The music-centric Riverbend Festival marks its 40th anniversary this weekend, while community festivals in Athens, Tenn., and LaFayette, Ga., celebrate cows and honeybees, respectively. Here's a look at those and other events around the region.
ARTS
— Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, will observe its monthly Throwback Thursday 4-8 p.m. The event offers free admission to the permanent collection and $5 admission to view the current exhibition, "In Nature's Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting." Also Thursday, at 6 p.m., Mandy Cowley, executive director of A Step Ahead Chattanooga, which provides free birth control, will lead an Art + Issues program that uses works by abstract artist David Park as a discussion starter on reproductive education and access in Tennessee. huntermuseum.org
— In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave., will feature "From Coffee to Cocktails," works by Jennie Kirkpatrick in June. An opening reception is scheduled 5-8 p.m. Friday. intowngallery.com
— ClearStory Arts, 1673 S. Holtzclaw Ave., will host an opening reception for "Let's Celebrate Queer Pride" 6-8 p.m. Friday. The exhibition by local artists continues through July 1. The first Friday at the gallery also features open studios, a mini market and live demonstrations by the resident artists. clearstoryarts.com
— Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St., will open the exhibition "Y'all Don't Hear Me: The Black Appalachia," with a reception 6-8 p.m. Friday. The exhibition, which continues through July 8, is among events in the monthlong Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas. stoveworks.org
— Incline Art Crawl, the last until fall, is this weekend on Old Mountain Road by the Incline Railway, 3917 St. Elmo Ave. The pop-up outdoor market features art fashion and music. Hours are 4-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Free parking is available at Food City, 3801 Tennessee Ave. Admission is free. sacredmothersincline@gmail.com
MUSIC
— Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., will feature the Matt Turnure Quartet in the weekly installment of Jazz in the Lounge at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Cover is $5. The Floor Is Yours, a monthly offering, will have an LGBTQ+ theme for June. "From Bessie to Leslie: Honoring How Queer People Shape Our City and World," which namechecks Chattanooga natives Bessie Smith and Leslie Jordan, asks performers to draw inspiration from personal experience or from queer artists, celebrities, public figures or people in their lives. The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $10 (free to registered performers); must be 18 or older to attend. barkinglegs.org
— Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave., will welcome rockers Ryan Adams & The Cardinals at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $29-$99. tivolichattanooga.com
— Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., has three shows this weekend. Thursday offers country singer Channing Wilson, with support from Nathan Farrow and Davey Smith, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20-$25. Friday features Slippery People in a tribute to the rock band Talking Heads at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12-$15. At 10 p.m. Saturday, local jam band Dizgo will host an after-party for Goose's Riverbend set. Tickets are $15-$20. barrelhouseballroom.com
— Nightfall, a summer music series, continues Friday at Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. Local band Clare Donohue Quartet, featuring Ken Watters, opens at 7 p.m.; blues rocker Patrick Sweany headlines at 8 p.m. Food trucks and an art market will be set up by 6:30 p.m. at Miller Park across M.L. King Boulevard. Admission is free. nightfallchattanooga.com
Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga resident April Kay spins a Hula-Hoop as the Communicators perform at the 2022 Riverbend Festival.— Riverbend Festival will mark its 40th anniversary this weekend with more than 20 artists on multiple stages at Ross's Landing, 101 Riverfront Parkway. Headliners are country star Maren Morris on Friday, rock act Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats on Saturday and jazz artist Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue on Sunday. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Wristbands are $95 for a single day, $145 for three-day general admission; free for children 10 and younger. riverbendfestival.com
— June Jam, the Alabama band's charity concert benefiting disaster relief in their home state, will be revived Saturday in Fort Payne, Ala., after a 26-year absence. In addition to the hosts, the concert will feature country stars Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, Randy Travis, the Oak Ridge Boys and The Frontmen. Music starts at 1 p.m. CDT at the DeKalb VFW Fairgrounds, 151 19th St. NE. Bring your own seating. Tickets are $49-$79. thealabamaband.com
— Campfire Concert Series continues at 6:30 p.m. Saturday with soul/R&B act Three Star Revival at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Road. The $30-$35 tickets include Hutton & Smith beer, s'mores and entertainment. Overnight field camping is available for $5 per person. reflectionriding.org
— Gem Theatre, 114 N. Wall St., Calhoun, Ga., will host country legend T.G. Sheppard at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $39-$48. calhoungemtheatre.org
— Songbirds, 35 Station St., will welcome rising R&B artist Terrence Kelley, who's originally from Chattanooga, in The Experience: Passion and Pain, at 8 p.m. Saturday. He'll sing from his album "Heartbreak Is My Life," backed by a full band. Tickets are $25-$30. songbirdsfoundation.org
— The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tenn., will host rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, with Kamikaze Palm Tree and DJ Crenshaw, this weekend. Only $59 general-admission lawn seating is available for shows at 8 p.m. CDT Saturday and Sunday in the outdoor amphitheater. The underground shows Thursday and Friday are sold out. thecaverns.com
— Dalton Convention Center, 2211 Tony Ingle Parkway, Dalton, Ga., will host a firefighters benefit concert, a Kiss tribute by Mr. Speed, at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $28. Proceeds go to Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association Local 820 or Cleveland Fire Fighters Association Local 3748. cffafundraiser.org
OUT & ABOUT
— East Ridge Splash Pad, at the playground at 1509 Tombras Ave., opens Thursday for the season. Hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through September, though the schedule may vary due to weather or maintenance. The East Ridge Parks & Recreation department has added benches inside the observation area and plans to purchase shade structures to better accommodate visitors not playing in the water, according to a news release. eastridgeparksandrec.com
— Civil War history: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park historian Jim Ogden and railroad historian Mark Brainard will lead a two-hour, 2.5-mile hike on the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway 6-8 p.m. Thursday that details the Civil War struggles for control of railroad bridges, a chapter of Civil War history often overshadowed by the better-known battles for Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Participants will meet in the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum parking lot, 4119 Cromwell Road. The hike is free, but registration is required. thechattery.org
— Dixie Highway Yard Sale, which includes grassroots and vendor participation, is Friday through Sunday along a North Georgia stretch of old Highway 41, a route established in the early 1900s, not to be confused with the newer four-lane known as U.S. 41. The sale runs 90 miles from Ringgold to Marietta and is accessible from Chattanooga at the East Ridge exit of Interstate 75. acworth.com
— Stable 41 Farmers Market, 214 First St., Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., will open its Thursday Fresh Market this week. Hours are 3-6 p.m. Thursday through the summer. The regular Sunday market, which is open 1-4 p.m., will include a petting zoo this week. stable41market.com
SETHRA CASA Rodeo is this weekend, benefiting the Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency's Court Appointed Special Advocates program, which represents child victims in cases of abuse and neglect during legal proceedings in Bledsoe, Grundy, Marion and Sequatchie counties. This is the program's biggest fundraiser, and proceeds are used for training. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. CDT Friday and Saturday at Coops Creek Commons, 287 Pine St., Dunlap, Tenn. Tickets are $10-$15 at the gate. sethracasa.org
— River City Balloon Glow and Laser Show will set up an array of hot-air balloons this weekend at the Tennessee Riverpark, 4301 Amnicola Highway. Produced by Aerial Advantage, the event includes nightly hot-air balloon glows and laser shows coordinated to music; tethered balloon rides (for an extra $25); DJ and live music; food, craft and retail vendors; and a Kids Zone with games, train rides, inflatables and a rock climbing wall. The fun starts at 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday and lasts through sunset. Bring your own seating. Friday tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children ages 2-17. Saturday and Sunday admission is $20 and $8. balloonglows.com/light-up-tn
— The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St., has two headliners this weekend. New Orleans comic Jeff D, known for his satiric point of view, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday and at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $19-$22. Atlanta-based GR Goodwin, who got his start at The Comedy Catch, will visit at 7 p.m. Sunday, along with a few friends. Tickets are $20-$25. thecomedycatch.com
— The Language of Birds Hike is set for 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday on the Guild-Hardy Trailhead, 410 Ochs Highway. Field ornithologist Laura Marsh will explain the communication styles of various birds. Cost is $25. thechattery.org
