Hey Chatt!! Here is your August 28th to 30th, 2026 weekend guide!

⚾ Running All Weekend

Lookouts Close Out the Columbus Series

The last home stand of August at Erlanger Park, three straight nights against the Braves' Double-A affiliate.

Fri 8/28, 7:00 PM · Fireworks Friday

Sat 8/29, 6:30 PM · Throwback Night + ZOOperstars!

Sun 8/30, 6:30 PM · First Responders Night

⭐ The Big One

Chattanooga World Food Truck Festival

The July festival got rained out, so this is the do-over, and it's bigger. 40+ food trucks and 50+ vendors representing 14 countries, 100+ local artisans and retailers, a Kids Zone, live music all day, a festival-wide scavenger hunt, and giveaways including a Blackstone grill and smoker packages. Stick around: there's a free outdoor screening of Ratatouille at 9:00 PM.

🕐 Saturday, Aug 29 · 11:00 AM–7:00 PM, movie at 9:00 PM

📍 Tennessee Riverpark, 4301 Amnicola Hwy

💰 FREE — no ticket needed

🐟 AmVets Fish Fry Friday

The American Veterans post runs its weekly fish fry out of the Veterans Club, whiting and catfish, sandwiches and plates. Free to walk in, you just pay for what you eat. Exactly the kind of low-key local thing that never makes the big event calendars.

🕐 11:00 AM–4:00 PM

📍 Veterans Club, 2114 Wilder St

💰 FREE ENTRY

🎬 Beach Movie Night at Ross's Landing

The kickoff to Chatt Town Cool Down weekend, food vendors, lawn games, live music, and an outdoor screening of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants right on the riverfront. Bring blankets and low chairs.

🕐 7:00 PM

📍 Ross's Landing, 100 Riverfront Pkwy, Downtown

💰 FREE

🎭 Improv After Hours

Improv Chattanooga and the Public Library team up for a comedy show inside the downtown branch after it closes for the night. Free, and a genuinely fun premise if you're skipping the movie.

🕐 7:00 PM

📍 Chattanooga Public Library, Downtown Branch, 1001 Broad St

💰 FREE

🖤 Verre Noir's Black Parade Night Market

An emo-themed night market on Frazier Ave, dozens of local artists and makers, five musicians playing classic emo anthems, four tattoo artists doing themed flash, psychic readings, and a Polaroid setup in the stairwell for appropriately angsty photos. Costumes encouraged.

🕐 7:00–10:00 PM

📍 Verre Noir, 36 Frazier Ave, Northshore

💰 FREE

🎤 Ontonio Kareem

Standup at the Comedy Catch inside the Choo Choo, two shows a night, Friday and Saturday both. If the early show sells out, the 9:15 usually has room.

🕐 Two shows: 7:00 PM & 9:15 PM (also Saturday)

📍 The Comedy Catch at The Choo Choo, 29 Station St, Southside

💰 $22.75–$28

🎵 Brother and the Hayes

With The Lonesome Wave and Braden Wall opening. A solid three-band bill at Songbirds on the Southside.

🕐 7:00 PM

📍 Songbirds, 206 W Main St, Southside

💰 $20–$25

🎶 Jason Lyles Duo at Puckett's

Free live music with dinner, steps from the Aquarium. No cover, tips appreciated. An easy low-effort Friday if you don't feel like committing to a whole event.

🕐 7:30–9:00 PM

📍 Puckett's, 2 W Aquarium Way, Downtown

💰 FREE

💦 Chatt Town Cool Down

The 4th annual summer sendoff at Coolidge Park. A 5K at 9:00 and a kids' fun run at 10:15, then water slides, a foam slide, a sprinkler run, rock climbing, a dunk tank, and an obstacle course. Free carousel rides, yoga and line dancing workshops, a fire department spray demo, food trucks, and a sensory-friendly zone for kids who need a quieter corner.

🕐 Races from 9:00 AM · Festival 11:00 AM–3:00 PM

📍 Coolidge Park, 150 River St, Northshore

💰 FREE

📚 Dolly-Inspired Book "Sale" (It's Free)

Planned before Monday, and now it lands as something else entirely. A Dolly-themed children's book giveaway at the downtown library, free, in the week she died. They're calling it a sale, but you pay nothing. Two hours only, so go early.

