Who wouldn’t want to shop in a festive setting like this? | Photo by NOOGAtoday
Take out your calendar and text your friends — these are the top events we recommend this month.
Markets
Christmas at the Choo-Choo | Saturday, Dec. 6 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Chattanooga Choo-Choo | Price of purchase | Shop unique gifts, sip festive brews, and soak up the magic as the Choo-Choo turns into a Christmas market wonderland.
Last Minute Market | Saturday, Dec. 20-Sunday, Dec. 21 | Times vary | The Commons in Collegedale | Price of purchase | Just days before Christmas and Kwanzaa + right in the middle of Hanukkah, this is the perfect opportunity to pick up last-minute gifts made by locals.
“The Nutcracker” features the Chattanooga Symphony and 200+ dancers.
Photo via Chattanooga Ballet
Theater + concerts
Chattanooga Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” | Friday, Dec. 12-Sunday, Dec. 14 | Times vary | Memorial Auditorium | $33+ | Watch as a nutcracker comes to life, mice clash with soldiers, and a holiday adventure unfolds in a land of sweets.
Jim Brickman: “The Gift of Christmas” | Monday, Dec. 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Walker Theatre | $54+ | Join this famous pianist in a cozy concert of timeless Christmas songs and fan-favorite hits.
Always wait until the last minute to make New Year’s Eve plans? Same.
This year, you could plan ahead and celebrate in style at Cloudland’s black-tie celebration, featuring fine dining, live music, and a champagne countdown above the clouds.
A big change could be coming to Patten Parkway: A Nashville developer wants to demolish a row of 1880s brick buildings (currently on the National Register of Historic Places) and build a 12-story mixed-use project with 266 apartments. The Planning Commission will vote on the proposal Monday, Dec. 8. (Chattanoogan)
Traffic
Houston Street, between East 10th + 11th streets, is closed after the old and empty Mountain City Stove Co. building partially collapsed on Tuesday. City officials are asking the public to steer clear of the area while engineers evaluate the building. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Outdoors
Red Bank wants community input on its future park space, and city officials will be at two upcoming events to show early designs + take feedback. They’ll be at Traffic Garden Jams this Saturday, Dec. 6 and the Christmas Parade and Festival on Saturday, Dec. 13. (Chattanoogan)
Travel
Do you have a REAL ID? Starting in February, fliers will be charged a $45 fee if they don’t have a REAL ID or passport. You can get one at the Driver Services Centers at 6502 Bonny Oaks Dr. and 4873 Dayton Blvd., or you can go to the Hamilton County Courthouse. (AP News via WDEF)
Ranked
Chattanooga drivers, you’re not imagining it — our traffic made the national charts. Two local spots landed in the American Transportation Research Institute’s top 100 worst bottlenecks. The I-75/I-24 interchange came in at No. 28 and I-24/Hwy. 27 interchange downtown ranked No. 56. Wonderful. (WDEF)
Festival
Bonnaroo announced its 2026 lineup, featuring The Strokes, Rüfüs Du Sol, Noah Kahan, and more. The festival runs June 11-14 in Manchester, TN, and tickets go on sale this Friday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. If you don’t want to make the drive, see who’s playing at our local venues.
Shop
We know your trees are already perfect, but do you have room for one more ornament? Here’s Chattanooga’s official ornament that shows off our status as America’s first National Park City. You can buy one online for $25 and all proceeds will support the Hart Gallery and Signal Centers.
Stat
26%. That’s how much you can save on all Newsletter Text Ads and Email Banner Ads when you use code COUNTDOWNTO2026 on our business promo portal. No long-term contract required + your promo can be here in as little as two days. Get started.
Health
Meet Horizon IX, an innovative hearing aid that a leading audiologist calls “nothing short of a miracle.” With dual processors for sharper speech and less noise, it offers a nearly invisible design for all-day comfort. Try it at no risk for 45 days and experience effortless hearing for the holidays.*
This FDA-registered vibrator is recommended by doctors because it boosts arousal and supports natural lubrication, thanks to its bendable shape designed to stimulate all the right spots. Even better? Save 35% + an extra 15% with code H4PPY15.*
The Buy
Three viral products that are actually worth paying attention to:
☕ A JavaSok — aka an insulated neoprene sleeve for your favorite iced drinks. The widely popular product is an Amazon bestseller + one of the top gifts of the season. Bonus: Discover Soks for cans, water bottles, ice cream pints, and more.
🥘 The StoveShelf — as seen in Business Insider and Food & Wine. It’s a high-quality magnetic attachment for your stovetop that stores frequently used items like spices, condiments, and cooking oils.
🐻 Something that’s on every teenager’s holiday wishlist: the viral Starbucks Bearista bear cup. If you couldn’t get your hands on the original (they sold out within minutes), we found the perfect look-alike on Amazon.
On Monday, we asked readers to share their favorite photos they’ve taken in Chattanooga this year, and boy, did Jo Worthy deliver. Check out this sunset Jo captured from a porch at Riviera Villas. Wowee.
I wish I could time-travel to this exact moment and place.
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