— Hixson Farmers Market will include live entertainment among its offerings 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, 7514 Hixson Pike. The weekly market regularly features local farmers, gardeners and artists. stalbansmarket@gmail.com
Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Teal Thibaud, with Little Things Lab, attaches painted wooden hexagons to create a bee-themed mural during the annual Honeybee Festival in Lafayette, Ga., on June 4, 2022.— Honeybee Festival is 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday in downtown LaFayette, Ga. The festival includes professional and backyard barbecue competitions, food, arts and crafts vendors, a car show, children's activities and live entertainment on multiple stages, headlined by country stars Matt Stell and Drake Milligan. Shuttles will be running for off-site parking. Kickoff events, which include train rides, a cornhole tournament, beauty pageant and live entertainment, start at 5 p.m. Friday. Admission is free. mycityoflafayette.org
— National Moofest, a celebration of the city's dairy industry, is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Athens, Tenn. The event includes 100 arts, crafts and food vendors, Mayfield eating contests and entertainment on multiple stages. Admission is free. friendlycityfestivals.com
— Tours of the Gordon-Lee Mansion, 217 Cove Road, Chickamauga, Ga., will be offered 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays through Labor Day. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Friends of the Gordon-Lee Mansion, which maintains the historic structure, which has Cherokee and Civil War significance. Cost is $1-$5. friendsofthegordonleemansion.org
— SOS Fest, aka the Summer Outreach Safety Festival, is 3-7 p.m. Saturday at the South Chattanooga Community Center, 1154 W. 40th St. Health experts and first responders from Erlanger, Chattanooga Fire and Police departments, city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors and the Department of Community Development will be on hand to offer tips for a safe and healthy summer. Free food and 30-plus exhibitors are also scheduled. erlanger.org
— RBG Ball, a fundraiser named for the colors of the Pan African flag (red, black and green), starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. The $60 ticket includes a cocktail hour, gourmet dinner and the second annual Black Arts Awards and Dance. A separate $20 ticket is available for the awards only. The ball is part of the monthlong Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas. blackartsandideasfest.com
Staff file photo by Olivia Ross / Branham Turner of Clumpies scoops samples into ramekins for the Ice Cream Social at the Chattanooga Market on June 12, 2022.— Chattanooga Market plans an Ice Cream Social 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd. A $10 donation to Girls Inc. buys samples from Ben & Jerry's, Clumpies, Cold Stone Creamery, Ice Cream Show and Squirrel Rabbit Coffee Bar and Creamery. Each will serve up their most popular flavor, and a vegan choice will be included. Then patrons can use their ticket to vote for their favorite. Visitors also will find a selection of farm produce, artisan foods, flowers, arts, crafts and food trucks. Music is by Fresh Mind at 12:30 p.m. and Josh Wheeler at 2 p.m. Admission is free. chattanoogamarket.com
— Chattanooga BBQ Week starts Monday, serving up $6 barbecue specials at more than a dozen restaurants through June 11. chattanoogabbqweek.com
— Chattanooga Lookouts will start a six-game home series against the Birmingham Barons at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. Promotions include buy-one, get-one general admission with a Food City ValuCard. lookouts.com
THEATER
— "The Sunshine Boys," a Neil Simon classic about two legendary comics reunited for a revival of their vaudeville act, will play this weekend at the Ringgold Depot, 155 Depot St., Ringgold, Ga. The Ringgold Playhouse production will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10. facebook.com/theringgoldplayhouse
— "As You Like It," a Shakespeare in the Park production by Scenic City Shakespeare, has been extended another weekend because of rainy weather for some of the previous shows. The pastoral comedy will be offered again at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Greenway Farms, 4960 Gann Store Road. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Paid VIP options are available. sceniccityshakespeare.org
— "Spamalot," a musical based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a parody of the King Arthur legend, will play the next two weekends at the Dalton Little Theatre, 210 N. Pentz St., Dalton, Ga. Shows start at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. June 9-10. Tickets are $10-$15. daltonlittletheatre.com
Find more events, and add your own, at timesfreepress.com/cnevents.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.