Plant, Krauss in concert this weekend, plus ways to honor Mom
Actors Jonathan Frakes and Kevin Sorbo, whose credits include the “Star Trek” and “Hercules” television franchises, respectively, will be among the celebrity guests for this weekend’s Metrotham Con, a multifandom convention at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Other events spotlight moms, teachers and medical personnel. Two concerts will raise money to assist the homeless.
One programming note: Wine, Women & Shoes, a Thursday fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga, is sold out.
ALL ABOUT MOMS
› Mother’s Day Gala, a vendor market with flowers, chocolate, jewelry and a specialty cocktail, will be held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Collegedale Commons, 4750 Swinyar Drive. shopthemarketat.com
› Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Road, will host Brunch and Blooms, a Mother’s Day cocktail brunch at the Native Plant Nursery, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday. Local folk group Call Me Spinster will entertain. Tickets are $40-$45. Registration is required. reflectionriding.org/events ›
Chattanooga Market
will present its annual Mother’s Day celebration 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd. Gift ideas can come from the array of farm produce, artisan foods, flowers, arts and crafts, or food trucks. Bands Strange Curry and Honeybabe will entertain at 12:30 and 2 p.m., respectively. Admission is free. chattanoogamarket.com
› Mother’s Day tea party,
sponsored by East Ridge Parks and Recreation for moms of all ages, is 1-3 p.m. Sunday at the East Ridge Community Center, 1515 Tombras Ave. The menu will include several types of teas, along with fruits, vegetables, small sandwiches and other light snacks. A photo booth will be equipped with props for recording memories. Admission is free, but donations of canned goods for the East Ridge Food Pantry are encouraged. Reservations are required. Send your name, phone number, email address and number of guests to Hspear@ eastridgetn.gov. There will be a waiting list if all spots are filled.
ARTS
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Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St., will present talks by the nine artists-in-residence for May 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday. They’ll have up to 10 minutes to explain their work — or they may talk about something else entirely. stoveworks.org
› Athens Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens, Tenn., will host an opening reception for “Art From the Hart” at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Works are by artists from Chattanooga’s Hart Gallery, a collective that serves artists in need of healing, hope and family, including the homeless, people with mental and physical disabilities, disabled veterans, women fleeing abusive situations, and political refugees. The exhibition continues through June 23. athensartscouncil.org
› Townsend Atelier, 301 E. 11th St., will present a one-night solo exhibition, “Three of My Neighbors Have Disappeared,” by local photographer Bruno Poço, 5:30-9 p.m. Friday. The documentary-style show explores marginalized communities in rural areas around Chattanooga, specifically the people, landscapes and stories of the Sequatchie Valley. townsendatelier.com
› Photographic Society of Chattanooga will hold a reception for the opening of its spring show 6-8:30 p.m. Friday at the Gallery at Blackwell, 71 Eastgate Loop. The show closes July 28. chattanoogaphoto.org
› Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, plans drop-in family art experiences for its Sunday Studio programming 2-4 p.m. Sunday. Regular admission applies: $20 nonmember adults. huntermuseum.org
DANCE PERFORMANCE
› The Legacy Project will offer the second of two performances by New York’s Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company at 7 p.m. Thursday in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Fine Arts Center, 752 Roland Carter St. This community performance tells the story of the Holocaust and the survival of a people through dance and narration. Sponsors include the Tennessee Holocaust Commission and Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga. Tickets are $20. factickets.evenue.net
FILM
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Documentary screening: “Un Nuevo Pasado (Someday Soon),” a locally produced documentary about young Guatemalan immigrants building a new life in the U.S., will be presented 4-7 p.m. Saturday at Chattanooga Christian School, 3354 Charger Drive. The program also includes Latin cuisine and a musical performance by the children of East Lake Expression Engine. Admission is by donation. eventbrite.com
MUSIC
› Concert for a Cause, a fundraiser for the Be the Change Youth Initiative, is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Feed Table & Tavern, 201 W. Main St. The free event includes food, drink, storytelling and music by indie-folk duo In the Company of Wolves. Cash donations and proceeds from wine and beer sales go to the Chattanooga Community Fridge to help fund a refrigerator outside the homeless encampment at 12th and Peeples streets. Donations of nonperishable foods also will be accepted. feedtableandtavern.com › Barrelhouse Ballroom,
1501 Long St., has three shows on tap and also will host the Stand By Me Music Festival (see separate listing). Up first is rock band Dogs in a Pile at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are $15-$20. Punkrock band The Funeral Portrait will play at 9 p.m. Thursday, with support from My King and Magli. Tickets are $12-$15. Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute is set for 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $25-$30. barrelhouseballroom.com