🕐 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

📍 Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St, Downtown

💰 FREE

🛍️ Chattanooga River Market

The weekly Saturday market on the Aquarium Plaza, local artists, makers, handcrafted goods, and a food truck. Live music from Jessamyn Rain this week.

🕐 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

📍 Tennessee Aquarium Plaza, 1 Broad St, Downtown

💰 FREE

🍸 Chattanooga Cocktail Club

A working mixologist walks you through building two signature cocktails at Nightcap on the Southside. Tools, spirits, and ingredients are all provided, and you leave with the recipe cards. Capped at 12 people, so it books up. Go three times and you're a member, which gets you discounts at participating bars around town.

🕐 Every Saturday, 2:00 PM — book ahead

📍 Nightcap Cocktails & Sweets, 216 W 8th St, Downtown

💰 $44 per person, reservation required

✨ Twilight Grand Market

The 2nd annual evening market at the Choo Choo, handmade jewelry, juried art, vintage and repurposed finds, and retail from local sellers. Live music from Jason Lyles and Taylor Levin, plus food and drinks. Runs late, so it's a good after-dinner stop.

🕐 5:00–10:00 PM

📍 Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St, Southside

💰 FREE

🏎️ King of Chatt Car & Bike Show

Classic cars, custom builds, and bikes take over First Horizon Pavilion for the day, with food, music, and awards. All ages. Doors at 10:30, and note that parking is paid.

🕐 11:00 AM–6:00 PM (doors 10:30 AM)

📍 First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd, Southside

💰 Tickets via Eventbrite

⚽ Chattanooga FC vs. Carolina Core FC

The Foxes rematch, billed as a late summer rivalry night at Finley. Good energy in the stands and an easy walk from the Southside bars afterward.

🕐 7:00 PM

📍 Finley Stadium, 1826 Reggie White Blvd, Southside

💰 Tickets required

🎻 The Landon Fitzpatrick Band

A listening-room show in St. Elmo, meaning people actually shut up and listen. Tiered seating, so the price range is wide depending on how close you want to be.

🕐 Doors 5:00 PM, show 6:00 PM

📍 The Woodshop Listening Room, 5500 St Elmo Ave

💰 $16 and up

🏈 Team Spirit Day at the Chattanooga Market

Football season is here, so wear your colors while you shop. Pro, college, or high school, all fair game. Live music from Sloppy Street Tacos, food trucks, farm-fresh produce, and the usual lineup of local makers.

🕐 11:00 AM–4:00 PM

📍 First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd, Southside

💰 FREE

🎸 Lew Card at Johnny Ringo's

Sunday afternoon Americana up in Red Bank, about ten minutes past the Northshore. A low-key way to stretch the weekend out a little longer.

🕐 1:00 PM

📍 Johnny Ringo's Tavern, 5308 Dayton Blvd, Red Bank

In Memoriam

Dolly Parton

January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026

Dolly passed away on Monday in Nashville at 80. Long before she was anyone's idea of a legend, she was a 20-year-old who drove down to Ringgold, twenty minutes from here, and married Carl Dean on May 30, 1966. They came back most years for the anniversary.

“We got married over in Ringgold, Georgia,” she told a local anchor once, “which is just right across the road from you.” Carl spent part of his childhood on Missionary Ridge. “We’re very fond of Chattanooga and that whole area.”

The mural of the two of them in downtown Ringgold has been buried in flowers, photos, and cards all week. Her family has asked for donations to the Imagination Library in place of flowers. It has been mailing free books to kids in this county since before most of them could read the covers.

🚂 Have family coming to town? Here's your afternoon.

Chattanooga Derailed: Trolley Tour + Train Ride
A vintage trolley ride through downtown plus a trip on the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Missionary Ridge Local. Turntable demo, restoration shop, the whole thing. Perfect for when the in-laws visit.

🍴 Still hungry after the food truck festival?

Southside Food Tour with Lunch
Three hours, six stops, one very full stomach. A guided walking tour through Chattanooga's Southside with tastings at local restaurants, plus a sit-down lunch to finish.

⚓ Have you ever seen Chattanooga from the water?

Private Electric Boat Rental on the Tennessee River
Skipper your own quiet electric boat down the Tennessee River. No license needed, no gas fumes, no engine noise. Cruise past Ross's Landing, under the Walnut Street Bridge, and along the Riverwalk at your own pace.