What’s that sound? Oh, just Chattanooga making history in the US. | Photo by @joehdodd
Chattanooga has a lot more in common with London, England + Adelaide, Australia than you think — because it’s now a National Park City, a first for North America.
This two-year long journey certainly had a lot of boots on the ground in a joint effort that involved signatures from residents + work done by community leaders, business owners, and nonprofits. Let’s take a look back.
November 2023 | Chattanooga was nominated + launched a charter to get 5,000 signatures.
December 2024 | After researching, hosting events, drafting proposals + securing support, the Journey Book was created and the application was finalized.
February 2025 | The National Park City Foundation team provided feedback on the application.
March 2025 | The National Park City Foundation’s peer review board visited the Scenic City + provided insight.
Now, not even one month after the visit, the Scenic City was granted the designation. What does this actually mean though?
National Park Cities (not to be confused with a National Park) mark a long-term global grassroots movement where a city will lead with the goal of connecting residents to a greener + healthier lifestyle.
Think: Crabtree Farms’ community garden program where folks can grow their own greens like arugula and kale.
Photo by NOOGAtoday
For Chattanooga, this could mean efforts like education on native plant species, honoring cultural diversity, supporting sustainable practices, and much more. Think back to the introduction of the Parks and Outdoors Plan or when they introduced the mindset of the Scenic City being a “city in a park” versus a city with parks.
Spring Carnival | Friday, April 4-Sunday, April 20 | Times vary | Northgate Mall | Price of purchase | Get ready for an exciting season of thrills, games, and family entertainment with rides, classic carnival games + fair food — tickets are $1.25 each with bundle deals.
Braided Beauty | 6-8 p.m. | The Chattery (Broad Street) | $53 | Learn the art of Kumihimo, a traditional Japanese braiding technique, in this beginner-friendly class.
Movie Night | 7-10 p.m. | Tennessee Riverpark Hubert Fry Center Oval | Free+ | Bring your chairs and blankets to see a screening of the sci-fi comedy “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” + snack on free popcorn, play games, and more.
Saturday, April 5
Community Tree Planting | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Orchard Knob | Free, RSVP | Join Understory to plant trees in the Orchard Knob neighborhood — volunteers must be ages 14 or older.
Pigskin & Pig-Out | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Ooltewah Middle School, Ooltewah | Free | Meet the UTC Mocs football team, play a game of flag football + grab lunch from food truck vendors.
Sunday, April 6
Spring Plant Walk | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (CDT) | Bird Fork Farm, Dunlap | $25 | Identify plants while you take a walk through the garden with self-studied bioregional folk herbalist Alysia Leon — children under 14 get free entry.
Compost Like A Pro | 1-4 p.m. | Alter Eco Farms, Hixson | $75 | Learn about different types of compost, get your hands dirty during the demonstration + take home a one-gallon bucket of compost.
The City of Red Bank + White Oak Bicycle Co-op’s Traffic Garden will open with a ribbon cutting and bike rodeo on Wednesday, April 9. The site was designed to be a safe training ground for young riders in a car-free space — learn more about the process.
Open
Speaking of bikes, REM Cycles has opened in the Ooltewah area in Oakies Plaza. Folks can shop bikes whether it’s for street use or mountain biking, get pro-level services + connect with other cyclists in the community.
Civic
Neighborhood Services will host the CPD and Police Chief John Chambers at its next Neighborhood Roundtable Series on Monday, April 21. Starting at 5:30 p.m., attendees will hear highlights from the department’s annual report + be able to ask questions.
Festival
In case you missed it, tomorrow is the Chattanooga Outdoor Festival at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Gardens. Check out the official map, music lineup, vendor list, and more that you’ll experience from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. + read about the festival to get prepared for your outdoor adventure.
Environment
Keep Soddy-Daisy Beautiful’s annual Community Recycling Event will return on Saturday, April 26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can head to the Sequoyah High School parking lot to drop off tires and electronics + safely dispose of documents and old prescription drugs.
Seasonal
Pre-orders are now open for Main Street Meat’s Easter take-home menu, featuring spice-cured + smoked hams, lamb shoulder, classic sides, and desserts like carrot cake. Order your Sunday lunch or dinner by Thursday, April 17 at 8 p.m. — pick-up will be Easter weekend (April 19-20).
Arts
What do you get when you mix a county fair with the arts? Philanthrophair — an outdoor festival on Saturday, April 26 in the Stove Works courtyard, featuring over 50 art organizations and artists. Bonus: This event is one of many being hosted during ArtsBuild’s Arts Week.
Edu
Thinking of becoming a Moc? UTC’s Blue & Gold Preview Day is this Saturday, April 5: Register to join in oncampus tours, explore programs at the academic expo, and chat with current students + professors.*
Finance
Could you save an extra $1,300 a year? A 2024 survey found that switching car insurance providers could save you that much money annually. What would you do with the extra cash? (We see a “White Lotus"-esque vacation in our future.) See if you could save.*
Number
$100. That’s how much you can save on the HP Smart Tank 7602 printer for a limited time. Plus, you’ll get free shipping + two years of ink. Order it now.*
Category
Outdoors
🌱 Becoming even greener
Learn how Chattanooga is changing its tree culture + how every community can achieve their canopy goals. | Photo by Steadfast Images via Chattanooga Tourism Co.
Shortly after announcing proposed changes to the tree ordinance, the City of Chattanooga + community partners have launched the Chattanooga Tree Project.
With a tagline of “Look Up, Chattanooga,” this project is a five-year commitment to planting thousands of trees in neighborhoods. What can that impact look like? Job opportunities, greener + shadier spaces, and bringing residents together to plant and care for the trees is on the horizon.
You can view the impact + the types of trees being planted in real time by checking out the Tree Planting Dashboard — pro tip: Select your neighborhood to get a closer look. Let’s check out the numbers so far.
A pair of five-inch lined track shorts from lululemon. Designed for running, the shorts have a built-in liner for extra coverage and wick away sweat fast. Psst — these Soothfeel athletic shorts are a great workout option, too.
When we asked you all who you thought would win in this week’s CFC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves game, 88.5% of surveyors said CFC. If you saw the game, then you know after an intense round of penalty kicks to determine the winning team, the Red Wolves came out on top. Stay tuned on our Instagram today for the recap reel.
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