Each year, when Riverbend comes around, Chattanoogans get a chance to indulge their ears — and their stomachs.
“This is really the one time of year that people eat this type of menu, and they look forward to it every year,” said Karen Shostak, a spokeswoman for Friends of the Festival, which produces Riverbend.
While popular favorites like chicken on a stick, blooming onions and ice cream aren’t on anyone’s heart-healthy menu, Shostak said it’s a good time to have a rare treat.
In fact, she admitted, it’s the one time a year she lets her husband have funnel cake.
While eating healthfully at Riverbend may seem like, as registered dietitian Amy Autuori said, “an oxymoron,” there are, in fact, ways to enjoy the gustatory offerings of the festival without sacrificing health entirely.