Founder Nancy Gianni and daughter GiGi Gianni will join Knoxville families for the August 8 grand opening celebration

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers will officially welcome GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville as the 63rd Playhouse in its growing network on Saturday, August 8, bringing free educational, therapeutic, career-development and social programs to individuals with Down syndrome and their families throughout East Tennessee.

GiGi’s Playhouse founder and Chief Belief Officer Nancy Gianni and her daughter and namesake, GiGi Gianni, will be onsite to celebrate the milestone and welcome Knoxville into the GiGi’s Playhouse family.

The grand opening represents the culmination of years of determination by a group of Knoxville-area parents who came together around a shared vision: to build a place where individuals with Down syndrome would be welcomed, challenged, celebrated and supported throughout every stage of life.

“GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville was built by families who refused to accept that opportunity should depend on a diagnosis or a ZIP code,” said Nancy Gianni. “These parents saw what their children deserved and made courageous decisions to create it. We are honored to welcome Knoxville as our 64th Playhouse and to stand beside this community as it changes lives and changes perceptions for generations to come.”

The vision for the Knoxville Playhouse began with local families searching for resources, connections, and hope.

Knoxville startup team member Jessica Hoke first experienced GiGi’s Playhouse after adopting her son, Ben, from the neonatal intensive care unit. Her family attended the grand opening of GiGi’s Playhouse Raleigh and participated in LMNOP, GiGi’s signature early-language development program for babies and toddlers.

When the family later moved to Knoxville, Hoke immediately recognized the absence of similar resources.

“We were so thankful to have GiGi’s Playhouse during Ben’s earliest years,” Hoke said. “When we moved, one of the first things my husband and I thought about was bringing a Playhouse to Knoxville. I knew what that support had meant to our family, and I knew families here deserved to have it too.”

Through social media and community outreach, Hoke connected with other local parents—including families who had never met one another before but shared the same hopes for their children. Together, they formed the startup team that would make GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville a reality.

For those families, the Playhouse is about far more than opening a building. It is about creating a lifelong home where their children can develop relationships, gain practical skills, pursue meaningful careers, and grow into greater independence.

One Knoxville mother described her greatest hope as knowing her daughter could one day have friends, go to the movies, learn to cook, and live independently if she chooses. Another parent shared that bringing GiGi’s Playhouse to Knoxville would help equip her son to build a full and meaningful life—even beyond the years when his parents are able to care for him.

“These families are not placing limits on their children’s futures,” said GiGi Gianni. “They are creating more opportunities for people with Down syndrome to learn, lead, work, build friendships and show the world everything we can achieve. I am so excited to welcome Knoxville into our GiGi’s family.”

GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville will offer purposeful, progressive programming designed to support participants from infancy through adulthood. Programs will focus on areas including speech and language development, literacy, math, social development, health and wellness, life skills, and career preparation.

All GiGi’s Playhouse programs are provided 100% free of charge to families, regardless of income or insurance status.

The Playhouse will also serve as a community hub where parents can find encouragement and guidance, siblings can build relationships, volunteers can become advocates and community members can learn what true acceptance and inclusion look like in practice.

“My biggest fear after receiving a prenatal diagnosis was that my son was coming into a world that was not made for him,” one Knoxville parent shared. “Having GiGi’s here means he will have a home, a community and opportunities to develop the skills that will help him know he belongs in this world.”

That sense of belonging is central to GiGi’s Playhouse mission of changing the way the world views Down syndrome and sending a global message of acceptance for all.

“People with Down syndrome matter,” another startup team member said. “They are individuals with feelings, dreams and extraordinary capabilities. When we stop placing limits on them and start setting high expectations, they show us how much they can achieve.”

Grand Opening Celebration

The public is invited to join GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville families, volunteers, supporters and community leaders for the grand opening celebration.

Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026

Time: 1pm-3pm

Location: GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville

Address: 255 N. Peters Rd., Suite 102, Knoxville, TN 37923

The celebration will include 1:30 PM – Welcome remarks from Jessica, Heather Waliga, Lesley, Nancy, and GiGi with the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony immediately following the remarks. Family-friendly activities, including coloring sheets and temporary tattoos. Charcuterie cups and cupcakes for guests to enjoy

To learn more about GiGi’s Playhouse Knoxville, volunteer, support its free programs or register for the grand opening celebration, visit https://gigisplayhouse.org/knoxville

About GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers

GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers is a network of nonprofit organizations providing free educational, therapeutic, career-development and social programs for individuals with Down syndrome from prenatal diagnosis through adulthood. Through its growing network of Playhouses and virtual programming, GiGi’s Playhouse empowers individuals and families while advancing a global message of acceptance and inclusion. All programs are offered free of charge to families and are made possible through the generosity of donors, volunteers, partners and communities.

Media Contact

Jessica Hoke, President of the Board, 919-740-0790

Emily Huffman, Vice President of the Board, (865) 356-1113

GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers

865-420-6245

knoxville@gigisplayhouse.org 

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SOURCE GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers