Lisa Denton
Barry CourterLISA DENTON: Barry, I don't know what your plans are this weekend, but it's a good chance to knock out some prep work for both St. Patrick's Day and Easter.
First there's the St. Chatty's Day Parade from downtown to the North Shore on Saturday. That starts at noon.
Then you can walk up to the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts for "Victorian Easter Bonnets: An Experience in Child Labor." It sounds so genteel until you get to the second part of the program title.
BARRY COURTER: How would one dress for both? I don't know that my St. Patty's Day drinking hat would go well with any of my wife's Easter bonnets. Maybe I could fancy hers up with some drink holders and tubing held together with fancy silk ribbon. I know that's stereotyping: Not every fancy bonnet uses silk.
Music fans should know that Corey Smith is coming back to Track 29 on Friday. He's been here every year since the venue opened almost five years ago and he always fills it up.
LISA: And Sir Elton John will be back at McKenzie Arena on Saturday. For this show, you can buy a Behind the Piano Backstage Tour package in addition to your ticket. The package includes a guided tour before the show by one of the crew members and a photograph with the piano Elton will be playing. I wonder how close they let you get. Elton doesn't strike me as the type of guy who'd let you warm up his piano seat.
BARRY: Oh, you might be surprised and, come to think of it, I bet Elton has a fancy hat. Think he'd loan it to me?
It is cool that he has made us a regular stop on his tours of late.
Speaking of good shows this week, indie folk act Blitzen Trapper is at Revelry Room on Wednesday. Also, the first two rounds of Road to Nightfall are Friday and Saturday at Granfalloon. You'll remember this involves local acts competing for the chance to headline one night of Nightfall. It's a good opportunity for the bands but also for fans to see some of the very best acts in town pretty much in one place.
LISA: This is also the first weekend for Shamrock City at Rock City when they turn the waterfall green, and it's the first week of the new Bunny Train at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. It seems weird that the holidays are just 10 days apart this year, but it's possible for them to be just five days apart. It's very rare (last in 1818, next in 2285), but Easter can fall as early as March 22. Might as well dye all your eggs green and carry them in a bagpipe.
BARRY: If you're looking for something a little more highfalutin, 212 Market restaurant is hosting a Masterpiece Experience Wine Dinner in conjunction with WTCI-TV channel 45 on Thursday. The five-course meal is a fundraiser for the PBS station. Wear the fancy hat.
Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.