Chattanooga-area weekend festivals highlight pumpkins, Big Green Eggs

Photo Contributed by Kerry Hughes-Dishman / The Harvest Celebration on the Mountain is in its final weekend at Flat Top Mountain Farm in Soddy-Daisy.
Photo Contributed by Kerry Hughes-Dishman / The Harvest Celebration on the Mountain is in its final weekend at Flat Top Mountain Farm in Soddy-Daisy.

If you haven't picked out a pumpkin or made your way through a corn maze this season, time is running out.  Several multiweekend festivals close at the end of October.

Meanwhile, Myron Mixon, "the winningest man in barbecue," returns to Chattanooga to lead cooking classes at Scenic City EggFest, a showcase of Big Green Egg outdoor cookers.

Harold Stockburger, manager of the Elder's Ace Hardware on East Brainerd Road, is coordinating the event, which he said is "totally different" than the store appearance Mixon made here last year to promote a new book.

EggFest, he said by phone, "draws grillers -- what we call Eggheads -- from all over the Southeast" who'll prepare an array of foods on the cookers, everything from appetizers to entrees to desserts.

A majority of the cooks are backyard grillers from "all over East Tennessee and North Georgia," Stockburger said. "The pro division will include teams who have cooked at competition level."

Attendees will pay $25 for unlimited samples and a soft drink. Proceeds benefit the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

(READ MORE: 34 places around the area to celebrate Halloween, Day of the Dead)

(READ MORE: These weekend entertainment options don't require a costume or candy bag)

AT A GLANCE

These are among the festivals closest to Chattanooga. See the 2022 Chattanooga-area fall festival guide at timesfreepress.com for others within two hours' driving distance.

-- Fall Festival: Mayfield Farm Park, 257 state Highway 307, Athens, Tenn. Three corn mazes, pumpkin patch, zip lines, pig races, obstacle course and rope mountain, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 1-7 p.m. Sunday (final weekend). $17 online, $20 at gate all visitors ages 3 and up; individual and family season passes available. mayfieldfarmpark.com

-- Fall fun: Cloudland Canyon State Park, 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn, Ga. (Pavilion 6 near the start of the disc golf course). Friends of Cloudland Canyon present tractor-pulled hayrides running continuously noon-4 p.m. Saturday (final weekend); family activities including cornhole and temporary tattoos, noon-5 p.m., food available noon-3 p.m. Free; $5 parking (free with Georgia State Park pass). friendsofcloudlandcanyon.org

-- Fun on the Farm: Guthrie Farms, 490 County Road 67, Riceville, Tenn. Corn maze, hayrides to pumpkin patch, animal petting barn, bounce pad, games, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-6 p.m. Sunday (final weekend). $15 ages 2 and up. guthriepumpkinfarm.com

-- Harvest Celebration on the Mountain: Flat Top Mountain Farm, 638 Cemetery Road, Soddy-Daisy. Corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin patch, fall flowers, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday (final weekend). $10 ages 4 and up. Facebook.com/flattopfarmTN

-- Art festival: Jerusalem Acres Church of God, 1826 SE Dalton Pike, Cleveland, Tenn. Neighbors United Counseling and Referral Services event includes food, door prizes and auction of works by area artists, 6-8 p.m. Friday. $10. neighborsunitedcounseling.org

-- Pumpkinfest: Rhea County Courthouse square, 1475 Market St., Dayton, Tenn. Shopping, food and craft vendors, music, games, noon-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. Friday includes Punkin Chunkin contest for children and movie night at 5:30 p.m.; Saturday includes mud run at 9:30 a.m., pumpkin pie eating contest at 3:30 p.m., costume contest at 4 p.m. (must be registered by 3 p.m.) and trick-or-treating 5-7 p.m. Free admission. mainstreetdayton.org

-- Rocktoberfest: Rock City Gardens, 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, Ga. German music, food, specialty beer, birds of prey shows, costumed characters, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (final weekend). $18-$28. Reserved timed-entry tickets required. seerockcity.com

-- Scenic City EggFest: Collegedale Commons, 4950 Swinyar Drive. Unlimited samples of food prepared on Big Green Egg outdoor cookers, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, plus cooking classes led by barbecue expert Myron Mixon (brisket at 10:30 a.m., ribs at 1 p.m.). $25 in advance, $30 day of, free for children 12 and younger. Proceeds benefit the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. eventbrite.com

(READ MORE: Myron Mixon has advice, recipes, new book)

-- Spook-tacular at the River: Tennessee Riverpark, 4301 Amnicola Highway. Trunk-or-treat, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday; craft vendors, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; costume contest, 2 p.m.; plus selfie stations and live music. Free admission and parking. eventswithkimk@gmail.com

Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.

  photo  Staff File Photo by Robin Rudd / Barbecue expert Myron Mixon demonstrates how to prepare a "Triple Pig" at an appearance at the Elder's Ace Hardware store on East Brainerd Road on Aug. 16, 2021. Mixon will lead cooking classes at the Scenic City EggFest on Saturday at Collegedale Commons.
 
 

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