LEISURE
ARTBITES -- Uptown Art, 2 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 100. Sprouts Cooking and Uptown Art Studio partner for hands-on cooking classes inspired by that day's art subject for ages 5-12, 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays, June 21, 28. $40. 423-602-8580.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPO -- Brainerd United Methodist Church, 4315 Brainerd Road. Fourth annual event for deaf and hard-of-hearing sponsored by Signal Centers' Assistive Technology Services, 1-6 p.m. today, June 19. Includes exhibits and demonstrations of latest technology, such as emergency weather radios for the deaf, plus information on services and organizations. 423-629-4174.
ASTRONOMY -- Russell Cave National Monument, Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center, 3729 County Road 98, Bridgeport, Ala. Short presentation by staff of the Barnard Astronomical Society and Russell Cave National Monument followed by viewing of night sky, 7:30 p.m. CDT Friday, June 20. Free. 256-495-2672.
BENEFIT BARBECUE -- American Legion Post 81, 227 James Asbury Lane,Cleveland, Tenn. Pulled pork, sweet potato fries, beans and coleslaw sold for $8 a plate to benefit Alvin C. York Veterans Medical Center and Veterans Day Room Activities, 6-9 p.m. today, June 19. Under 18 can attend until 8:30 p.m.; entertainment 8:30-midnight.
CAMPFIRE TALKS -- Desoto State Park campfire ring, 7104 Desoto Parkway, Fort Payne, Ala.; if raining, moves into park's Nature Center. All times Central. 256-997-5025.
* Friday, June 20: Free talk by Ranger Mark Jackson on how to identify beneficial spiders from those that are dangerous, 8 p.m. Bring a camp chair if desired.
* Saturday, June 21: Snakes Alive, 8 p.m. Learn about snake species of Northeast Alabama and how to tell the difference between poisonous and nonpoisonous.
* June 27-28: Jacksonville State University biologist Dr. Chris Murdock gives free lesson about amphibians and reptiles of Alabama, accompanied by live creatures, 8 p.m. at Nature Center.
CHATTANOOGA GHOST TOURS -- The Little Curiosity Shoppe, 138 Market St. Walking tours through downtown, ghost hunts through University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Citizens Cemetery, 7:30 nightly. $15 adults, $10 ages 12 and under. 423-821-7125.
CHATTANOOGA SIDEWALK TOURS -- Choice of two tours, daily through Nov. 1. Dynamo of Dixie Tour departs from Sheraton Read House, corner of Broad Street and M.L. King Boulevard, 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Bluffs and Bridges Tour begins at south end of Walnut Street Bridge, 4 and 6 p.m. $15 adults, $7 children 12 and under. Reservations required: 423-228-0448 , www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com.
FOOD FOR LIFE CONFERENCE-- Sequatchie Valley Institute, 1233 Cartwright Loop, Whitwell, Tenn. Three-day event with classes, kids activities, camping, workshops on food preservation, cooking, nutrition, herbal medicine and crop and animal production, 10 a.m. June 27 to 5 p.m. June 29. Featured speaker is Sandor Katz, author and James Beard Award winner, discussing the process of fermentation. Fee per day $25-$50 adults, $5-$20 children, based on sliding scale; fees include meals and admission to all workshops and lectures. Camping fee for weekend is $10. No pets allowed. 423-949-4598.
HIKES -- Led by Soddy-Daisy Hiking Club. Bring water and snack. Carpool locations given for those who want to meet group. 423-842-3619.
* Saturday, June 21: Sluder Lane to Mowbray Pike, moderate 5 miles, meet at Durham Street parking lot in Soddy-Daisy at 8 a.m.
* Tuesday, June 24: Cravens House, moderate 4 miles, meet at Red Bank Bi-Lo parking lot at 8 a.m.
* Saturday, June 28: Flipper Bend, moderate-to-strenuous 8 miles, meet at Soddy-Daisy Wal-Mart parking lot at 8 a.m.