› Memorial Auditorium,
399 McCallie Ave., has a weekend of crowd pleasers. Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles will play at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are $29-$79. Black Jacket Symphony performs Tom Petty’s “Full Moon Fever,” the first solo studio album by the rock artist, at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $35$40. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, superstars of rock and bluegrass, respectively, will stop on their Raising the Roof tour at 8 p.m. Saturday, with support from J.D. McPherson. Tickets are $59-$199. tivolichattanooga.com
› Barking Legs Theater,
1307 Dodds Ave., starts the weekend with Jazz in the Lounge, featuring the Gordon Inman Quartet, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Cover is $5. Saturday features “The Welsh Tornado,” guitar phenom Gareth Pearson, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. The Foreign Landers, the folk duo of David Benedict (mandolin) and Tabitha Agnew Benedict (banjo), will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $17. barkinglegs.org
› Chattanooga Boys Choir
will present its spring finale concert at 7 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church, Golden Gateway, 401 Gateway Ave. The concert includes selections by all five choirs, the poetry of Langston Hughes and the world premiere of “Your Heart,” a choral piece by local composer Sarah T. Tullock. Admission is free. chattanoogaboyschoir.org
› Songbirds, 35 Station St., has four shows ahead. The Jerry Douglas Band, fronted by the critically acclaimed Dobro player, will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $45-$50. Rock band Agent Orange is on deck at 7 p.m. Friday, with support from Suzi Moon. Tickets are $25. The Super Fun Kids Rock Show, featuring The Okee Dokee Brothers and Sonia de los Santos, sold out Saturday’s 4 p.m. performance but has added a second show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. Folk artist Odie Leigh will play at 7 p.m. Sunday, with support from The Official Bard of Baldwin County, aka Jackson Chambers. Tickets are $15-$18. songbirdsfoundation.org
› Evening With the Stars, a variety show now in its 29th year, returns Friday at 7:30 p.m. to The Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens, Tenn. The show closes out the Athens Area Council for the Arts’ House Blend Concert Series. Tickets are $12-$17, which include light hors d’oeuvres and access to a cash bar. athensartscouncil.org
› Bode Chattanooga, 730 Chestnut St., will present a silent disco party 10 p.m.midnight Friday. The galacticthemed event, open to ages 21 and up, will feature craft cocktails, glow sticks and tunes of all genres heard via headphones. Tickets are $25. eventbrite.com
› The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tenn., has two shows this weekend. Keller Williams, considered a one-man jam band, will perform at 8 p.m. CDT Friday, with Steve Poltz opening. Tickets are $55. Get the Led Out, a tribute to English rock band Led Zeppelin, will play at 8 p.m. CDT Saturday. Tickets are $59-$269. thecaverns.com
› The Signal, 21 Choo Choo Ave., has three shows coming up. The Emo Night Tour, a dance party, starts at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $16-$46. Progressiverock band Alter Bridge will stop on its Pawns & Kings Tour at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $49$69. Rockers Rival Sons will play at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with support from The Record Company and Starcrawler. Tickets are $30-$45. thesignaltn.com
› Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will feature its Wind Ensemble in a sensory-friendly concert at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. Admission is free. chattanoogasymphony.org
› Stand By Me Music Festival, benefiting Help Right Here, whose mission is to aid the homeless, starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St. The inaugural event will feature Slippery People performing the rock music of the Talking Heads. A live auction is scheduled at 8 p.m. Prom attire of the 1980s is encouraged for all attending. Tickets are $50-$100. helprightherechattanooga.org
› Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave., has two weekend shows. Sibling trio Girl Named Tom, the only group to have won NBC’s “The Voice” talent show, will play at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $27-$39. Five-time Grammy-winning blues guitarist Keb’ Mo’ will play at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $59-$79. tivolichattanooga.com
OUT & ABOUT
› Soddy-Daisy Community Library, 9619 Dayton Pike, will host Chattanooga-based author KB Ballentine for the launch of her eighth book of poetry, “Spirit of Wild,” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The evening will include a reading, discussion and Q&A with the author. Admission is free. The book retails for $20. RSVP: eventbrite.com
› Easy Bistro, 801 Chestnut St., will host a Founders’ Dinner at 7 p.m. Wednesday that celebrates the restaurant’s 18th anniversary and Chattanooga Whiskey’s 11th anniversary. Passed hors d’oeuvres and welcome cocktails start at 6 p.m., followed by a full-course plated dinner with whiskey and cocktail pairings. Tickets are $200 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The limit is 30 guests. Check eventbrite.com for availability.
