Five festivals this weekend celebrate music, fine art, bacon, hot slaw and "stuff." Camp Jordan is double-booked with Volkswagen enthusiasts and master gardeners. Professional bass anglers are fishing for a $100,000 prize in Dayton, and the Chattanooga Lookouts will open their home season next week.
See more events, and add your own, at ChattanoogaNow.com.
FESTIVALS
[READ MORE: Spring festival guide: 38 events around the Chattanooga area you don't want to miss]
- Vintage Market Days, an upscale vintage-inspired indoor/outdoor market, is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Mountain Cove Farms, 994 Dougherty Gap Road in Chickamauga, Ga. Merchandise includes original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade items, home décor, outdoor furnishings, foods and seasonal plantings. Reusable tickets are $10; Sunday-only admission is $5 (free for children under 12). vintagemarketdays.com
- 4 Bridges Arts Festival: Chattanooga's premier visual art festival returns as a live event 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at First Horizon Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. The juried show features works by 140 artists from across the nation and offers $20,000 in cash awards. Admission is $5; free for students under 18. Want a sneak peek? Tickets are $100 to a preview party with wine, cocktails and gourmet bites at 6 p.m. Friday. avarts.org
Staff photo / Sisters Liz Burleson and Margaret Jarvis of Jackson, Miss., look at olive oil dispensers at a vendor booth during the 2019 4 Bridges Arts Festival. This year's event will be Friday and Saturday at First Horizon Pavilion.- BaCon Festival: This fourth annual gathering of bacon lovers happens 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at the Tri-State Exhibition Center, 200 Natures Trail SW in McDonald, Tenn. In addition to foods made with the pork du jour, the day includes live music, a comedy show, more than 100 local vendors, a mechanical hog, cornhole contests, a Kids Zone with inflatables, pony rides and a petting zoo, plus the chance to win free bacon for a year. Chattanooga musician Brandon Davis headlines the entertainment. This is his final area appearance before he joins Tim McGraw's tour at the end of the month. Admission is $5 (free for children 3 and under). baconfestival.net
[READ MORE: How an auto accident and TikTok got a Chattanooga musician on tour with Tim McGraw]
- Hot Slaw and Art Y'all debuts Saturday in Cleveland, Tenn., with music, dancing, contests, visual art demonstrations and a tribute to a culinary creation once served at the old Star-Vue drive-in theater. Events will take place noon-9 p.m., stretching from the Bradley County Courthouse square, 155 N. Ocoee St., down First Street. Lawn games will be set up 1-4 p.m. on the First Street square, and a family film will be shown at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. hotslawfestival.com
- Big 9 Roots Festival: This pandemic-delayed event centered at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., expands to a two-day celebration of the city's historic "Big 9" district. Music is scheduled 2-11 p.m. Saturday, headlined by Sam Sims & Friends, with special guest Kipper Jones. Sims, a Chattanooga native, has played bass for giants in the music industry, from Michael Jackson to Mariah Carey. Sunday's Gospel on the Lawn performances are 2-7 p.m. Portions of M.L. King Boulevard (formerly Ninth Street) will be shut down for vendors and surrounding merchants to sell food, beer, art and other merchandise. Admission is free. bessiesmithcc.org
Staff photo / Big 9 Street Food, shown here at its opening during Juneteenth last year at 611 E. M.L. King Blvd., will be among the surrounding merchants taking part in the Big 9 Roots Festival, centered at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center this weekend. Owner D'von Maples Sr., right, runs the restaurant with his son D'von Jr.MUSIC
- Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave., hosts Southern rockers Whiskey Myers, with the Read Southall Band, at 8 p.m. Thursday. A handful of tickets, priced at $30-$75, remains, and others are available as verified resales through Ticketmaster. tivolichattanooga.com
- DeKalb County School Coliseum, 1504 Main St. East in Rainsville, Ala., will host the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers at 6:30 p.m. CDT Thursday and Friday. The traveling ensemble from New York's famed Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir will be accompanied by solo artist TaRanda Greene, director Carol Cymbala and pastor Jim Cymbala. Tickets, including fees, are $15; children 12 and younger get in free. 256-638-8787, itickets.com
- The Signal, 1810 Chestnut St., has two shows this weekend. Thursday features Rock band Black Stone Cherry, with SevenStones, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. Saturday features country band The Steel Woods, with Red Shahan, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20-$40. thesignaltn.com
- Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., has three shows coming. Thursday, the School of Music presents a Chamber Music Showcase at 4:15 p.m. in Pangle Hall, 340 Church St. NE. It will be followed at 7:30 p.m. by a joint concert, "Broadway and Beyond," by Lee's Chamber Strings and Handbell Choir. Tuesday, the Wind Ensemble will perform its final concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. in Conn Center, 150 11th St. NE. All are free and nonticketed. Livestream: leeu.live
- The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tenn., has tickets available only through its official exchange service to see rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, with The Brook & The Bluff, at 8 p.m. CDT Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $70. thecaverns.com
- Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave., welcomes Canadian guitarist Jesse Cook on his Tempest II tour at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $30-$45. tivolichattanooga.com
