Find the perfect gift to express gratitude and love for the role models in your life. | Graphic by 6AM City
Shopping for a loved one? With Mother’s Day falling on Sunday, May 11, it’s a great time to give to parents, grandparents, neighbors, mentors, and life-long friends. Browse the gifts we think will do the trick:
Custom initial jewelry dish | $16.99 | A sweet, delicate ceramic jewelry tray you can customize with their initial.
Local pick:Tilted glass decanter with ice pocket | $72 | Made with recycled glass, this decanter is perfect for their upcoming gatherings, offering a way to chill down wine + spirits without watering them down.
Weighted silk lavender eye pillow | $19.99 | A silk sleep mask and a cooling gel eye mask are included in this spa set that was named one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” in 2023.
Golf practice net | $99.99 | Golfers can perfect their swing before stepping out on the course with this golf net.
Barefoot Dreams lounge top | $99 | There may be no better gift than something luxuriously soft, cuddly, and cozy — this lounge top fits the bill.
Local pick:Cut flower garden in a box | $55 | Give the gift of growing their own flowers with this kit of mixed seeds that once grown, will provide an infinite amount of bouquets.
Mom’s story book and Dad’s story book | $24.95 | Prompt them to write down memories, advice, and stories in these guided journals.
Neck + shoulders heating pad | $39.99 | This electric heat wrap helps with back pain, muscle aches, and de-stressing.
Sewing Social Night | 6-8 p.m. | The Chattery (Broad Street) | $23 | Whether you’re a quilter, garment maker, or just love to sew, bring a project to work on with other enthusiasts.
Friday, May 2
blank/slate | Friday, May 2-Saturday, May 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Barking Legs Theater | $15 | Join local dance group collectively/here for a performance experience that brings endless possibilities to life.
Link Up | 8-10 p.m. | Chattanooga Public Library, Downtown Branch | Free | Spend your evening with the 423 Chain Breakers + check out the recording studio with the organization’s studio manager.
Saturday, May 3
Free Comic Book Day | Saturday, May 3-Sunday, May 4 | Times vary | Infinity Flux | Free+ | Head to the Scenic City’s largest comics, games, and pop culture store to get free comic books, shop specials + enjoy a “Star Wars” signing event.
St. Elmo Porchfest | 10 a.m.-9 p.m. | St. Elmo Neighborhood | Free+ | See over 20 bands play on porches, in parks, and at local businesses + enjoy lawn games, food trucks, and more fun like yoga.
Frazier Festival | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Frazier Avenue | Free+ | Come out for this new NorthShore festival featuring local shops + vendors up and down the block.
Odd Market | 12-8 p.m. | Stove Works | Free+ | Shop from 100+ vendors selling all things unconventional and extraordinary.
The Chattanooga Motorcar Festival organizers have announced that the festival will be postponed until 2026. The decision came from the continuing restructuring and expansion of the Chattanooga community + the festival’s ongoing re-evaluation of the dynamic family-friendly activities it can offer.
Travel
The Chattanooga Airport’s $28 million terminal expansion project has been named the 2025 Commercial Service Airport Architectural Project of the Year. The award, given by the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives, celebrates the project’s outstanding design + execution in airport architecture.
Outdoors
Crabtree Farms’ Farm Stand will open for the season on Saturday, May 3, featuring activities for the kids, a cooking demo, and a community potluck to celebrate. The stand will operate on Fridays + Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through November.
Try This
This Sunday, May 4 is the return of the Chattanooga Market’s Strawberry Festival. New to this year, locals can enter their best strawberry creation into the Baking Contest. See the rules + register by 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Bonus: See what else is coming to the market this year.
Read
Calling all book lovers. The Book & Cover’s annual Ink Drink event returns on Saturday, May 3, this year with a nautical theme. See the full lineup of events + get your tickets.
Arts
The public is invited to attend the 2025 Periscope Pitch Night and Entrepreneur Showcase on Wednesday, May 7 at the RISE Chattanooga Community Arts Space. The event spotlights local emerging artist-entrepreneurs as they pitch their creative business ideas live on stage. RSVP to attend.
Eat
Prepare your tastebuds, the Big Pig BBQ Festival will return to First Horizon Pavilion on Saturday, May 10. Attendees will sample a variety of barbecue creations while enjoying live entertainment + family-friendly festivities. Bonus: Proceeds from the festival benefit the Construction Career Center.
Theater
Scenic City Shakespeare will bring productions of “Much Ado About Nothing” on Friday and Saturday evenings from May 16 to June 14. The free shows depicting one of Shakespeare’s beloved comedies will take place at Greenway Farms — just bring your own chairs and blankets.
Cause
The Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga has launched its community input survey to help guide the organization’s future work to improve the lives of women and girls in Tennessee. Residents can complete the ~five-minute survey now through the end of June.
Try This
NOOGAtoday recently toured Cempa Community Care for a firsthand look at the in-house primary care, dental, and behavioral health services — and we stopped by the pharmacy on the way out. See the reel from our visit.*
Stat
$5,000. That’s how much you may have to drop if your dog or cat tears their ACL — a surprisingly common knee injury in pets. To the rescue: pet insurance. With this plan, 90% of that cost could be reimbursed.*
Number
540,000+. That’s how many customers choose this hearing aid when it comes time to make that decision for their loved ones. See why.*
Finance
Last chance to invest in the “Uber of mobile phones.”Mode Mobile grew 32,481% from 2019 to 2022, and just secured their Nasdaq ticker with plans for a potential IPO. The opportunity to invest at $0.26/share closes today.†*
Biz
Did you miss the chance to feature your business’s product or service in today’s feature of the 2025 Parents’ Gift Guide? Don’t worry — you can still secure your spot in time for Father’s Day. Bonus: Use code PGG2025 for 20% off at checkout.
Category
Arts
The zine scene is on
This year’s theme celebrates the history and evolution of zines in pop culture + the evolution and future of the library’s zine collection. | Photo provided by Chattanooga Public Library
The Chattanooga Public Library’s 4th Floor Makerspace will host its 8th annual Zine Fest on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The festival was first held in 2014 to celebrate the library’s debut of the Zine Library. Zines are independently made magazine-like print publications that can include short stories, nonfiction, prose, poetry, artwork, etc.
The free event is open to all ages and will showcase 30+ local and regional zinemakers, artists, and creators who are selling their work. Bonus: Today’s the last day to submit your zine to be a vendor.
This year, folks can expect hands-on activities like screenprinting, printmaking, papermaking, and photocopier art. Plus, there will be readings and discussions throughout the day from local art organizations + a special guest experience from the 309 Punk Project from Pensacola, FL.
Can’t make it to the Zine Fest? Check out the 4th Floor Makerspace’s interactive stations during the library’s regular hours.
The Buy
Swim trunks with pockets. These quick-drying swimsuit trunks have a hidden pocket built into an anti-chafe compression liner — perfect for keeping phones, keys, and cash safe on beach days.
Speaking of the Chattanooga Public Library, check out the recently launched Book Club in a Bag collection featuring 10 tote bags with 10 books, a magnifying glass, a recommended reading list + discussion questions.
The best part? All you need is a library card to get started.
}})
