Weekend festivals highlight arts, food and veterans
Eat a pickle. Pet a llama. Thank a veteran.
If any of that is on your weekend bucket list, there’s a festival for you.
Themes run the gamut. You can find a community arts celebration in Chattanooga, a Veterans Day parade in Fort Oglethorpe and a nod to history in Soddy-Daisy. Plus the wide array of Christmas-themed events shows the holiday season is at hand.
Here’s a look around the region.
› Beginagin Farm arts & crafts festival: 391 Chloe Drive, LaFayette, Georgia. Arts and crafts vendors and demos, live music, animals, food, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Also includes Ron Johnson Memorial Classic Car CruiseIn and silent auction to raise funds for the family of Ron Johnson, owner of Johnson’s Auto Repair and pastor of Lake Howard Baptist Church, who died of COVID-19 complications in September at age 49. Free admission. Facebook.com
› Christmas at Eddie’s:
Eddie’s Florist, 9112 State Highway 40, Henagar, Alabama. Open house to debut store’s holiday vignettes, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday (all times CST). Facebook.com/ChristmasAtEddies
› Christmas open house:
The Barn Nursery, 1801 E. 24th St. Place. Merchandise discounts, giveaways, 10 a.m.6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Santa visits 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Facebook.com/thebarnnursery
› Christmas open house:
Grit & Grace Market, 445 Church St., Cleveland, Tennessee. Merchant expo, 6-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 1-6 p.m. Sunday. gritandgracemarket.com
› Christmas village festival: Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, 1 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., Birmingham, Alabama. Includes 750 booths with arts, crafts, clothing, food, jewelry and other gifts, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (all times Central). $12 adults, $5 children. christmasvillagefestival.com
› Downtown Dalton holiday open house: Downtown Dalton Development Authority merchants event, 10 a.m.7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Also: Kiwanis Club of Dalton Pancake Day 7-11 a.m. Saturday in Burr Performing Arts Park, 101 S. Hamilton St.; $7 in advance, $8 Saturday. Seating available under the parking deck; drivethrough service available. downtowndalton.com
› Fall and Christmas market: Mountain Heights Venue, 1298 Hendon Road, Soddy-Daisy. Fifty-plus vendors, food trucks, mini photography sessions, music, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Saturday. Facebook. com/mountainheightsvenue
› Fiber in the Boro: Lane Agri-Park, 315 John Rice Blvd., Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Tenth annual fall fiber festival highlights sheep, alpaca, goats, rabbits, cotton and other fiber-producing plants, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. CDT Saturday. Includes 60+ vendors, demos, animals, children’s activities, door prizes, food trucks. Free admission. Facebook.com
› Fried Pickle Festival: Greenway Park, 775 Raider Drive, Cleveland, Tennessee. Arts, crafts and food vendors, kids zone, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. (Event was originally scheduled for September in Athens; has been combined with Southern Pie Festival.) bit.ly/SPieFest
› Glass Street Live Block Party: 2500 Glass St. (at North Chamberlain Avenue). Glass House Collective and Chattanooga Neighborhoods Arts Partnership event, noon4 p.m. Saturday. Includes art installations, live mural painting, music, dancing, children’s activities, T-shirt screenprinting, antique car show, food trucks. Free admission. Facebook.com/Events
› High Cotton Christmas Market: Ringgold Feed & Seed Antiques, 403 High St., Ringgold, Georgia. Indoor/outdoor vendors with vintage finds and Christmas decor, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Facebook.com/Events
› Holiday Open House:
East Ridge Antique District, 6501 Slater Road (behind Cracker Barrel). Merchandise discounts and giveaways at Bushel & A Peck and SugarPlum, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Facebook.com/busheland apeckstore, Facebook.com/ SugarPlumEastRidge
› Holiday Open House:
Vinterest Antiques Hixson, 2105 Northpoint Blvd., and Vinterest Southside, 2121 Chestnut St. Merchandise discounts, music, refreshments, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Facebook.com/Events
› Honoring Those Who Serve Parade and Festival:
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Inaugural event Saturday starts with 10:30 a.m. parade from Big Lots, 558 Battlefield Parkway, traveling LaFayette Road to the festival site, the polo field at 6 Barnhardt Circle. Includes vendors, live music, food trucks, flyovers by Museum of Flight, military vehicle display, fireworks finale. fortogov.com
› Oktoberfest: Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss St., Helen, Georgia. Traditional music, dancing, food and beer, daily through Sunday; doors open at 6 p.m. during the week, 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $8 during the week, $10 Saturdays, free on Sundays. helenchamber. com
› Pioneer Day: Poe’s Tavern Historical Park, 9817 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy. Soddy, Daisy & Montlake Historical Association hosts annual celebration of old ways, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Includes demonstrations of basket making, quilting, blacksmithing, open-fire cooking, corn shelling, log hewing, apple cider press (circa 1877), display of old rifles and Revolutionary War and Civil War encampments. Program honoring veterans at 1 p.m. Children’s activities include sack races, jacks and marbles. Concessions for sale. Free admission. Facebook.com
› Smoky Mountain Christmas: Dollywood, 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd., Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Award-winning festival features more than 5 million lights, themed shows, food, fireworks set to Christmas music, Saturday through Jan. 2 (hours vary). $84 ages 10-61 (discounts for children/seniors). dollywood. com
› Warrior Market: Lakeview Middle School, 416 Cross St., Rossville, Georgiaa. Craft and food vendors, business marketplace, kids zone, silent auction, free pictures with Santa, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 706-866-1040