- Songbirds, 35 Station St., will showcase Tennessee's Dead, seven area musicians paying tribute to the Grateful Dead, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $15. songbirdsfoundation.org
- Southern Adventist University in Collegedale plans two performances this weekend. Saturday, the Wind Symphony will present a sacred concert recounting Christ's life from birth to resurrection, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us," at 4 p.m. in Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, 4829 College Drive East. Sunday, choral ensembles from the School of Music will present "Songs of Wisdom, Wit and Wonder" at 7:30 p.m. in Mabel Wood Hall's Ackerman Auditorium on campus, 4881 Taylor Circle. This performance by the Bel Canto, Die Meistersinger and I Cantori ensembles will include the new piece by Chattanooga composer Roland Carter that pays tribute to the life and legacy of civil-rights leader John Lewis. Admission is free to both. Livestreams: southern.edu/events
[READ MORE: New work by Roland Carter is part spiritual, part rap]
- Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Highway, will host the UTC Symphony Orchestra in a spring concert, "Two American Icons," highlighting works by Florence Price and John Williams, at 3 p.m. Sunday in the C.C. Bond Humanities Theatre. The 60-member ensemble includes music majors and non-majors, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga music faculty members, music educators and other amateur and professional musicians from the area. Livestream: livestream.com/utc
- Hickory Valley Baptist Church, 2320 Hickory Valley Road, will welcome gospel trio Sunday Drive at 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. hickoryvalleybaptist.com
- Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., continues its midweek jazz shows with the Prakash Wright Trio, with Jim Crumble and David Schwab, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Cover is $5. barkinglegs.org
SPECTATOR SPORTS
- Chattanooga Football Club, a National Independent Soccer Association professional men's team, will play Memphis 901 FC at 7 p.m. Thursday at Finley Stadium, 1826 Carter St. Same-day tickets are $9-$18. chattanoogafc.com
[READ MORE: The Brand: Chattanooga Football Club]
- Bassmaster Elite Series, the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments, gets underway Thursday on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tenn. A full field of 94 pros will fish the first two days before the field is cut to 47 for Saturday's semifinals and to 10 for Sunday's championship. Takeoffs are at 7 a.m. each day from the Dayton Boat Dock, 175 Lakeshore St., and weigh-ins are at 3 p.m. at the adjoining Point Park. The Rhea Economic & Tourism Council is sponsoring a tournament expo 12:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com and Fox Sports digital platforms. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast live starting at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Staff photo / A member of the Yamaha demo team takes riders on a ride during the 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series tournament in Dayton, Tenn. This year's event, scheduled Thursday through Sunday, has a $100,000 top prize.[READ MORE: Chickamauga's Buddy Gross earns $101,000 with first Bassmaster Elite Series victory]
- Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball: The league's two Chattanooga teams will open their home season Saturday at the 6th Cavalry Museum, 6 Barnhardt Circle, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Phoenix of East Nashville will go up against the Lightfoot Club at noon and the Mountain City Club at 2 p.m. Admission is free. tennesseevintagebaseball.com
- Chattanooga Lookouts, a Class AA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, open their home season Tuesday with a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons at AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. Promotions include a Chick-fil-A giveaway Wednesday (coupon delivered by app). Kids can run the bases after every game. Sunday games start at 2:15 p.m., all others at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $6-$11. lookouts.com
[READ MORE: Lookouts must 'start over' for pro baseball to remain in Chattanooga]
[READ MORE: Here's the estimated cost for a new Lookouts stadium]
COMEDY
- Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave., welcomes comedian Lewis Black at 8 p.m. Friday on his Off the Rails tour. Tickets are $35-$75. tivolichattanooga.com
[READ MORE: Lewis Black brings his Off the Rails tour to Walker Theatre]
- The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St., hosts Cee Jay Jones at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $17-$19. A show by G.R. Goodwin & Friends is 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20. An Exiled Comedy show, featuring the best comics from Exile Off Main Street's Comedy Night along with regional favorites, is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are $12. thecomedycatch.com
OUT & ABOUT
- Chattanooga Whiskey celebrates its first decade with the unveiling of its Founder's 10th Anniversary Blend, available exclusively at a Thursday open house before it's made available to the public Friday. The open house, with vendors, live music and food trucks, is set for 5-8 p.m. at the Riverfront Distillery, 890 Riverfront Parkway. The $10 tickets include two drinks plus access to first sales of the anniversary blend. Eventbrite.com
Staff file photo / Chattanooga Whiskey will celebrate a decade in business with the release of the Founder's 10th Anniversary blend at an open house Thursday at its Riverfront Distillery.- Origins lecture: The biology department of Southern Adventist University will present author Douglas Axe in a discussion of his book "Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Lynn Wood Hall on the Collegedale campus, 4881 Taylor Circle. The free program is part of the E.O. Grundset Lecture Series. 423-236-2926