› McDonald’s restaurants
around the Chattanooga area will offer a free medium drink to educators and medical professionals in separate events this week. Educators can get their freebie through Friday as part of Teacher Appreciation Week. Doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians and other medical personnel can claim their free drink Friday. Choices include a soft drink, tea and iced or hot coffee. Proof of employment is required. No purchase is necessary.
› The Comedy Catch,
29 Station St., will feature Dale Jones in a special engagement this weekend. Jones is known for quick improvisations and physical comedy. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, with tickets priced at $20-$25, and at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with $5 more. thecomedycatch.com
› Birding: Birdwatchers have a couple of organized options this weekend. The Chattanooga Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society will hear from guest speaker Andrew Meador at a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Ascension Lutheran Church, 720 S. Germantown Road. His topic is “Birds and Biomimicry,” about the practice of applying nature’s strategies to solve challenges in engineering, manufacturing and architecture. At 9 a.m. Saturday, local bird enthusiast Clay Aldridge will lead an urban bird watching walkabout from the courtyard of Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St. Bring your own binoculars. stoveworks.org
› Metrotham Con, a multifandom convention, is this weekend at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza. Multiple actors, voice actors, authors and artists will attend. Children’s events, console and tabletop gaming, a cosplay contest and live entertainment also are scheduled. Hours are 2 p.m.-midnight Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $40-$60, with additional charges for some celebrity encounters. metrothamcon.com/home
› Kids Fishing Derby, for children 12 and younger, is 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday at the lake at Athens Regional Park, 2405 Decatur Pike, Athens, Tenn. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will stock the lake with rainbow trout, with several tagged for cash prizes if caught, including a $500 grand prize. Children won’t need a fishing license to participate, but they must bring their own pole and bait and be able to cast and reel in their catch without assistance to be eligible for prizes. Registration starts at 7 a.m. facebook.com/cityofathenstn
› Benefit yard sale: The Alpha Beta Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, an international leadership and service organization, will hold its annual fundraiser 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at 304 S. Sweetbriar Ave. The sale will include household items, home décor, furniture, and men’s and women’s merchandise. Questions? Call 423-280-1084.
› Family Fun Day, featuring kite building, art making, crafts, coloring, oversize games and music, will take place 9 a.m.-noon Saturday at the Chattanooga Green, 100 Chestnut St. Admission for this River City Co. event is free, but RSVPs will assure sufficient supplies. eventbrite.com
› Anchor of Hope Baptist Church, 2613 Lakeview Drive, Rossville, will be the site of a craft fair and community block party 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Crafts, concessions and yard games will be included in the fundraiser for the Anchor of Hope youth group. 423-322-6497
SPECTATOR SPORTS
› Chattanooga Lookouts, Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, start a six-game home series Tuesday against the Biloxi Shuckers at AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. Game time is 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $7-$12, but a Food City ValuCard is good for buy-one, get-one general admission. lookouts.com
THEATER
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Chattown Poets will host an open mic at 7 p.m. Thursday at Gate 11 Distillery, 1400 Market St. Special guest will be the River City Street Poet, who creates custom, on-the-spot poetry. Cover is $5. chattown.net
› Shakespeare in the Park, a spring production of Scenic City Shakespeare, continues at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Greenway Farms, 4960 Gann Store Road. The play is the pastoral comedy “As You Like It.” The schedule is the same May 26-27. An improvised adaptation, Shakespeare From a Hat, will be presented May 19-20. Admission is free, though donations are requested. Paid VIP options are available. sceniccityshakespeare.org
› Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St., will open a two-weekend run of the Youth Theatre production “Miss Nelson Is Missing,” about a misbehaving class visited by a no-nonsense substitute teacher. Shows start at 7 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (same schedule May 19-21). Tickets are $10-$13. theatrecentre.com ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.