Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

Things to do in the Chattanooga area this week include Lookout Wild Film Festival, Sandhill Crane Festival, Chattacon

Staff file photo / Two of an estimated 20,000 migratory sandhill cranes fly overhead at the Hiwassee Refuge in Birchwood during the 2024 Sandhill Crane Festival. This year's event is Jan. 18-19.
Staff file photo / Two of an estimated 20,000 migratory sandhill cranes fly overhead at the Hiwassee Refuge in Birchwood during the 2024 Sandhill Crane Festival. This year's event is Jan. 18-19. Staff file photo / Two of an estimated 20,000 migratory sandhill cranes fly overhead at the Hiwassee Refuge in Birchwood during the 2024 Sandhill Crane Festival. This year's event is Jan. 18-19.

Here’s what’s happening this week in the Chattanooga area.

Dolly Days

To celebrate Dolly Parton’s 79th birthday on Jan. 19, Signal Centers is partnering with local businesses for a weeklong celebration, Jan. 13-18. Families who have a child under age 5 may participate, for a chance to win an iPad, by picking up a birthday passport at a sponsoring location or by printing it out at home. You’ll need to complete at least four of the seven activities, which include dining at Texas Roadhouse, attending the UTC women’s basketball game against Mercer, attending any of the Chattanooga Public Library’s Dolly programming or sampling a Dolly-inspired ice cream from Clumpies. Participants who complete all seven activities get a second entry in the prize drawing. Other activities include a celebration at Creative Discovery Museum, Dolly karaoke night for adults at The Boneyard and a Dolly-wrapped CARTA bus with a Little Free Library inside. Signal Centers is Hamilton County’s community partner for Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books each month to children until their 5th birthday. Learn more at chattlibrary.org/signal-centers-dolly-days.

CALENDAR

ARTS