BARRY COURTER: Lisa, we've got Widespread Panic here on 4/20, The Cleverlys on Thursday, Sandi Patty and Drivin' N' Cryin' on Friday and James Taylor on Saturday. And if live, famous people singing isn't enough for you, there's also an event with famous people singing on video in honor of trees going on this weekend.
LISA DENTON: I do love the idea of If Trees Could Sing, a video project of The Nature Conservancy that gets musicians to tell the stories of particular trees. For instance, Kathy Mattea discusses the Southern magnolia and Ben Folds talks about the sweetgum.
Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
Not to butt in, but they're missing an opportunity if they don't get Sarah McLachlan for the weeping willow. She should sing "Angel" like in that sad-dog ASPCA commercial. That's so gut-wrenching, she says she even changes the channel.
Anyway, the Chattanooga artists are The Bohannons (doing the American elm), Danimal Pinson (ginkgo) and Fletcher Bright (river birch). There's a performance Friday night at Coolidge Park to introduce what they're doing.
BARRY: The videos are already available online at natureconservancy.org/iftreescouldsing, and you can see them via your smartphone at Coolidge Park, Greenway Farms and the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza. There are signs next to the particular specimens at those locations that include a QR code that takes you to the videos. The concert will take place 6-8 p.m. Friday. There'll be food, beer from Hutton & Smith and representatives from all kinds of green and eco-friendly organizations.
Set to perform are The Bohannons, Danimal Pinson and the Laura Walker Trio, with Zach Ovington and Brian Blaylock rounding out the group. And it's right in our price range.
LISA: Oh, you must mean free. Also in our price range is Chattanooga Market, which will have a two-day grand opening Saturday and Sunday at First Tennessee Pavilion.
BARRY: I feel compelled to remind folks that the market sells fresh produce that is in season and grown locally. If you're headed down expecting strawberries or tomatoes or coconuts, you won't find them. Vendors there also sell prepared foods and handmade arts and crafts, of course.
LISA: And we need to drive over to South Pittsburg for the National Cornbread Festival. That's always a fun time. Cornbread, cornbread and more cornbread - yes, please, and thank you very much. Plus this year they've got Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder performing Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT. That is a powerhouse bluegrass band.
BARRY: That's a great act for the festival, which is a lot of fun. My wife and I got to judge the youth cornbread contest last year and had a ball doing it.
LISA: Or we can stay in town and catch Jazzanooga. This year's headliners are Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Octet at The Camp House on Friday, the Christian McBride Trio with opening act Chantae Cann at the Chattanooga Choo Choo on Saturday and Julian Lage with opening act Julie Dexter at Revelry Room on Sunday. Shane Morrow always does a great job with this festival.
BARRY: Also, the Broadway musical "Mamma Mia" is being staged Saturday at Memorial Auditorium. If you like musical theater, or the music of ABBA, take a chance - see what I did there? - on this one.
Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.