This weekend's events include puppet history at the library, a sales tax holiday and several community celebrations. Here's a chronology.
ARTS
— The Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens, Tenn., continues its exhibition of "The Magic of Watercolor" through Aug. 14. The exhibition features water media artworks by artists with the Eastern Tennessee chapters of the Tennessee Watercolor Society. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The center is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Learn more at athensartscouncil.org.
— In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave., is displaying "A Fine Line," an exhibition featuring works by Doug McCoy, a Chattanooga native. McCoy's works are created through use of acrylic and archival ink mixing figurative and abstract imagery with pop culture references. The exhibition will run through July 31. The gallery is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Learn more at intowngallery.com.
— Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave., Suite A, is hosting its juried member exhibition through Sept. 8. The gallery is open 12-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 12-6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. All works featured were judged and scored by three regional arts professionals. The works were scored based on technique, creativity, design, visual impact and professional presentation. Out of 87 local artists, 30 were selected for the exhibition. The works represent a variety of mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, textile and mosaic. Learn more at avarts.org.
— Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave., will host "In Nature's Studio: Williams Island," which will take attendees on an excursion to Williams Island near Baylor School. The event, held in partnership with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the museum with a tour of the "In Nature's Studio" exhibit. After, attendees will travel to Williams Island where they will sketch or photograph Chattanooga's landscapes. Limited spots are available. Admission is $25 per person, $20 for members. All attendees must be 16 or older. learn more at huntermuseum.org/events.
MUSIC
— Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., will have three shows this weekend. At 9 p.m. Thursday, The Georgia Thunderbolts with Camden Smith will perform; tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 the day of show. At 9 p.m. Friday, Et Cetera with Dolphin Group will perform; tickets cost $12 in advance and $15 the day of show. At 9 p.m. Saturday, Fingernails Are Pretty, an all-female Foo Fighters tribute band, with Dollars Family Band will perform; tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 the day of show. Learn more at barrelhouseballroom.com.
— Nightfall, a weekly summer music series, continues at 7 p.m. Friday at Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. The headliner will be Joshua Hedley, and the opener will be The Magic Birds. There will be an art market starting at 6 p.m., and food trucks will start serving at 6:30 p.m. The event is rain or shine, and admission is free. Learn more at nightfallchattanooga.com.
— Off the Rails, a free concert series, continues this week at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Burr Performing Arts Park, 101 S. Hamilton St., Dalton, Ga. This week's performance features Sail On, a Beach Boys tribute band, as well as Remembering January and As Seen on TV. Learn more at visitdaltonga.com.
— Riverfront Nights, a weekly concert series, continues this week at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ross's Landing, 201 Riverfront Parkway. Concessions and drink sales begin at 6 p.m. The music performances will begin at 7 p.m. This week's featured performers are The Stews and Cowboy Mouth. The event is rain or shine, and admission is free. Learn more at riverfrontnights.com.
OUT & ABOUT
— History Funhouse: The Wayne-O-Rama Story is a new exhibition that will begin with an opening reception at 6 p.m. Thursday at the downtown Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St. The exhibition will feature the puppetry of Wayne White which was created for his "Wayne-O-Rama" installation in 2016-17 and explores Chattanooga history. The opening reception will feature hors d'oeuvres, refreshments and remarks from some of the artists and exhibition supporters. The exhibition will run through Dec. 31. Learn more at chattlibrary.org.
— Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday will be all day, Friday through Sunday statewide. The holiday removes sales tax from clothing items, school supplies and computers. Some restrictions apply. An additional three-month sales tax holiday applying to groceries will begin Aug. 1 and will continue through Oct. 31. Learn more at tn.gov/revenue.
— Hamilton County Schools is inviting members of the community to join the district, churches and other organizations Saturday for the "Better Together" day of service to help prepare school campuses for the first day of the school year. There will be volunteer projects at multiple times and locations. The projects can be chosen by school, location, time or specific skills and interests. Learn more at hcde.org.
— Pitt to Port Paddle will be from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday starting at the South Pittsburg Municipal Park and ending at the Bridgeport River Park. The free, 6.2-mile community paddle event gives attendees the opportunity to experience a day of outdoor recreation on the Tennessee River. Lunch will be provided, and participants and their equipment will be shuttled back to the municipal park. The event is a part of the Tennessee RiverLine initiative to connect and engage riverside communities with the Tennessee River. Register for the event on eventbrite.com.
— Aging with Grace will be 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the UTC University Center, 642 E. Fifth St. Held in conjunction with Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly's proclamation declaring August as Older Adults Month in Chattanooga, the event provides older adults the opportunity to enjoy entertainment, education and engagement. Seniors will be offered free lunch, free parking and door prizes. For more information contact Sylvia Dance, dancegirl37411@aol.com.
— Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will host "Calling on President Lincoln: 'The Bolts of War and Machinery'" at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Wilder Brigade Monument at the national park, 3370 LaFayette Road, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. The event is a 60-minute, ranger-led program focusing on the events surrounding the electromagnetic telegraph, which was of great strategic value during the Civil War. The event will feature a demonstration of the technology and how it affected the war. The event is free. Find more information at nps.gov/chch.
