Come enjoy Autumn in Chattanooga with the following downtown events happening through Monday, Oct. 4.
The Association for Visual Artists presents a collection of work entitled, Hands: A Collection of Works from the Thursday Painters. The Thursday Painters is a local group of older student artists. The exhibit will be on display in AVA's Landis Student Gallery through Sept. 30. For more information call 265-4282.
Chattanooga On Stage presents the Blue Apple Players: Appalachian Homespun Yarns on Monday, Sept. 27. This show will be at the Tivoli Theatre and will begin at 10 a.m. For more information call 642-TIXS.
The Station House Restaurant at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo presents a Gospel Dinner Show on Tuesday, Sept. 28. The show features New Hope, a musical outreach ministry from First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Doors open at 6 p.m. with dinner served at 7 p.m. For reservations or other information, please call 308-2481.
Jomo Entertainment presents premiere banjo player Bela Fleck and his band the Flecktones at the Tivoli Theatre on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Bela Fleck is considered one of the most innovative pickers in the world, playing everything from traditional bluegrass to progressive jazz. The show begins at 8 p.m. and ticket prices start at $25.75. For tickets or more information call 642-TIXS.
The Association for Visual Arts invites you to join them for an informal gallery talk on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. in the AVA Center Gallery. Artist Steve LeWinter will discuss non-objective art from a printmaking perspective. This event is free. Call 265-4282 for more information.
Chattanooga is host to the Tennessee chapter of the American Planning Association’s (TAPA) annual fall conference on planning for communities from Wednesday, Sept. 29 through Friday, Oct. 1. Rachel Levitt, Senior Vice President of the Urban Land Institute, will deliver the keynote speech on creative solutions to bringing policies into practice. Also, stroll with Kyle Ezell, author of Get Urban!, for an Urban Walk at the Kick-Off Reception. Prospective attendees may still register for the full conference, whole days, half days, the luncheon or socials. The conference will be at the Chattanoogan Hotel and Conference Center. For information, call 757-5216.
Join the Chattanooga Market this Thursday, Sept. 30, at Miller Plaza for the final Mid-Week Farmers Market. A variety of goods including silver princess corn, green beans, tomatoes, spices, flowers, lavender, soaps, jewelry and bread will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information on the Chattanooga Market, call 664-4837.
Don’t miss your opportunity to join the Friends of the Park on the River of Time cruise on Thursday, Sept. 30. The cruise will be on the Southern Belle Riverboat from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The cruise will include dinner, a silent auction, period music by Rebel Yell String Band, a cash bar, and cruise commentary by Jim Ogden, Park Chief Historian. To reserve tickets or for more information call 624-6914.
The Chattanooga Bluegrass Experience kicks off Thursday, Sept. 30 with a performance by The Grascals. Whether they are offering one of their original songs or reworking a classic like “Teardrops In My Eyes,” the Grascals’ rare musical empathy gives them an ear for just the right touch to illuminate each one’s deepest spirit. The show will be at Rhythm & Brews and will begin at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information call 267-4644.
The Auburn University Marching Band will be performing in Miller Park on Friday, Oct. 1 at noon. The band will be on their way to Knoxville and will be making a stop here in Chattanooga. Everyone is welcome to come and hear the 2004 Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy winners play.
The River Gallery in the Bluff View Art District will host an opening reception for a new art exhibit featuring figures and landscapes by artists Scott Hill, Tatiana Hill and Russell Whiting on Friday, Oct. 1, from 6:30-8 p.m. Scott and Tatiana Hill each use a unique glazing technique to create texture and capture the richness of the landscape in their oil paintings. Russell Whiting brings his graceful figurative sculptures made of carved steel and cast iron. The exhibit will be on display the entire month of October. For more information, call 265-5033, ext. 5.
