Tennessee's tax-free, back-to-school shopping weekend will be busy in other ways, too, in the Chattanooga area. Here's a chronology of upcoming events.
ARTS
- Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, will welcome Bigfoot investigator David Eller, 6-7 p.m. Thursday as part of special programming for the temporary exhibition "Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration." Eller will give a rundown of sightings in the area and his findings, using the exhibit's Bigfoot sculpture as a backdrop. Admission is free. huntermuseum.org
FILM
- Bobby Stone Film Series concludes its Summer Spectacular lineup Thursday with an 11 a.m. screening of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," about the boy wizard's third year at Hogwarts. Tickets are $5. tivolichattanooga.com
MUSIC
- Songbirds, 35 Station St., has three upcoming shows. Thursday's welcomes the musical powerhouse of Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela and Berry Duane Oakley on the Dog Daze Acoustic Tour. Guitarist Betts and bassist Oakley are Allman Brothers Band progeny, and all three musicians have played together in the Allman Betts Band, among other projects. Charlie Overbey will open the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $25. Friday features country artist Cole Chaney with Justin Wells at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15. Wednesday brings progressive folk act The Arcadian Wild at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15. songbirdsfoundation.org
- Nightfall, a weekly concert series, continues Friday at Miller Plaza, 850 Market St., with a double bill of local bands: indie act Call Me Spinster at 7 p.m. and Drew Sterchi and Blues Tribe at 8:25 p.m. Artists, games and food vendors will be set up across M.L. King Boulevard at Miller Park. Admission is free. nightfallchattanooga.com
- The Signal, 1810 Chestnut St., has three shows this weekend. Rock band Yacht Rock Revue plays at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20-$40. Neon Moon, a '90s country tribute band, plays at 8 p.m. Saturday, with Zach Dylan opening. Tickets are $15-$40. Alt/country band American Aquarium plays at 8 p.m. Sunday, with H.C. McEntire opening. Tickets are $15-$30. thesignaltn.com
- Murray County Singing Convention, which features congregational singing of favorite songs from church hymnals and the latest Southern gospel convention songbooks, will start at 2 p.m. Saturday at Smyrna Baptist Church, 1913 Smyrna Church Road, Chatsworth, Ga. Admission is free. 706-695-2740
- Riverfront Nights, a weekly concert series at Ross's Landing, 201 Riverfront Parkway, continues 7-10 p.m. Saturday. Headlining are The Claudettes, known for a piano-powered, roots-rock sound. Local blues artist Rick Rushing opens. Admission is free. riverfrontnights.com
Contributed Photo by The Claudettes / The Claudettes will headline Saturday's edition of Riverfront Nights at Ross's Landing.- Walden's Ridge Civic League will host a concert celebrating veterans Saturday by bluegrass/Americana ensemble Nu-Blu, host band of the TV series "Bluegrass Ridge." Nu-Blu partners with the Quilts of Valor Foundation, which provides homemade quilts to veterans and military personnel as a thank-you for their service. A quilt presentation will be made at the concert. Music starts at 7 p.m. in the league's Walden auditorium at 2501 Fairmount Pike. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Eventbrite.com
- Mountain Arts Community Center, 809 Kentucky Ave., Signal Mountain, will welcome Americana band Sunshine Nights at 8 p.m. Saturday. The trio is touring in support of its fifth studio album, "The Butterfly Web." Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. signalmacc.org
- The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tenn., has two shows this weekend. Indie rock band Murder by Death will celebrate the release of its new album "Spell/Bound" in an underground show at 7 p.m. CDT Saturday. Tickets are $60. Indie folk band Fleet Foxes will bring its Shore Tour to the outdoor amphitheater at 8 p.m. CDT Sunday, with Uwade supporting. Tickets are $55-$89. thecaverns.com
- Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave., will present Foreigner in a greatest-hits retrospective Sunday that could take some time. The rockers released 10 multiplatinum albums over 40 years that produced 16 Top 30 hits, including "Cold as Ice," "Urgent" and "Double Vision." Music starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29-$125. tivolichattanooga.com
- Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave., will welcome husband-and-wife folk duo Johnnyswim at 8 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $29-$49. tivolichattanooga.com
- Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., will debut a new free-form music event, the Chattanooga Super Sessions, 7-9 p.m. Monday. Host Nathan Bell's first guests will include Craig Pratt, Gordon Inman and Pate Russell. Donations will be accepted. Wednesday, the Alan Wyatt Quartet will perform at 7 p.m. for the weekly installment of Jazz in the Lounge. Cover is $5. barkinglegs.org
MUSIC & FILM
