Daily festivities + participation

Conservation + volunteering

• Fresh Out the Shoebox Poetry Sessions | Thursday, July 18 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Floor Five of The Edney Innovation Center, 1100 Market St., Chattanooga | Donation | This open mic night welcomes readers, writers, and listeners of poetry of all ages.
• Summer Camp at Reflection Riding | Thursday, July 18-Friday, Aug. 2 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Rd., Chattanooga | $250-$300 | 300 acres of hands-on discoveries, wildlife encounters + unforgettable outdoor adventures await kids ages 5-13 at Reflection Riding’s two summer camps.*

• Nightfall | Friday, July 19 | 5:30-10 p.m. | Miller Park and Plaza, 850 Market St., Chattanooga | Free+ | Grab your chairs and blankets to see performances by Jax Hollow and Jess Goggans + enjoy a market and lawn games.
• Evan Honer | Friday, July 19 | 9 p.m. | Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., Chattanooga | $20-$25 | See this young and upcoming artist known for crafting a musical blend of modern outlaw country, indie-folk + alt-pop.

• Clay Day | Saturday, July 20 | 12-4 p.m. | Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St., Chattanooga | Price of admission | Participate in air-dry clay activities with Scenic City Clay Arts + get a wheel-throwing demo.

• Bobby Stone Film Series | Sunday, July 21 | 2 p.m. | Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga | $13.50 | Get a special screening of Tim Burton’s fantasy world in the 2003 film “Big Fish.”

• Sage Hill Investors and CFC recently broke ground on its new headquarters at 1602 Riverfront Pkwy. The 65,000-sqft “Project Starball” development (a nod to CFC’s logo) will include retail, office, and apartment space, along with a restaurant + rooftop bar that is expected to be completed in January 2026.

• Walker Rocks Playground, a new all-abilities playground in nearby Walker County, GA, has opened to the public. The community is invited to attend a ribbon cutting for the new addition to the Civic Center complex in Rock Spring on Wednesday, July 31 at 11 a.m. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

• The Ooltewah area will soon be able to say “as seen on ‘Shark Tank’” when it comes to the opening of Crispy Cones. This franchise hopes to open by September, bringing its dough cone soft-served ice cream + that was made popular in places like the Czech Republic. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

• Next month will bring 24 high school football teams to compete at Finley Stadium during the annual “BlueCross Bowl… Prelude to a Championship.” Formerly known as the Jamboree, this event will take place over two weekends beginning Friday, Aug. 9. (Chattanoogan.com)

• Applications are now open for Tennessee American Water’s 2024 Firefighting Support Grant Program. Uniformed, professional, and volunteer fire departments can receive up to $1,000 to cover costs for equipment + training. Applications must be submitted by Friday, Aug. 16, and recipients will be notified in September.

• United Way of Greater Chattanooga will host its second annual United for Working Families Summit on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at The Westin. From 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., folks will hear from speakers + join in on discussions about how to foster family-friendly workplaces across our community.

• After 45,000 votes were cast statewide, the final four contestants of the inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee have been chosen. The winner of the contest will be announced at a luncheon at the PIE Innovation Center in nearby Cleveland on Thursday, July 25. See finalists + cast your vote.

• Ah, summer — long days, kayaking the river, a cold drink on the porch… and a sprained ankle? When summer doesn’t go as planned, Cempa Community Care can help. Bonus: That’s just one of our six health tips to keep the summertime adventures going.*

• New seating with shade
• Games like ping pong, cornhole, table-top chess + checkers, and spike ball
• Extra maintenance and cleaning services