JUNIOR GUN SAFETY PROGRAM -- American Legion Post 81, 227 James Asbury Lane, Cleveland,Tenn. Join Legionnaires for dinner and program on Junior Shooting Sports Program, a gun safety and education program, 6-8:30 p.m. June 27. Children must be accompanied by an adult. $8 per person. 423-476-4451.
K9K TRAIL RUN AND FAMILY FUN DOG WALK -- McKamey Animal Center, 4500 N. Access Road. Second annual event, with choice of difficulty levels, encourages competitors to run or walk with their dogs on new trail course designed by Wild Trails, 9-11 a.m. Saturday, June 21. The K9K is a competitive timed trail run with dogs off-leash but under voice and sight control. Family Fun Dog Walk is a leisurely jog or stroll along the trail with a leashed pet. $35; free for kids 12 and under in dog walk. 423-305-6504.
LUAU WINE FEST -- Georgia Winery, 6469 Battlefield Parkway, Ringgold, Ga. Bring chairs and blanket for Hawaiian party in the vineyard with fire dancers, silent auction, door prizes, Tiki Lounge, 6:30-10 p.m. June 28. Portion of $20 ticket benefits Ringgold Rotary Club. 706-937-9463.
MAN EXPO -- First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Reggie White Blvd. Chattanooga Times Free Press sponsors family-friendly expo with emphasis on manly hobbies and interests, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. June 28. Special appearance by Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN's College GameDay analyst. Compete in Chattanooga Dr Pepper Challenge for chance to win $5,000. $10 adults, $5 children. www.timesfreepress.com.
MUD RUN -- Greenway Farms, Hixson. Climb walls, crawl through tunnels and slide in mud at annual 5K fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, Aug. 16. June registration for team of five is $225, individuals $50. After July 1, team registration is $250, individuals $60. www.habichatt.
PADDLE SPORTS CLINIC -- Harrison Bay State Park, 8411 Harrison Bay Road.
* Free day of kayaking, canoeing, standup paddleboarding, dragon boating, kayak fishing, beginner clinics and SUP racing at 1 p.m. led by Outdoor Chattanooga-Rock and Rock/Creek, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 21. Come dressed to get wet; bring water and sunscreen. Sturdy river shoes, swim shoes or old tennis shoes recommended also. 423-643-6889.
* Clinic ends with Pint Night, Rock/Creek Paddlesports Store, Riverside Drive, 5-7 p.m., slide show by Ben Friberg on his stand-up paddleboard adventure on the Yukon River. Reservations: www.rockcreek.com/event.
PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF CHATTANOOGA -- St. John United Methodist Church gymnasium, 3921 Murray Hills Road. Boot camp on how to use camera flash, red eye, fill flash at 6 p.m. today, June 19. Program at 7 p.m. by Kendall Chiles, freelance nature photographer with 30 years' experience. 423-344-5643.
REFLECTION RIDING ARBORETUM AND NATURE CENTER-- 400 Garden Road. Admission $10 adults, $7 ages 4-11. All events require registration: 423-821-1160.
* Saturday, June 21: Fairy houses, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., $10 member families, $15 nonmembers. Participants receive purse of fairy gold to purchase building and decorating materials in fairy marketplace; explore arboretum grounds for natural materials and site for fairy house.
* Saturday, June 21: Wildlife docent tour, 10 a.m., Nancy Bryan leads tour of native animals and birds on grounds as well as stop at red wolves' pens.
* Sunday, June 22: Wildlife docent tour, 2 p.m., led by Gabrielle Welch.
RIVER CANYON ADVENTURES -- 21726 River Canyon Road. Explore the scenic Tennessee River Gorge with daily three-hour adventures. Sunset cruise at 6 p.m. Upriver to Williams Island, $35. Downriver into Tennessee River Gorge, $49.95 Appointments required: 423-987-1711, 423-488-1345. www.rivercanyonadventure.com.
ROCKIN GOOD TIME -- Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association, 420 W. Main St., Blue Ridge, Ga. Food, drink, live music and auction to benefit youth programming and Art Center classes of association, 7-9 p.m. Saturday, June 21. $45 individual, $80 couples. 706-632-2144.