- Spring Fling: Ooltewah Farmers Market will celebrate the beginning of its 10th season 3-6 p.m. Thursday and April 14 with local farms and food artisans, arts, crafts and other vendors. Door prizes will be awarded every 15 minutes. The market operates year-round at Ooltewah Nursery, 5829 Main St. ooltewahnursery.com
[READ MORE: Chattanooga-area farmers markets prepping for the season's first crops]
- Coin show: The Georgia Numismatic Association's next event is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Dalton Convention Center, 2211 Dug Gap Battle Road, Dalton, Ga. More than 1,500 collectors and 500 dealers are expected for the annual show. Admission is free (photo ID required). Early bird access is $50. gamoney.org
- Plant giveaway: For the 11th year, Daisy United Methodist Church, 9508 Dayton Pike, will give away more than 1,000 native and non-native flowers, herbs, fruits, bushes and trees starting at 8 a.m. Saturday. Each attendee can choose two plants for free, with the option of buying up to 10 additional plants for $2 each. Additional donations are welcome. 423-326-9248 (call or text)
Staff photo / Mary Gaylen, Jim Masters and his wife, Anita, look through an assortment of plants at Daisy United Methodist Church during last year's plant giveaway on April 10. This year's event is Saturday.- Kayak tour: Outdoor Chattanooga and Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will retrace the route used by a man to escape slavery in July 1839 in a free guided history program, "Jacob Cummings and the Paddle to Freedom," 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. The outing is free and no kayaking experience is required, but there are age and other restrictions. outdoorchattanooga.com
- Food Waste Awareness Week, a statewide observance, will culminate locally Saturday with the launch of a beer made from upcycled unsold bread from Niedlov's. The launch is set for noon-4 p.m. at Naked River Brewing Co., 1791 Reggie White Blvd. getfoodsmarttn.com
- Taco & Tequila Crawl, a sampling event happening at seven North Shore eateries, is noon-5 p.m. Saturday (VIP ticket holders can check in at 11 a.m.). Tickets are $22-$35. Check-in locations are provided at registration. Eventbrite.com
- Park Day: Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Road, will explore its Civil War heritage with a hike through the property with historian Jim Ogden 2-3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free, but registration is requested. reflectionriding.org
- Family Day at Willow Tree Farm, 607 Post Oak Road, Ringgold, Ga., is 2-6 p.m. Saturday. Highlights include food trucks, inflatables, llama costume contest, arts and crafts and children's author Stephanie Campsie. Tickets are $15; some activities have additional fees. A portion of proceeds will go toward helping local foster children. Eventbrite.com
- Keg, Cork & Barrel, a beer, wine and spirits tasting event featuring two dozen food and drink providers, is 3-7 p.m. Saturday at the Museum Center at Five Points, 200 E. Inman St., Cleveland, Tenn. Live jazz music will set the mood for the fundraiser. Tickets are $50-$100. museumcenter.org
- Master Your Garden Expo returns after a two-year pandemic hiatus to Camp Jordan, 323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge, this weekend. Presented by Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, the expo includes presentations by experts, live demonstrations, vendors and exhibits, children's activities, silent auction and door prizes. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. The $10 ticket is good both days (free for children 12 and younger). mghc.org/garden-expo
Staff file photo / People mingle about the Custom Landscape and Design booth during the 2018 Master Your Garden Expo at Camp Jordan Arena. Master Gardeners of Hamilton County will present this year's expo Saturday and Sunday.- Bug-a-Paluza, a celebration of all things Volkswagen, is Saturday and Sunday at Camp Jordan, 323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge. The judged car show features 39 classes, from the earliest models to current production. A swap meet, camping, games and other activities round out the weekend. The $5 admission is good both days (free for children 12 and younger). Gate proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. bugapaluza.com
- Chattanooga 101, a free history series led by Chattanooga and Hamilton County historian Linda Moss Mines, continues 2-3 p.m. Sunday at the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center, 2 W. Aquarium Way. This month's topic is "Brother Against Brother." mohhc.org/chatt101
ARTS
- Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, has three events on the calendar. Throwback Thursday, offering free admission to the permanent collection and $5 admission to the current exhibit, "Beyond the Frame: Celebrating 70 Years of Collecting," is 4-8 p.m. Thursday. The ninth annual Student Symposium, this year exploring the relationship between political discourse and creative choice, is 1:30-4 p.m. Saturday, with guest presentations by university students from around the country. Admission is free. Drop-in art experiences for families are offered 2-4 p.m. Sunday. huntermuseum.org
- Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St., will host a closing reception for Craig Drennen's "Old Athenian &," based on characters from Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens," 5-9 p.m. Friday. A conversation between the artist and curator Brigitte Mulholland will start at 5:30 p.m. stoveworks.org
THEATER
- Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave., will welcome punk-rock icon Henry Rollins in a spoken-word performance, part of his Good To See You tour, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $27-$34. tivolichattanooga.com
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.