This Saturday, MainX24, a 24-hour celebration of Chattanooga’s Southside district and the surrounding neighborhood, returns.
Each year, businesses and organizations in the area show up and show out on the first Saturday of December, hosting a variety of events from markets to competitions and more. This year’s parade, making its way down Main Street, will be from 10:30 a.m.-noon, with road closures running along Main Street and some designated side streets from 10 a.m.-noon.
With so much to do in 24 hours, here are 10 highlights from this year’s festivities. For more information, including a full calendar of events, visit mainx24.com.
— S’mores on the Southside will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Hart Gallery, 110 E. Main St. Stop by the gallery’s parking lot to warm up around the fire pits. S’mores kits and hot drinks will be available for purchase.
— Bluebird Row Christmas Market will run from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Bluebird Row apartments, 1348 Passenger St. There will be a variety of local craft, clothing and bakery vendors and a coffee truck.
— Pop-up Zoo will run from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Architectural Surfaces office, 405 E. Main St. The Chattanooga Zoo is bringing some animals for the public to meet. Zookeepers will be available for a chat, and there will be some zoo merchandise to take home.
— World Heavyweight Chili Championship will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at OCI, 326 E. Main St. Sample chili, drink some beer and bloody marys, and enjoy the tunes of a live DJ. Chili will be available at 11 a.m., with awards presented at 2 p.m. Tickets to sample the chili cost $15.
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— Holiday Block Party will run from noon-9 p.m. at the parking lot at the intersection of Station Street and Rossville Boulevard. A fundraising event for the Chattanooga Firefighters Association, there will be inflatables, face painting, a hot chocolate bar, a T-shirt table, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Clause, live music and more.
— Santa Paws Workshop will run from noon-3 p.m. at Battle Academy, 1601 Market St. The Humane Educational Society will have dogs for adoption and crafts for children. Pets, children and families will have the opportunity to take photos with Santa.
— Smash Booth will run from noon-6 p.m. at the Architectural Surfaces office, 405 E. Main St. Scenic City Clay Arts is bringing a pile of forgotten, cracked or imperfect pottery for participants to throw at a wall and smash. Cost is $5.
— Songbirds, 206 W. Main St., will host live music all day from noon-midnight. Among the lineup, there will be karaoke, student spotlights, a silent disco and a variety of bands. One ticket, costing $10, is good for the entire day.
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— Food Street with Tim Eats will run from 1-4 p.m. at Humanaut, 1404 Cowart St. The mini street food festival is bringing various Chattanooga eateries together. A ticket, costing $25-$28, gets attendees five samples from the vendors, with additional sample tickets available. In addition to the food, there will be beverages and entertainment. A portion of proceeds will support the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
— Love and Marriage Game, featuring Bad Santa, will run from 9:30-11 p.m. at The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St. Couples can compete against each other for a chance at winning a prize. This is an 18+ event. Tickets cost $22.
Contact community reporter Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.