- Music & Movies at Miller continues Saturday at Miller Park, 928 Market St. Games, artists and food trucks will be set up by 6 p.m. The Emerald Butler Band will headline the musical portion of the evening, and the animated film "Inside Out" will be screened at dusk. Bring your own seating. Admission is free. rivercitycompany.com
OUT & ABOUT
- Miracle Treat Day is Thursday at Dairy Queen. For every Blizzard treat sold, DQ will donate $1 to the local Children's Miracle Network Hospital, which is Children's Hospital at Erlanger in the Chattanooga area. dairyqueen.com
- Low Country Shrimp Boil: Lookout Mountain Conservancy, which works to protect the mountain's scenic, historic and ecological resources, will sponsor this fundraiser for its intern and leadership program 6-9 p.m. Thursday at 1952 Old Wauhatchie Pike. Feed Table + Tavern and Chattanooga Brewing Co. will provide food and drink. Local band Priscilla & Little Rickee will entertain. Bring your own seating. Tickets are $65. In the event of sustained rain, meals will be packaged for pickup. lookoutmountainconservancy.org
- Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In, previously held at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, will debut in Dalton, Ga., this weekend. Hundreds of hot rods, classic cars, trucks and bikes will converge at the Dalton Convention Center, 2211 Tony Ingle Parkway, for the three-day event, which features a downtown parade and block party at 6 p.m. Friday. Also included in the weekend are a collector car auction, vendor midway, live music and celebrity appearances by Joe and Amanda Martin of Motor Trend network's "Iron Resurrection," former NASCAR driver Jody Ridley and the "First Lady of Motorsports" Linda Vaughn. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tickets are $15 per day, $40 for a three-day pass (free for children under 12). gammoonshinecruizin.com
- The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St., will open the weekend with a Next Level Comedy Showcase, featuring six rising comics, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $12. The weekend headliner is Mr. Showtime David Scott, who holds a Guinness world record for the longest stand-up comedy show by an individual (40 hours and eight minutes). Shows start at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $17-19. Wednesday is Open Mic Night for area talents. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. with a $7 ticket. thecomedycatch.com
- Northgate Mall, 271 Northgate Mall Drive, has a carnival with rides, games and food set up in the parking lot. Hours are 5-11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m.-midnight Saturday and Sunday. Wristbands for unlimited rides are $25 weekdays, $30 weekends. Single-ride tickets also are available.
- Free cookies: The owners of Chattanooga Cookie, a new specialty bakery at 20 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 104, will introduce their favorite desserts by giving away one free cookie per customer 1-7 p.m. Friday. In an email, twin sisters Megan McClain, the CEO, and Jessica McDaniel, a self-taught baker, said their business offers "a modern spin on timeless favorites." The bakery opens at 8 a.m. Saturday for its first full day of business. Facebook.com/TheChattanoogaCookie
- Tax holidays: Tennessee has two sales tax holidays coming up. The first, which exempts clothing (under $100), school supplies (under $100) and computers (under $1,500) from state sales tax, starts at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The General Assembly also approved a sales tax holiday on food and food ingredients for the entire month of August. The exemption, which starts at 12:01 a.m. Monday, applies to most grocery items but not prepared food from restaurants. tn.gov/revenue
- Hamilton Place, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd., has multiple events planned for its Tax-Free Weekend Bash. Friday includes the grand opening of two stores: Hollie Ray Boutique, a women's clothing and accessories store making its first expansion outside of Nashville, and Tradehome Shoes, a fixture in the Midwest since 1921. Tradehome's opening includes a ribbon-cutting and cookie cake at 10 a.m. A grand-opening party for the Cupcake Kitchen vending machine is 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. Also Saturday, shoppers may play nine holes of mini golf from noon to 4 p.m. on a free course set up on the lower level outside of JCPenney. Local TikTok celebrity TokeThePoet, who plays piano, will be taking requests 2-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Center Stage. hamiltonplace.com
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Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Visitors enter Hamilton Place for last year's tax-free holiday weekend. Hamilton Place will offer a Tax-Free Weekend Bash with multiple events for shoppers Friday through Sunday.- Bassmaster meet-and-greet: Batteries Plus of Chattanooga, 1925 Gunbarrel Road, Suite A-101, will celebrate the launch of its new X2 batteries for marine and motor vehicles 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday with contests, giveaways and an appearance by Bassmaster Elite Series pro Hunter Shryock. The event's grand prize is a half-day of fishing with Shryock, who's had seven Top 10 finishes in his four-year pro career with the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. 423-499-1199
