For about a year, the top of Lakeshore Park was fenced off. A walk past the administration building meant going around barriers and through roadwork while a new pavilion went up near the HGTV Overlook. The work began in fall 2025, according to the Lakeshore Park Conservancy. It ended on a Tuesday in October, when city and park officials cut the ribbon on the Hilltop Pavilion.
Now the fences are coming down, and WATE reported that the Conservancy expects construction at the park to pause for a few years. For Westmoreland neighbors who have walked around this project since last fall, the top of the park is open again. It also has more to offer than it did before the work started, and its first real test is about four weeks away.
What Was Behind the Fence
Knox News called this the third phase in a string of construction projects at the 185-acre park. It reported the phase at $9 million and placed the improvements on the park's far west side. The work goes back to 2015. The park's 2020 master plan then set off the later phases.
At the ribbon cutting, project manager and Conservancy board member John Osborne listed what this round delivered. WVLT carried his summary:
"There were improvements to the Central Services Building that now has new offices for the Conservancy and a new home for Knox Youth Sports. There's a plaza that connects Marble Hall and Marble Pavilion. There's new and improved roadways, enhanced trailway systems, new green space, and of course, this Hilltop Pavilion."
WATE's report adds a paved parking lot to that list. Nearly all of this work sits at the top of the park: the roads up to it, the lot, the buildings, and the stone gathering spaces. The fall 2024 phase spread its additions across the grounds. Those included the Jim Haslam Sports Center, six pickleball courts, Pryse Pavilion & Gardens, Tower Playground & Pavilion, and the McCamy Family Adult Fitness Center. This phase put its money in one place.
The Hilltop, Piece by Piece
The new pavilion sits beside the park's best-known view. WVLT places the Hilltop Pavilion near the HGTV Overlook at the top of the park and describes it as covered seating with tables, somewhere to get out of the sun or rain. The Conservancy's master plan page describes this phase as including "a pavilion with restrooms at the administration building."
That pairing is what makes the hilltop a different place now. Here is what sits within a short walk of the administration building:
- The HGTV Overlook. The Conservancy describes it as a 500-foot esplanade with a marble central plaza, views of the park, the river and the mountains, and bistro tables along the walk.
- The Hilltop Pavilion. It adds covered tables next to the Overlook, which had seating but nowhere to wait out bad weather.
- The Marble Hall and Marble Pavilion plaza. This is the new terrace that ties the two venues together.
- The Central Services Building. It now houses the Conservancy's offices and Knox Youth Sports.
Parking for the Overlook is behind the administration building, according to the park. That is the spot to aim for when driving in for the view or the pavilion.
Before this phase, the Overlook was mostly a place to stop on a walk. With covered tables, a connected plaza and a pavilion described as having restrooms, the hilltop can now hold people for an afternoon. That matters in November and December, when the bistro tables on an open esplanade are less inviting than they were in July.
The Evening Shift Down the Hill
The hilltop is not the only place where the park added somewhere to sit and eat this year. In September, WATE reported that Ryan and Whitney Holliday, owners of Camp Honey Coffee, had opened an outpost in the park's Central Pavilion. Their storefront sits across the street at 5819 Lyons View Pike.
The outpost sells grab-and-go sandwiches made with whole ingredients, along with snacks and sports drinks. WATE reported the couple's motto as "have a picnic," meant as an invitation to take food to the park's picnic spots and pavilions. At the time of that September report, it was open Monday through Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. The Conservancy's own listing has shown a Monday-through-Thursday schedule. Check before planning a Friday dinner around it, especially as the evenings get darker.
The Central Pavilion is next to the outdoor fitness center, the soccer fields and a small playground. That puts weekday-evening food in the busiest part of the park, while the new covered seating sits at the top. Between the two, the park now has places to stop at both ends of the walk.
The First Big Weekend on the Finished Hilltop
The hilltop's first real test comes quickly. Light Up Lakeshore, the Conservancy's holiday fundraiser, lights areas of the park from November 29 through January 1. Families and businesses sponsor the lighting. According to the Conservancy, the event's holiday market brings local makers, businesses, food trucks and nonprofits to the HGTV Overlook six days after the lights go up.
That puts the season's biggest crowd on the exact stretch that was fenced off a year ago. The dates to keep, as the Conservancy lists them:
- Sunday, November 29. The park lighting begins.
- Saturday, December 5, 2 to 6 p.m. The Light Up Lakeshore Holiday Market takes over the HGTV Overlook.
- Saturday, December 5, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Flourish Flowers leads a wreath-making workshop during the market. Flourish supplies all materials and instruction, and the fee includes a small donation to the Conservancy. Pre-registration is required.
- Through January 1. The sponsored lights stay up.
The workshop is timed so attendees finish with plenty of time to shop the market afterward. Registration runs through the Conservancy's event portal. Market vendors who apply also get a spot on the Overlook. Maker applications closed September 25. Nonprofits interested in joining can email the Conservancy at [email protected].
Neighbors can also take part in the lights themselves. The Conservancy offers tree sponsorships that honor a loved one or promote a business. Each comes with a sign and message at the base of the tree and recognition on the park's website and social media. Sponsors can also host a 10x10 tent at the December 5 market and are invited to a VIP party during the event.
A December market on an open marble esplanade has always depended on the weather. This year, covered tables sit right beside it.
Using the New Pavilion Without a Reservation
Neighbors planning a small get-together at the new pavilion should know how the park handles pavilions in general. The Conservancy's venue policy says unreserved pavilions can be used first-come, first-served for small gatherings, and groups of 10 or more need to reserve.
The Hilltop Pavilion is new enough that it was not yet on the park's RecDesk roster of reservable facilities as of late October. That roster does list a separate Hilltop Meadow rental request. The meadow is a grass field near the administration building at 5930 Lyons View Pike. A full-day rental costs $300 plus a refundable security deposit and requires staff approval. For a larger group, or for a date near the holiday market, call park staff at (865) 215-1722 or check the RecDesk calendar first.
The park is about to get busier. WATE notes that Visit Knoxville calls Lakeshore the city's most-used public greenspace, and the Haslam family gave $35 million toward its revitalization. Covered tables beside the city's best-known river view will fill up fast on a clear weekend. A weekday visit in early November, before the lights go up on November 29, is the easiest chance to see the finished hilltop without a crowd.
Being close to a park that keeps adding places to gather is part of what Westmoreland homes offer. Changes like the reopened hilltop are the kind of neighborhood detail we follow for our clients. If you'd like to talk through what Lakeshore Park's growth means for your Westmoreland home, the Creel Group is glad to help. Schedule a private consultation with the Creel Group.