— Ultimate Success Karate TN will host an end-of-summer Family Fun Day for the Red Bank community from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the Plaza North shopping center, 3629 Dayton Blvd. The event will feature musical performances, games and activities, food and a karate demonstration. The event is free and open to the public. Find more information on the martial arts school's Facebook page.
— The Chattery will have a "Recess: Summer School Party" event from 2-5 p.m. Saturday at The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Suite 108. Relive the carefree days at this school-themed summer party where attendees can create friendship bracelets, make vision boards, play games, dance along to a DJ and enjoy snacks and drinks. The event is free while some party elements cost a nominal fee. Learn more at thechattery.org.
— Scenic City Veterinary Services will host a festival from 3-10:30 p.m. Saturday at Camp Columbus, 8601 Camp Columbus Road. The festival is being held to help raise funds to purchase a mobile radiograph unit for their mobile service, which specializes in large animals. Having the X-ray machine would enable the veterinary service to increase diagnostic accuracy and decrease associated costs. Local bands will perform, and there will be games and competitions such as an eating contest, dodgeball and cornhole. Admission is $15, and parking is $10. Learn more at sceniccityevents2021.com.
— Music & Movies in Miller will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park, 928 Market St. The event, presented by River City Co., will feature food trucks, art vendors, face painting, oversized games, activities including animal-themed arts and crafts by the Chattanooga Public Library and a book giveaway by Culture Books. Kofi Mauko and the Ogya World Music Band will perform live. Featured food trucks include Windy City Eatz, Spill the Beans, Straight to the Stomach, Penny Lemonade, Chattanooga Culture and Celeppe's. The evening will conlude with a screening of "Jumanji" starring Robin Williams starting at about 8:30 p.m. Learn more at rivercitycompany.com.
— Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors will host a dive-in movie night starting at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Warner Park Pool, 1105 McCallie Ave. The event will feature a screening of the 2023 animated film "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" in the pool at dusk. Entry to the pool is free but limited to 100 people due to lifeguard shortages. Games and music will be available outside the pool area.
— Chattanooga Market will end July with a bluegrass-themed edition of its market held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at the First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd. During the market, New Grass Express and Randy Steele, two local bluegrass acts, will perform live. In addition to the music, enjoy local foods, cold brews and fresh produce on sale at the market. Learn more at chattanoogamarket.com.
SPORTS
— Chattanooga Lookouts will have a series of games against the Montgomery Biscuits through the weekend. Each game starts at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and at 2:15 p.m. Sunday. Wednesday's game will have a Chick-fil-A giveaway. Thursday's game is Parrot Head Night featuring drink specials. Friday's game will be followed by fireworks. Saturday's game is Faith & Family Night with a used car giveaway and pregame performance by The Union. Sunday's game will feature free tickets with a donation of canned goods to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank as well as Catch on the Field with tennis balls provided. Tickets cost $7-$12. Find more information at milb.com/chattanooga.
— "As 1," a community kickball event, will be 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the Westside Community Center, 1201 Poplar St. Join the Chattanooga police and fire departments for a kickball game designed to foster better relationships between first responders and citizens. In addition to the game, there will be food, music and prizes. It is a free family-friendly event.
— Chattanooga Red Wolves will have a game against the North Carolina Football Club at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at CHI Memorial Stadium, 1 Stadium Way. General admission tickets cost $13-$17. Learn more at chattanoogaredwolves-sc.com.
THEATER
— Theatrico, one of Chattanooga's newest theater companies, will perform its debut production of "The Fantasticks," a musical following two young lovers whose feuding fathers try to keep them apart. The performances will be from 5:30-10:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at The Westin, 801 Pine St. Each evening will be an entertainment experience in the West Village with festivities such as a buffet dinner for VIP and package guests, street performers, games and mobile bars. Tickets range from $30-$450 based on the purchased package. Learn more at theatricochatt.com.
— Chattanooga Theatre Centre continues its production of "Something Rotten" with performances at 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the center, 400 River St. The play follows two brothers in the 16th century as they set out to write the world's first musical to get out of their contemporary William Shakespeare's shadow. The show will run through Aug. 6. It is appropriate for ages 13 and up. Tickets cost $25-$30. Find more information at theatrecentre.com.
— Ringgold Playhouse will perform "Play On," a comedy by Rick Abbot that follows a troupe of actors as they try to put on a play despite the author constantly rewriting it. There will be performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday all at The Ringgold Depot, 155 Depot St., Ringgold, Ga. Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors 55 or older. Learn more at nothinlikeringgold.com.
— Bobby Stone Film Series concludes this weekend with two screenings at the Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave. At 7 p.m. Friday, there will be a screening of "Jaws," the Steven Spielberg classic about a town terrorized by a killer shark. At 7 p.m. Saturday, there will be a screening of "No Country for Old Men," based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. Tickets cost $13.50 for general admission and $11.50 for students and seniors 65 or older. Learn more at tivolichattanooga.com.
— Signal Mountain Playhouse will conclude its production of "Seussical," a musical comedy based on stories by Dr. Seuss, this weekend with performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the playhouse, 205 - 311 Rolling Way. Tickets are sold at the door starting at 6 p.m., and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs for additional comfort. Tickets cost $5 for children 12 and under and $15 for all others; payment is cash or checks only. Learn more at smph.org.
Contact Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.