RUBY FALLS LANTERN TOURS -- Ruby Falls, 1720 S. Scenic Highway. Ride the 260-foot elevator down into Lookout Mountain and experience the cavern tour in a new light, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays through September. Tour size limited, reservations required. $24.95. 423-821-2544.
SHREDATHON -- Babb Financial Group Office, One Park Place, 6148 Lee Highway, Suite 201. Bring sensitive documents to be shredded for free in large industrial shredder, 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 24. 423-531-6961.
SUMMER HERB WALK -- Desoto State Park, 7104 Desoto Parkway, Fort Payne, Ala. Join Robert Wilson and Jenny Turner for an easy walk along park trails to learn ways plants have been used for food and medicine, 10 a.m.-noon CDT June 29. Bring a day pack with water and snack. Followed by taste-testing of teas made by outdoor plants, 1-3 p.m. Registration required: 256-997-5025
SUSTAINABLE PREPAREDNESS EXPO-- Chattanooga Convention Center, 1100 Carter St. Presenters from across the nation train and equip visitors to survive in difficult times, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 29. Topics include growing your own food, emergency communication, herbal remedies, wild edible plants and disaster preparedness. $12. 423-756-0001.
THE 100 DINNER -- Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St. Dinner for 100 people for $100 apiece with food produced within 100 miles of Chattanooga, 6-9 p.m. June 28. Meal prepared on-site by local top chefs, live music, live and silent auctions. Reservations required: 423-493-9155.
TRAIN RIDES -- Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Road. 423-894-8028. Check www.tvrail.com for designated weekend train rides such as Chickamauga Turn, Dinner on the Diner and Hiwassee River Rail Adventure. Missionary Ridge Local is six-mile, 55-minute ride through East Chattanooga to TVRM's repair shop, with trains departing daily at 10:40 a.m., 12:05, 1:15, 2:25 and 3:35 p.m. in June and July. $17 adults, $11 ages 3-12.
ZIPSTREAM AERIAL ADVENTURES -- Ruby Falls, 1720 S. Scenic Highway. Courses for children, teens and adults through a series of increasingly challenging tree-to-tree activities, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through November. $19.95-$34.95. 423-821-2544.
FARMERS MARKETS
BRAINERD FARMERS MARKET -- Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. Open 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. 423-698-0330.
CHATTANOOGA MARKET -- First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Reggie White Blvd. Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. 423-402-9958, www.ChattanoogaMarket.com.
CHATTANOOGA RIVER MARKET -- Tennessee Aquarium plaza, 1 Broad St. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. www.ChattanoogaMarket.com.
EAST BRAINERD -- Audubon Acres, 900 N. Sanctuary Road. Open 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays. 423-838-9804.
FIVE POINTS FARMERS MARKET -- First Street Square, Cleveland, Tenn. Open 4-7 p.m. Thursdays. Sponsored by Mainstreet Cleveland. 423-310-1187.
LOOKOUT FARMERS MARKET -- City Hall green spaces, 1214 Lula Lake Road, Lookout Mountain. Open 3-7 p.m. Thursdays. 423-838-9804.
MAIN STREET MARKET -- 324 E. Main St. Open 4-6 p.m. Wednesdays. mainstfarmersmarket.com
OOLTEWAH FARMERS MARKET -- Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., 5829 Main St. Open 3-6 p.m. Thursdays. 423-238-9775.
ST. ALBAN'S HIXSON MARKET -- St. Alban's Church, 7514 Hixson Pike. Open 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. 423-842-1342.
ST. ELMO --Incline Railway, 3917 St. Elmo Ave. Open 4-7 p.m. Fridays.423-838-9804.
WEDNESDAY MARKET -- First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Reggie White Blvd. Open 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays. 423-648-2496.
BOOKS/AUTHORS
AUTHOR'S TALK -- Benton Place Learning Center, Ringgold,Ga. Raymond Atkins, Georgia's two-time Author of the Year, is speaker for Catoosa Citizens for Literacy's annual One Book, One Community event, followed by book signing, 6:30 p.m. June 26. Free admission; Atkins' books available for purchase. 706-965-8275.
