East Tennessee Foundation.

Every venue features original works, and the displays vary from wildly experimental to traditional, limited only by the imagination of the featured artist. It's a great way to take in free art, free refreshments and free music as part of the growing art scene in downtown Knoxville.