BARRY COURTER: Lisa, even though Memorial Day is not until next Monday, next weekend will have a lot of events. One of those is 1890s Day in Ringgold, Ga. This is a chance to party like it’s 1890.
They’ll have gospel music and a dance and fiddle contest on Friday night. Then on Saturday, they kick things off with a parade at 11 a.m. and follow that with folk, country and rock music, a car show and cruise-in and conclude the day with fireworks.
LISA DENTON: I like to think that a century ago there would have been a minstrel wearing purple farm clothes who encouraged his fellow Ringgoldians (is that a word?) to “party like it’s 1899.” But that’s just me. I’d also like to add that I was dreamin’ when I wrote this; forgive me if it goes astray.
BARRY: I can imagine that damsel in purple sporting a raspberry bonnet, the kind you’d find in a dry-goods store, driving her little red horse-drawn carriage around town shouting “Let’s go crazy.” Pretty sure the Ringgoldians of today think we got there about 20 minutes ago.
Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
Anyway, since Memorial Day is about honoring the people who have died during their military service, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park has a variety of special programming planned this weekend at Point Park. In addition to guided ranger tours of the park and Cravens House both days, on Saturday, they will host an artillery program hourly beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the last one beginning at 3:30 p.m.