• Noontunes | Friday, Sept. 22 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Broad Street (Aquarium Way-High Point Climbing Gym), Chattanooga | Free+ | Head to this lunchtime series for a plant + seed swap, and listen to live music by Karen Collins ft. Thomas Bumpass.
• Campfire Concert Series | Friday, Sept. 22 | 6-10 p.m. | Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Rd., Chattanooga | $0-$35 | Enjoy an outdoor concert by Bluesfrog & The Georgia Rhythm Crickets around a warm campfire with s’mores and drinks.
• Summer Forever Beach Bash | Friday, Sept. 22 | 7 p.m. | TailGate Brewery, 1464 Market St., Chattanooga | Price of purchase | Celebrate the end of summer with drink specials, a new frozen cocktail release, and Hawaiian pizzas.
• Torchlight Gala | Friday, Sept. 22 | 7-10 p.m. | The Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave., Chattanooga | $80-$105 | Spend an evening enjoying hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, and a silent auction.

• Fall Plant Sale and Festival | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga | Free+ | Shop for your fall garden + enjoy live music, local vendors, and food trucks.
• Chattanooga Taco Festival | Saturday, Sept. 23-Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Camp Jordan Amphitheater, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy., East Ridge | Free+ | Taco Tuesday is moving to the weekend at this festival with 150+ vendors, live entertainment + activities for the kiddos.
• Cannabis Music Festival | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Coolidge Park, 150 River St., Chattanooga | Free+ | Try various food + CBD products while enjoying live music.

• Makers Market | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | First Horizon Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd., Chattanooga | Free+ | Celebrate local artists in the community at the Chattanooga Market with a special live painting + vendors “making” various crafts right at their booths.
• Fairytale Fall Ball | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 2-4 p.m. | Collegedale Commons, 4750 Swinyar Dr., Collegedale | $20 | Kids ages 2-10 will get to meet their favorite fairytale characters, dress up, and receive dance instructions.

• National Public Lands Day, one of the nation’s largest single-day volunteer efforts to promote environmental stewardship, falls on Saturday, Sept. 23. Check out ways to get locally involved.

• Fun fact: recent studies have shown a rise in the interest of non-alcoholic beverages — any readers feeling sober curious? Find out where to get local craft mocktails + our recommendations on what to order during your next night out on the town.

• From today through Sunday, Sept. 24, the Chattanooga Public Library Foundation will offer a limited number of non-city resident library cards for free at its upcoming Fall Book Sale. 70 cards (typically purchased for $50) will be available first come, first serve at Venue 701.

Why go

• The island is home to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge where you can find herds of wild ponies roaming the marshland and beaches. Fun fact: The ponies have been living on the island for hundreds of years.

Act like a local

• Climb to the top of the Assateague Lighthouse. Decorated in red and white stripes, the 142-ft lighthouse has been a fixture on the island for 150 years.

Where to stay

• Vrbo: Family beach vacay coming up? This 4 bed, 2.5 bath waterfront home in the Smugglers Cove area offers a peaceful + private island experience. ($315/night)

• It doesn’t get more luxurious than the Drowsy sleep mask, which is silky smooth on skin and completely light-blocking for the deepest sleep.

• The Bentgo stackable lunch box includes two stackable containers, built-in silverware, and dividers to snugly fit food portions into individual compartments.

• Your fall drink: A Negroni cocktail made with Ritual Zero Proof’s award-winning non-alcoholic spirits. You’ll skip the hangover and still get all the classic taste.