- Rabbit Valley Farmers Market, 96 Depot St., Ringgold, Ga., will host two events Saturday. A celebration of National Mutt Day takes place during regular hours, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The weekly market features vendors selling local produce, arts and crafts. Joe Coke will be the guest musician. Youth Night, set for 5-9 p.m., will feature youth vendors and performances by young singers and songwriters from the area, as well as a couple of professionals. Admission is free. rabbitvalleyfarmersmarket.com
- Summer Social, a free community event in downtown South Pittsburg, Tenn., is 7-11 p.m. CDT Saturday on Cedar Avenue between Second and Third streets. The block party features Nashville-based dance band Entice, food and beer vendors and a kids zone. It's sponsored by the South Pittsburg Area Revitalization Quest. sparqsp.org
- Chattanooga Market presents Chattanooga Bluegrass, a yearly ode to high, lonesome music, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at First Horizon Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. Two local acts will perform on the Lodge Cast Iron Sizzle Stage: banjo player Randy Steele at 12:30 p.m. and New Grass Express at 2 p.m. Vendors will have local produce, arts, crafts and food for sale. Admission is free. chattanoogamarket.com
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- Soccer Shots Family Night, a first-time event by the youth coaching program Soccer Shots Chattanooga, is 5-7 p.m. Sunday at the Chattanooga Red Wolves' home field, CHI Memorial Stadium, 1 Stadium Way. The event includes face-painting, bounce houses, balloon animals, soccer sessions and food vendors. Attendees are asked to bring a new toy to donate to the Forgotten Child Fund. Admission is free. Facebook.com/SoccerShotsChattanooga
SPECTATOR SPORTS
- Chattanooga Lookouts are at home against the Rocket City Trash Pandas at AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. Promotions include Thirsty Thursday drink specials, post-game fireworks Friday and a free general-admission ticket for Sunday's game with a donation of a canned good to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. Saturday features an appearance by the Zooperstars characters, a free Lookouts soft lunch box for the first 1,000 fans through the gate (one per person, not per ticket) and a used car giveaway. Games start at 7:15 p.m., except for Sunday's at 2:15 p.m. Tickets are $6-$11. lookouts.com
- Chattanooga Roller Derby, a women's flat-track team, has a tripleheader planned Saturday at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza. The lineup opens with the Ruby Regulators, Chattanooga's junior team, versus the Steel City Slayers at 2 p.m. and the B-Railers vs. Rocket City at 5 p.m. The marquee event pits the local Allstars against an all-star mash-up team of some of the region's best derby players, including a few from Team USA Roller Derby. Tickets are $6-$12. Proceeds benefit Blazing Hope Ranch. chattanoogarollerderby.com
- Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball, which adheres to the rules and customs of baseball's 19th-century origins, will offer a doubleheader Saturday at the 6th Cavalry Museum, 6 Barnhardt Circle, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. The Mountain City Club of Chattanooga will play the Stones River Scouts at noon and the Franklin Farriers at 2 p.m. (Chattanooga's other vintage team, the Lightfoot Club, is in Knoxville this weekend.) Admission is free. tennesseevintagebaseball.com
- Chattanooga Watercross Premier, a racing competition sanctioned by International Jet Sports Boating Association and presented by Chattanooga Jet Ski Club, is 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Chester Frost Park, 2277 N. Gold Point Circle, Hixson. A corporate challenge and Junior Stars racing will kick off the competition Friday. Races include classes for ski, sport and runabout watercraft. Spectators may watch from the shore or from their boat. There is a $10 vehicle fee to enter the park. Facebook.com/chattanoogawatercrosspremier
THEATER
- "Jersey Boys," a jukebox musical that tells the story of the 1960s rock 'n' roll group Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, plays this weekend at Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. The Tony- and Grammy-winning show was postponed from its original dates in January. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $38-$83. tivolichattanooga.com
- "Matilda the Musical," presented by the Signal Mountain Playhouse, is in final performances this weekend in the outdoor amphitheater at 1104 James Blvd. Show time is at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Patrons may set up camp chairs when ticket sales begin at 6 p.m. Picnics are also welcome, but no alcohol. Tickets are $5-$15. smph.org
- "Giant Steps: An Urbean Musical" performances at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St., have been canceled this weekend, July 28-31, due to an instance of COVID-19 in the cast. The run is expected to continue next weekend, with shows scheduled at 7 p.m. Aug. 4, 8 p.m. Aug. 5-6 and 2:30 p.m. Aug. 7. Tickets are $15-$25. theatrecentre.com
Find more events, and add your own, at timesfreepress.com/events.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.