If you go
› What: Chattanooga Market› Where: First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St.› When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, May 21› Admission: Free› For more information: 423-648-2496
Five of the next six Sundays at Chattanooga Market are themed to favorite summer foods as the market enters its first stretch of "foodie" events.
The mother clucker of fried chicken events will take place Sunday, May 21, with a fried chicken festival presented by Springer Mountain Farms. Chefs from Atlanta to Chattanooga have been enlisted to fry up some chicken with their own unique twists. That will take place in Finley Stadium across from the market's location in First Tennessee Pavilion.
A thousand free wristbands were available for marketgoers to sample chefs' chicken specialties and they were all snapped up more than a week ago. Even though the chicken event is now closed to Sunday's visitors, there is still plenty of fresh produce and handmade goods of 200 vendors to browse this week.
Market spokeswoman Melissa Siragusa says that not only does the market have plenty of produce right now, but blueberry bushes and herb starts are in, which buyers can take home and plant.
"We also have a lot of new meat vendors," she adds.
This weekend's fried chicken fest will be followed by the EPB Street Food Festival May 28, EPB Strawberry Festival June 4, Father's Day Bacon, Blues and Brews on June 18 and Ice Cream Social June 25.
Sunday's visitors will be entertained by the music of Charlsey Etheridge at 12:30 p.m. and the area's popular Celtic band, the Molly Maguires, at 2 p.m.
Almost immediately upon relocating to Nashville from her home in Georgia, Etheridge had the opportunity to work with Grammy Award-winner Harley Allen, as well as Grand Ole Opry member Steve Wariner.
In a town where relationships mean everything, she found herself jamming with the likes of Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Soon, she was sharing an opening stage for Little Big Town and performing at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe.
Etheridge's original songs are penned with simplicity and honesty. With a strength of spirit instilled by a loving family and an appreciation for Southern culture and storytelling, she is a refreshing voice on the music scene.