It’s your chance to skate or bike to work Friday, Oct. 1. A free continental breakfast at Miller Park will be sponsored by the Regional Planning Agency. Breakfast will begin around 7:30 a.m. Check for details including meeting locations and start times at www.bikechattanooga.org.
The Chattanooga Bluegrass Experience continues at Nightfall this Friday, Oct. 1, with Lonesome River Band. Bridging the gap between young and old, Lonesome River Band takes traditional bluegrass to an entirely new level with hints of all genres of music peeking through and shining bright. They won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Album of the Year in 1991, which propelled the band to the top ranks of bluegrass artists. Opening act Dismembered Tennesseans will kick off the show at 7 p.m., with Lonesome River Band taking the stage at 8 p.m. This is a free concert series and food and beverage vendors will be on site. The Nightfall concert series is held at Miller Plaza and is produced by the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership. Nightfall is made possible by the sponsors Sheraton Read House Big River Grille, Miller Beers, Kelly Subaru, Fletcher Bright Company, Victory of Chattanooga, Southern Honda Powersports, Jack Daniel’s, Yellow Tail, Allied Arts, Fox 61, and NPR Music 88. To hear a sample of this week’s artist or find out more information on upcoming artists, call 265-0771.
The Chattanooga Bluegrass Experience continues Saturday, Oct. 2, with bluegrass, barbecue and brews at Miller Plaza from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Performing will be Hiwassee Ridge, Lone Mountain Band, John Reischman & The Jaybirds, King Wilkie, and headliner Blue Highway. Blue Highway is a bluegrass supergroup that has made its place in the genre's history over the past ten years. The group has walked away with their share of IBMA and SPBGMA awards, including Album of the Year, Emerging Artist, and Gospel Recorded Performance. All performances at Miller Plaza on Saturday are free. Concession vendors will also be on site. The Chattanooga Bluegrass Experience is sponsored by Budweiser, Red Hook, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Cricket, Fletcher Bright Company, Northwest Georgia Bank, Chattanooga Land Company, Coker Tire, Jim Bowen, Rhythm & Brews, Stein Construction, Sticky Fingers, Stonewall Farms, NPR Music 88 and Fox 61. For further information, please contact the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership at (423) 265-0771.
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder will perform with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera at Memorial Auditorium on Saturday evening following the events at Miller Plaza. Known affectionately today as bluegrass music's official ambassador, Ricky Skaggs has helped bring the genre to greater levels of popularity in the past six years than the legendary Bill Monroe could have ever imagined. Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder have released an amazing five consecutive Grammy nominated albums, three of which won the award. This concert is produced in conjunction with the CSO and begins the First Tennessee Pops Series. The show begins at 8 p.m. with ticket prices starting at $20. For more information, call 267-8583.
Swing by the Chattanooga Market this Sunday, Oct. 3, to discover some of the best artists, produce, breads, and crafts the region has to offer. The open-air market is held each Sunday at First Tennessee Pavilion from noon to 5 p.m. The Chattanooga Bluegrass Experience concludes on Sunday at the Market with music by Dismembered Tennesseans, Tim Graves, and Williams & Clark Expedition. Admission to the Market is free. Call 664-4837 for more details.
Join the Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African-American Song for their 30th Anniversary Concert. The concert will be Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Tivoli Theatre. The show starts at 5 p.m. and ticket donation is $10. For tickets and information call 757-2378.
The 2nd Annual Heart of the City Celebration begins Monday, Oct. 4 with Hero Awards Night at The Sheraton Read House from 5-7 p.m. Hero Awards will be presented to seven “movers and shakers” in the revitalization of downtown Chattanooga. The Heart of the City Celebration is presented by The Market Center Chamber Council in conjunction with The Chattanooga Downtown Partnership and The Planning and Design Studio.
For more information on how you can Do It All Downtown, pick up a CARTA Shuttle Map and Events Guide at one of our Downtown restaurants or hotels. If you have any further questions, call the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership at (423) 265-0771 during regular business hours.