KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — There are more places to go and more events to attend as we get closer to the end of May. East Tennessee is feeling more like summer with the rain and warmer weather.

Grab a friend and check out these 6 free things to do in the area this weekend. Make sure to check out WATE 6 Storm Team’s weather blog while planning for some of the events.

Monthly Bluegrass Jam at Ijams with ETNBA

The East Tennessee Bluegrass Association and Ijams Nature Center are partnering to create music at a jam session of acoustic bluegrass instruments in Knoxville.

All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Non-musicians are open to coming out and enjoying the music. Jam sessions are also hosted in Bristol and Clinton.

The event is always free every third Sunday. For more information, visit ETNBA.org.

• Location: Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Avenue, Knoxville, Tenn.
• Date: Sunday, May 21
• Time: 3-6 p.m.

Explore the Noah ‘Bud’ Ogle Cabin in Gatlinburg

Explore the area of Gatlinburg to explore the historical structure in East Tennessee. Although it looks to others like an old cabin near Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Noah “Bud” Ogle Cabin has been there for several years.

Noah “Bud” Ogle was a descendant of the Ogles and he built his farmhouse sometime in the 1880s. He owned over 400 acres of land until he split the land between his children, which left him with about 150 acres, according to Visit the Smokies’ website.

His cabin was known as a “saddlebag house.” The cabin is located on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. Click here for more information.

• Location: Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Visit Sevierville’s ‘Best Boy’ Bertie the Dog Statue

Although the temperatures are colder, you can still take the opportunity to see outdoor monuments in the downtown areas. Sevierville revealed the “Bertie the Dog” statue last year. The story revolves around a dog who would take a money pouch to the bank and return with a deposit slip to his owner every day.

Bertie the Bird Dog’s statue sits right in front of the Southern Fried Hair studio, along Court Avenue in Sevierville.

• Location: Southern Fried Hair Studio, 134 Court Ave #201, Sevierville, Tenn.
• Date: Sun-Sat
• Time: anytime

See the all the murals in Knoxville

Artists came together to create interesting murals in different areas describing the history and culture of Knoxville. There are 36 painted murals and four photographic murals within the city.

“From alleys to stairwells, our talented local and visiting artists use a variety of canvases to enhance the natural landscape of Knoxville,” Visit Knoxville’s website states.

Click here for the full map of the murals and their locations.

• Location: Click here for a map

Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum

Home of Knoxville’s Secret Garden, Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum will lead you to some trails and walkways that showcase beautiful stone buildings, greenhouses, and more importantly, the gardens.

You’ll see different statues and a small library. There is so much to see in the area.

• Location: 2743 Wimpole Ave., Knoxville, Tenn.
• Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun-Sat

Smokies Visitor Centers

For the Great Smoky Mountains National Park lovers, if you need a starting point, feel free to enter the park’s visitor centers. In addition to stretching your legs a bit, most locations offer a historical house or two and an indoor museum. All are free to the public.

On the East Tennessee side of the park, visit Sugarlands, Cades Cove or Clingsman Dome. Oconoluftee is just past Newfound Gap in North Carolina. (Don’t forget that you will need to buy a parking pass in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park if you plan to stop for more than 15 minutes. Here’s a list of locations to buy one.)

Enter the park’s North District where you will see the Sugarlands Visitor Center in Gatlinburg.

• Location: 1420 Fighting Creek Gap Road, Gatlinburg, Tenn.
• Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. every day

Oconaluftee Visitor Center is a 25-minute drive east past Newfound Gap. At 383-acres, theres a full village to explore. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the elk that roam freely in the area.

  • Location: 1194 Newfound Gap Rd, Cherokee, NC 28719
  • Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day

Cades Cove Visitor Center is located halfway through Cades Cove Loop Road.

• Location: Cable Mill Road, Townsend, Tenn.
• Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. every day

Rangers will lead programs conducted seasonally. You can also pick up a park map or newspaper. There are also two more visitor centers in North Carolina called Clingmans Dome Visitor Center and Oconaluftee Visitor Center.