CHILDREN/TEENS
BARNES & NOBLE -- 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. Children's story hour, 11 a.m. Wednesdays. 423-893-0186.
CHATTANOOGA PUBLIC LIBRARY -- 1001 Broad St. (main library) and branches at Eastgate, Northgate and South Chattanooga. 423-757-5310, www.chattlibrary.org.
* Lego Clubs: Downtown branch, every Monday, 5-6 p.m., for ages 5-11, free; Northgate branch, first Saturday of each month, 2-3 p.m., for ages 3 and up, free. 757-5314.
* Toddler Time: Learning program for ages 18-36 months and parents/guardians, preregistration not required. Wednesdays: 10:30 a.m. Eastgate Library, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Northgate Library. Saturday: 11 a.m., downtown branch.
* Saturday, June 21: Basic computer class for adults, 2-3:30 p.m., free, downtown branch.
* Saturday, June 21: Crafts for kids ages 5-11, 3-4 p.m., free, downtown branch.
* Saturday, June 21: Sensory storytime, 9:30 a.m., downtown branch, interactive program for school-age children with special needs and their families, caregiver participation required.
* Monday, June 23: Mixed Up Mondays for Tweens, 4-5 p.m., Northgate branch, this session about improvisation acting for children in grades 2-5.
* Saturday, June 28: Tea blending class, 2:30-3:30 p.m., downtown branch, ages 12-18 invited to class on blending teas and blend their own concoction, preregistration required.
KIDS CRAFTS -- Michaels Arts & Crafts, 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd. and 600 Northgate Mall. In-store summer crafting program for children ages 5-12, 10 a.m.-noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday to Aug. 1. Seats 12, first-come, first-served, or register in advance in the store. $2 per child. www.Michaels.com/passport.
KIDS TIME AT THE RIVERPARK -- Tennessee Riverpark Shelter 4, Amnicola Highway. Free series of Thursday morning activities for children sponsored by Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. Today's program: Hamilton County Soil Conservation Distrct presents Life on the Farm, 10 a.m. Adult must accompany child. Registration required: 423-842-6748.
READ-A-PALOOZA -- Hamilton Place, I-75 at Shallowford Road. United Way of Greater Chattanooga sponsors free summer reading event for children, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, June 21. 423-752-0300.
YOUNG EXPLORERS -- Enterprise South Nature Park, 8015 Volkswagen Drive. Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department sponsors weekly program for preschoolers through children in fifth grade, 10-11 a.m. Tuesdays. Adult supervision of attending children required. Closed-toed shoes required; hats, sunscreen and bug repellent recommended. $3 per child. Registration required: 432-893-3500.
DANCES
BALLROOM -- The Ballroom, 7001 Middle Valley Road. Learn ballroom dancing, no partner required, casual dress. Group class, 7:30 p.m., $5. Dancing 8:30 p.m., $10. Saturdays. 423-394-6428.
BALLROOM -- Ballroom Magic Dance Center, 4200 N. Access Road. $10 per person. 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays. 423-771-3646.
DANCE PARTY -- American Legion Post 81, 227 James Asbury Lane, Cleveland, Tenn. Dance to music of Convertibull; must be 21 or older. Active-duty military free with ID; all others $6. 8 p.m. to midnight. Saturday, June 21. 423-476-4451.
RHYTHM BALLROOM -- The Ballroom, 7001 Middle Valley Road. Learn fundamentals of rumba, cha cha, East Coast Swing. Casual dress. No partner required, $5 per person. 6 p.m. Mondays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays. www.theballroomathixson.com.
SHAG -- Elks Lodge 91, 1067 Graysville Road at East Brainerd Road. $5 members, $7 guests, free to first-time guests. 7 p.m. Thursdays. gdelett@epbfi.com.
USA BALLROOM -- St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St., $5 first-time guests, $6 members, $10 nonmembers. 7-11 p.m. Friday, June 20. 645-4888.