Every year on the first Saturday in December, for 24 hours, Main Street comes alive with exciting + weird events designed to celebrate Chattanooga’s Southside.
But with more than 150 different events to choose from, it can be a little overwhelming for newbies, so we’ve broken it all down for you with five big events you can’t miss, some wildcard attractions that are sure to knock your socks off, and plenty of #ProTips to get you through the day in one piece.
So here we go.
Here are the big five
Annual Pancake Breakfast | 6:30 a.m. | Fire Station No.1 | 218 E. Main St. | $5 | Mainx24 is kicking off with one of the best ways to start a day: pancakes. This event will also be raising money for the Forgotten Child Fund as well as collecting toys and coats for children. 🥞
Southside Parade sponsored by EPB | 10:30–11:30 a.m. | All the way up and down Main Street | This parade is partially holiday-themed, but mostly, it’s just weird. There are handmade floats, adoptable dogs and Santa is at the end. This is what you would expect to happen when Chattanooga throws a parade. This year, Chattanooga legend “Sandy the Flower Man” will be the Grand Marshal. 🎅
World Heavyweight Chili Cook-Off | 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. | OCI, Furniture at Work | 326 E. Main St. | Every year, this competition generates at least 100 gallons of chili between teams who are trying to win the World Heavyweight Chili Championship Belt. This year’s competition also includes a cornbread category for those who believe they’ve mastered this southern recipe. Those who wish to sample these dishes may do so for between $15 and $20. 🌶️
Adult Big Wheel Race | You can get on a waiting list to participate starting at 11:30 a.m. (capacity reached already) and the first race begins at the end of the Southside Parade (12:30 p.m.) | The Chattanooga Choo Choo Gardens | 1400 Market St. | $75 for relay teams, $10 for individual racers | This event is almost as much fun to watch as it is to participate in. It consists of two races involving those big wheel machines (yeah, the ones from your childhood). The first is a relay race for teams of four with a race course filled with obstacles to avoid. The second is an individual racer event where participants will need the best finishing time to win. 🏁 The Sprints (drag races) will be on two tracks on Station Street with the Relays with teams in the gardens.
Carnival at Miss Griffin’s Hot Dogs | Noon–6 p.m. | Miss Griffin’s Footlong Hotdogs | 847 E. Main St. | What’s a good block party without some classic carnival shenanigans? This free event will have everything from games to balloon animals to circus performances. 🎡 This event changes to an Adult Carnival from 7 p.m.– 2 a.m.
Wildcard events
International Food Market | 4–6 p.m. | Fire Station No. 1 | 218 E. Main St. | This event sells out every year and people start getting in line early. This year there will be home-cooked foods from Jamaica, Trinidad, Iran, Iraq, Tobago, Spain, Italy, Vietnam, Madagascar, India, Sudan and more.
Silent Disco at Mean Mug Southside | 8–11 p.m. | Mean Mug Coffeehouse | 114 W. Main St. | If you’ve ever wanted to dance your heart out, but still want the bartender to be able to hear your drink order, this event may be for you. Music from Cutlass Cult played through the speakers of wireless headphones and drinks from The Bitter Alibi will keep you groovin’ all evening. 🕺
Human Foosball Tournament | 1–4 p.m. | Kyle House Fitness | 525 W. Main St. | Ever played foosball and thought about how you really wanted to be the one actually kicking the ball? Now’s your chance.
Neon Masquerade | 2–6 a.m. | Dance Tonight Chattanooga | 46 E. Main St. | This is one of the events that makes Mainx24 a literal 24-hour event. With electro and tech house music and free entry, this is a good way to end Mainx24 with a bang.
Chattanooga Zoo Pop-Up | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Fire Station No. 1 | 218 E. Main St. | The Chattanooga Zoo will be bringing some of their “animal ambassadors” to the fire station for attendees to meet and take photos with. The zoo will also be offering membership promotions and zoo giftables.
King Street Royal Ruckus | 11 a.m. Saturday–1 a.m. Sunday | The Moxy | 1220 King St. | This new event includes two stages for live music, live art creations, food trucks, animal adoptions, and Royal Ruckus cups filled with WanderLinger Brewing Company beer.
24 Hours of Improv | Every hour on the hour beginning at 7 a.m. | Improv Chattanooga | 1800 Rossville Ave. | Every hour on the hour for 24 hours, Improv Chattanooga will put on a 30-minute improv show for the attendees of Mainx24. Between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., Improv Chattanooga will also do mini-versions of their “Improv vs. Stand-up” show. 🎭
Fireworks on Station St. | 7:30–7:40 p.m. | The Chattanooga Choo Choo | 29 Station St. | What’s a good party without some fireworks? 🎇 This event is sponsored by Chattanooga Choo Choo + Fireball Whisky.
Street Soccer with Chattanooga Football Club | 1–4 p.m. | Station Street | This is exactly what it sounds like: soccer in the streets with your local soccer players. ⚽️ P.S. There will have two fields for double the fun.
Light Your Bike Ride | 6–7:30 p.m. | Fire Station #1 | 218 E. Main St. | Bicyclists are invited to come and light up and decorate their rides for a festive bike parade through Southside and downtown.
And here are some #ProTips 😎
🍻 Manage your drinking. Having a funnel cake, chili, pancakes and 15 beers by 1 p.m. isn’t as fun as it sounds and will definitely have you heading back home early.
😴 Take a rest. Trying to do everything will wear you out, kill your feet and also send you back home early. Find a place to sit or watch one of the other events so you can be ready for the fun to come. If you have kids, you may even want to map out some good rest stop locations.
🎒 Bring cash and a tote bag. Mainx24 is filled with art vendors. You’ll want cash to buy the beautiful pieces and a bag to carry them around in. Trying to dance with a poster is very difficult.
👕 Dress in layers. It’s December, so the likelihood of it being chilly is pretty high. But, that doesn’t mean you won’t get hot dancing to live music or racing a giant big wheel. Give yourself some options.
👟 Get there early or be prepared to park and walk. Don’t plan to park on Main Street, you’ll just end up angry. So, try to get there early or be prepared for a little bit of a walk. Luckily if you do walk, there are plenty of storefronts and restaurants between downtown and Main Street for you to check out.
🗣️ Network. Nearly all of Chattanooga will be out and about during this event, introduce yourself and make some new friends.
👀 You will see everyone you know. If you’re an introvert, don’t expect to wander the streets anonymously. If you’re an extrovert, this is good news for you!
🗺️ Yes, plan, but not too much. Part of the fun is the discovery process. Allow yourself the opportunity to walk around and be surprised by what you find.
Here are other ways to follow Mainx24 online—Facebook, Twitter and Instagram—and if you’re out, don’t forget to use the hashtag #Mainx24 when you snap pictures or share your experiences.
There are more events being added daily online here.
Ⓟ This content was created in partnership with Mainx24.
