This weekend: Con Nooga, Follow the Fire, Black-owned Business Expo
Black History Month festivities continue with a folk art and music night at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, a Black-owned business expo at Hamilton Place mall, a celebration of Black winemakers at the Chattery and more. Con Nooga, a celebration of pop culture, is also taking place, and there will be opportunities to enjoy the outdoors at Reflection Riding and the Lula Lake Land Trust. Here’s this weekend’s chronology.
ARTS
› Photographic Society of Chattanooga continues its spring show at the Gallery at Blackwell, 71 Eastgate Loop. Society members will have their work displayed, and prints will be available for purchase. Gallery hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The exhibition will run through May 3. Learn more at chattanoogaphoto.org.
›Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road, will conclude Friday its exhibition, “Vessel,” featuring the works of 25 local and national artists. The exhibition showcases a variety of vessels, including ships, buildings, vases, the human body and more. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Learn more at jewishchattanooga.com.
› North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Drive, Suite 102, Hixson, continues its exhibition, “Fine Art of the West,” featuring the works of artist David Fishman that depict “the energy and emotion of the timeless American West.” Civic center hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday. The exhibition will run through April 1. Learn more by contacting the civic center at 423-870-8924.
› Institute of Contemporary Art, 752 Vine St., continues its exhibition, “The Dutch House,” featuring works by artist Becky Suss inspired by Pulitzer Prize finalist Ann Patchett’s 2019 novel of the same name. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday. The exhibition will run through March 16. Learn more at icachatt.org.
› Creative Arts Guild, 520 W. Waugh St., Dalton, will conclude Friday its exhibition, “Origins, Destinations and Points in Between,” featuring 50 works by leading Black artists, spanning the past 100 years from the Harlem renaissance to the present. Works include paintings, sculptures, photography, watercolors and more. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and by appointment Saturday-Sunday. Learn more at creativeartsguild.org.
› In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave., continues its exhibition, “We (Heart) New Artists,” featuring three emerging artists from the Hart Gallery: Anna Mansour, Erica Birch and Sara Coolidge. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. The exhibition will run through Feb. 29. Learn more at intowngallery.com.
› ClearStory Arts, 1673 S. Holtzclaw Ave., continues its exhibition, “A Celebration of Chattanooga’s Black Artists,” featuring works in a variety of mediums, including photography, textiles, paintings and sculptures. Gallery hours are by appointment Tuesday-Friday. The exhibition will run through March 1. Learn more at clearstoryarts.com.
› Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave., will conclude Friday its exhibition, “Outside/Inside: Paintings, Drawings and Multimedia Works.” The exhibition features the works of artists Tom Farnam and Judith Mogul. Gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, noon-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Learn more at avarts.org.
› Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, will host a Vision and Verse session at 6 p.m. Thursday. The session is in response to the museum’s special exhibit’s featured artwork, “Black is the Color,” by Paul Stephen Benjamin. Poets Marcus Ellsworth and Erika Roberts will perform with dancer Matty Dangerfield-Parker. The session is free and open to all. Learn more at huntermuseum.org.
ENTERTAINMENT
› Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., will have several shows through the weekend.
At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the Terrestrial Troubadours will perform their “expanded view of country music;” there is a $10 cover. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Improv Chattanooga will perform. Tickets cost $10-$15. At 6:30 p.m. Monday, there will be a movie night, featuring a double feature screening of “Plateaus” and “The Caveman’s Valentine.” There is a $15 suggested donation for “Plateaus,” and tickets are $10 at the door for “The Caveman’s Valentine.” Learn more at barkinglegs.org.
› Comedian Kathleen Madigan will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at the Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave. Tickets cost $54-$166. Learn more at tivolichattanooga.com.
MUSIC
› Mania, an ABBA tribute band, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave. Tickets cost $46-$70. Learn more at tivolichattanooga.com.
› Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., will have multiple shows through the weekend. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus with Speakeasy and Days of Deception will perform. Tickets cost $27 in advance or $30 the day of show. At 8 p.m. Friday, Peachtree Entertainment will present Hailey Whitters’ “Can’t Tie’r Down” tour with Brit Taylor. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 the day of show. At 9 p.m. Saturday, Rubiks Groove, an ’80s, ’90s and ’00s party band, will perform. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 the day of show. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Samantha Fish with Jesse Dayton and Sgt. Splendor will perform. Tickets cost $30 in advance or $35 the day of show. Learn more at barrelhouseballroom.com.
› Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., will host a Folk Art and Music Night at 6 p.m. Thursday. The event will feature music by Dom Flemons, a preservationist, storyteller and instrumentalist who performs an expansive repertoire of early American popular music, and a Black folk art exhibit from the cultural center’s archives. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required. Learn more at bessiesmithcc.org.
› Songbirds, 206 W. Main St., will host a performance by singer-songwriter and guitarist Lee Roy Parnell, who draws on the musical influence of blues, rock, country and more. Tickets cost $22 in advance or $27 the day of show. Learn more at songbirdsfoundation.org.
› St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St., continues its Artist Series with a performance by the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The orchestra, the first and oldest professional orchestra in the Southeast dedicated to historically-informed performance of baroque music on period instruments, will perform a variety of small-ensemble sonatas for strings and continuo. General admission costs $30; youth under 18 get in free. Learn more at stpaulschatt.org.
› The Woodshop Listening Room, 5500 St. Elmo Ave., will have two shows this weekend. At 8 p.m. Friday, We Are Us with Nothankyoujohn and In the Company of Wolves will perform. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 at the door. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Missy Raines and Allegheny will perform. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 the day of show. Learn more at thewoodshoplisteningroom.com.
› Chattanooga Symphony and Opera will present a family concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road. There will be pre-concert activities, including an instrument petting zoo and craftmaking. The concert will feature a mini-concert and storybook performance, narrated in English and Spanish, with puppetry by Playful Evolving Monsters. Learn more at chattanoogasymphony.org.
› Jericho Brass Band will have a performance, “Bach to the Beatles,” at 4 p.m. Sunday at Hixson First Baptist Church, 5800 Grubb Road, Hixson. Admission is free. Learn more at jerichobrassband.org.
› Jacksonville State University’s A Capella Choir will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ringgold First Baptist Church, 7611 Nashville St., Ringgold. It is a free concert. Learn more at ringgoldfbc.net.
› Marc Broussard will perform as part of his Carencro 20th anniversary tour at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave. Tickets cost $44-$100. Learn more at tivolichattanooga.com.
OUT & ABOUT
› Two Bikes and Unum will continue its community bike drive through Thursday. Members of the community are invited to donate bikes that will be refurbished and distributed to the community as free and affordable transportation. Bike donations can be made from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day through Thursday at the Unum loading dock, 520 Cherry St. Learn more at twobikeschattanooga.com.
› The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Suite 108, continues its Black History Month festivities with a celebration of Black winemakers at 6 p.m. Thursday. Attendees will learn about Black-owned wine brands with local wine enthusiast Nneka Ijeoma, who will share insights into the stories behind the bottles. It is a 21 and older event. Registration costs $35. Learn more at thechattery.org.
› Harrison Elementary School, 8098 Ferdinand Piech Way, Harrison, will host a Black History Month living wax museum from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. Friday. The school’s third grade students will be dressed as prominent individuals in Black history and will present speeches as if they were that individual. Students in other grades have made displays and written poems and will act as tour guides for the community.
For more information, contact the school at 423-344-1428.
› Con Nooga will be from noon-2 a.m. Friday, 9-2 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza. The convention celebrating entertainment, fandom and pop culture will feature guest authors, contests, performers, games and a variety of vendors. Single-day pricing is $30 Friday, $50 Saturday and $10 Sunday; a three-day pass is $60; child admission is $10 Friday-Saturday and $5 Sunday. Learn more at connooga.com.
› Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present two programs this weekend. At 2 p.m. Friday at Point Park, 110 Point Park Road, Lookout Mountain, Tenn., Preserving a Picturesque America will have a one-hour program examining how the group takes a historic sketch and paints the same scene as it is today; there is a $10 park entrance fee for individuals 16 and older. At 2 p.m. Saturday at Moccasin Bend, 10 Hamm Road, the park will have a 30-minute, ranger-led talk about Major Ridge and his family during the era of Cherokee removal; this program is free. Learn more at nps.gov/chch.
› 42nd Annual Dalton Ham-Fest will be from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the Dalton Fairgrounds, 500 Legion Drive, Dalton. The event for amateur radio enthusiasts will feature tables of new and used radio equipment and supplies. Those looking to get or upgrade their operating license will be able to do so at 1 p.m. Admission costs $5. Learn more at qrz.com/db/w4drc.
› Soddy, Daisy and Montlake Historical Association will present its annual history fair from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Soddy-Daisy High School, 618 Sequoyah Access Road, Soddy-Daisy. Exhibitors will bring artifacts, photos and knowledge about local history, including Civil War, Native American and industrial history. Learn more at soddydaisymuseum.com.
› Lula Lake Land Trust will have its bimonthly open gate days from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at its core preserve, 5000 Lula Lake Road, Lookout Mountain, Ga. Visitors can view Lula Lake, the 110-foot Lula Falls and a bluff overlook. Entry costs $16; a guided hike is also available for $40, which includes entry to the preserve. Registration is required. Learn more at lulalake.org. ›
Black-owned Business Expo will be from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at Hamilton Place mall, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. The celebration of history, culture and commerce will feature a variety of Black-owned businesses from Hamilton County and the surrounding areas. Learn more at hamiltonplace.com.
› Reflection Riding, 400 Garden Road, will host Follow the Fire from 5-10 p.m. Saturday. The night of activity will take attendees from fire to fire throughout the nature center’s campus. Planned activities include presentations of owls and wolves, a night hike, an owl prowl and a night sky viewing with a telescope. General admission is $15; members get in free. Learn more at reflectionriding.org.
› Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, 1115 N. Moore Road, continues its celebration of Black History Month at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Black History Sunday will begin with worship service at 10:45 a.m. and will feature guest speaker Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy. All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact the church’s office at 423-510-9684.
› Kappa Iota chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity will host its 67th talent hunt program at 4 p.m. Sunday at Greater Community Church, 1817 E. Third St. The program gives high school students the opportunity to showcase their talents in vocal, instrumental, spoken word or dance performance. There will be cash prizes for the first, second and third place, with first place going on to compete in the regional competition in April. For more information, contact Erskine Oglesby at 601-813-7815.
THEATER
› The American Vicarious will present, “Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at UTC’s Guerry Center, 715 Oak St. The staged production recreates the historic debate between writers James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr. that focused on the American dream and Black Americans’ relationship to it. Tickets cost $50. Learn more at utc.edu/fine-arts-center.
› Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St., will present “Dragons Love Tacos” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The production, presented by the center’s Youth Theatre program, follows a boy and his dog as they learn about the “do’s and don’ts” of what foods to serve dragons. Tickets cost $13-15.50, including fees. The production will run through March 3. Learn more at theatrecentre.com.
› Signal Mountain Playhouse will conclude its production of “Hallelujah Girls” with shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Mountain Arts Community Center, 809 Kentucky Ave., Signal Mountain. Tickets cost $15 (cash or check only) and will go on sale at 6:45 p.m. before the show. There will be complimentary dessert and coffee service at the same time tickets go on sale. Learn more at smph.org.
› “Annie,” a touring production in the 2023-24 Broadway series, will have performances at 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. Tickets cost $65-$138. Learn more at tivolichattanooga.com.
Find more events, and add your own, at timesfreepress.com/cnevents.
Contact Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.