Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
BARRY COURTER: Lisa, I've seen how you stretch your birthday into a weeklong celebration, so I know you'll appreciate how the Chattanooga Market has grown Oktoberfest from a one-day event into a four-day festival. The traditional part of the festival is Saturday and Sunday, but on Wednesday at First Tennessee Pavilion, they have Artoberfest. Works from local artists will be available for buying, and they will have a Chalk Art Competition featuring young local artists.
LISA DENTON: I'm intrigued by what may come out of the Chalk Art Competition. Hopscotch grids are the extent of my skills, but some chalk art creations are these crazy good 3-D images that fool the eye into thinking you'll be stepping into a canyon or you're about to be eaten by a shark. Or maybe that was just the dream I had last night. No more nachos at bedtime.
BARRY: That's so weird; I had the same dream. Seriously, those 3-D chalk art images are crazy. The market will also have something called a Festhalle Banquet on Thursday. As the name might suggest, it's about the food, which promises to be some of the wurst you've eaten . you know like bratwurst and currywurst. They'll also have schnitzel, spannferkel, which is roasted pig, and beef brisket. I bet there'll be beer as well. Cost is $50, and tickets are limited.
LISA: Gimme a minute. I'm still laughing at "some of the wurst you've eaten." That may be some of the wurst you've written, too.
Don't forget that Rock City has a monthlong celebration called Rocktoberfest that continues the next two weekends. So many chances to wear the lederhosen.
Oh and I like this idea: Go Georgia Arts Studio in Ringgold is having a paint party for women Thursday night where everybody chooses a country song lyric or title and themes her painting around it. I'm thinking "Red Dirt Road" might be a good starting point, but you know somebody's gonna wanna paint "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly."
I might do something for "Lose My Mind" with canyons, sharks and nachos.
BARRY: That's better than "If My Nose Were Full of Nickels, I'd Blow It All on You." This reminds of a song lyric I read in a book about songwriter Bobby Braddock: "I only think about you now and then, but I think more about you now than I did then."
And, speaking of good music, or at least a good name, Twiddle + The Werks is at Revelry Room on Tuesday. The Futurebirds are there on Wednesday, Brett Dennen is there the next night and the Revivalists are there Friday.
And we should mention that Closed Door Entertainment is presenting "The Addams Family Musical" at the Tivoli. Just the promotional photo makes me want to see it.
LISA: Yep. Mysterious and spooky, altogether ooky. Especially Uncle Fester.
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.