Chattanooga: St. Elmo businesses mark resurgence with festival
Saturday, November 29, 2008
If you go
* What: Holiday in St. Elmo
* Where: St. Elmo business district
* On the Web: holidayinstelmo.com
Schedule of events
* 11 a.m. — Corgi Parade
* 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. — Art Market
* 11:15 a.m. — Christie Burns and Lisa Ferguson
* 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. — Children’s cookie decorating at Mocha Joe’s
* 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. — Santa’s Candle Making Workshop at Umbra Essence
* 1 p.m. — Live blues with Jonathan Wimpee
* 1 p.m. — Tours of Moccasin Bend Brewery
* 1 p.m. — Aunt Colleen’s and Uncle Joe’s Story Telling Corner at Mocha Joe’s
* 3:45 p.m. — Live music with Madi Diaz
* 5:30 p.m. — Santa arrives
* 5:45 p.m. — Community Tree Lighting
* 6 p.m. — The OGYA Band
* 6 p.m. - 8p.m. — Free trolley tours of the historic residential district
Business in St. Elmo is undergoing a resurgence as the historic Chattanooga neighborhood revisits a festival tradition.
Merchants have teamed up for Holiday in St. Elmo, an arts and music festival taking place today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in its business district.
“It’s like a whole new fresh face on the community, on the biz community,” said Mary Barnett, general manager of Umbra Essence Candles and Gifts on St. Elmo Avenue.
Holiday in St. Elmo picks up where September in St. Elmo left off in 2004. That festival featured a Corgi Parade, which drew up to 60 of the short-statured, large-bodied dogs.
“Some of the sentiment was born from missing that event and wanting something like that event to pull people back to St. Elmo,” Ms. Barnett said. “A lot has changed since then, so there’s a lot of new businesses.”
In recent years, the community has seen a surge of activity. Blacksmith’s Bistro & Bar opened recently and businesses such as Umbra Essence, Body Wisdom massage studio, Sugar’s Ribs and the Lookout Mountain Gallery have been drawn to the area, said Jamie Mosey, owner of Umbra Essence.
The St. Elmo Merchants Association formed early this year and the group began discussing ways to promote the businesses and get people back to the area. The group is now made up of about 30 merchants from art gallery owners to restaurateurs.
The festival is the brainchild of the merchants themselves, said Ms. Barnett.
“Mary has wanted to see a festival in St. Elmo for a long time, and we got some feedback from the merchants that supported that idea, so we went with it,” said Ms. Mosey.
The festival begins at 11 a.m. with the Corgi Parade. Music and activities such as Santa’s candle making and neighborhood tours will take place throughout the day, culminating with the lighting of a tree at the intersection of Tennessee and St. Elmo avenues.
Tours of the Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. will be offered throughout the day and festival attendees can take free trolley tours of the residential district from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The festival also kicks off the first year for Christmas tree sales in the community. Little Mountain Tree Farm from Pikeville, Tenn., will be selling trees throughout the season.
