
Chatter
CHATTER Magazine – October 2026
All you can eat in the Scenic City, A-Z
There's an inside joke among folks who share the odd hobby of visiting every county in the United States.

Local foodie Beth Ann Wolcott remembers a time when food festivals in Chattanooga meant nothing more than funnel cakes, cotton candy and corn dogs. But all that's changed through the years, and now the Scenic City is home to dozens of food festivals. Wolcott, for one, couldn't be happier.

Relax your body and spirit at a new salon oasis known as Clean Your Dirty Face, located at 19 Cherokee Boulevard just across from the Chattanooga Cookie Company.

If you've ever spent any time on or around — or even several blocks away from — the Walnut Street Bridge on any given evening, you're surely familiar with him.

Mushrooms are having a moment. From runways to hit TV shows and restaurant menus to home furnishings, they are popping up everywhere, while news articles and research papers begin digging into their many potential uses.

While Cashew is well known as a destination for plant-based vegan cuisine, the restaurant is also beginning to build a stellar reputation for its beverages — with and without alcohol. Co-owners Bailey Cole and Kristiana Mallo plan to open a separate bar, Broads Lounge, next to the Dwell Hotel in late fall, but in the meantime, you can find their cocktails and mocktails at their River Street restaurant. Or try out this recipe for their Passionfruit Mule Mocktail at home.

Walking along the U.S.-Mexico border in the spring of 2022, Pablo Mazariegos shares an emotional moment with his son, Luca.

The quaint town of Ellijay, Georgia, offers apple orchards and an apple festival, along with nature and trails

WaterWays is a nonprofit organization working to bring awareness to, protect and restore our local watersheds so that we have good, clean and plentiful water to live, work and play. To help support their cause, they hosted their annual "Save Water, Drink Wine (and Beer!)" event at Crabtree Farms with music, food from area restaurants, auctions (both live and silent) and plenty of local beers, as well as wines from around the globe.

Held at the Chattanooga Convention Center, the Praise Breakfast event was hosted by the Scenic City Women's Network, whose mission is "to encourage, equip and energize today's Christian working women to live their faith in the world." The breakfast honored speaker, writer, teacher and leader Nita Tin, who is the Lydia Award winner for 2023, and gospel singer Nicole C. Mullen performed.

Have you been seen? A look at local events