MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Friday, Sept. 24

First Volunteer Bank is hosting Tailgate-a-palooza to sideline hunger. The bank’s Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe and LaFayette locations will accept canned (nonperishable) foods and money until Friday, Sept. 24, for a food drive that benefits Catoosa and Walker counties. A donation of $1 equals 4.8 cans of food. Woodstation and Ringgold Elementary schools are also participating until Friday, Sept. 17. Donated food will go to the Care Mission in LaFayette, and Christ Chapel and Communities In Schools of Catoosa County.

Saturday, Sept. 25

Show and Sell applications are being accepted for food and craft vendors at Rock Spring United Methodist Church on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact the church at 706-810-8199 for an application or more information.

The fourth annual Smith & Wesley and Friends New Country 107.9 Benefit Concert presented by the Smith Charitable Endowment is Saturday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Northwest Georgia Amphitheater at Benton Place, 220 Catoosa Circle in Ringgold. The concert, also featuring Little Texas and Robby Hopkins, benefits several Catoosa County charities that improve literacy, uplift community youth programs, encourage youth athletics while also enhancing the arts. Tickets range from $40t to $125 with special earlybird discounts as low as $25. For more information visit SmithandWesley. com and click on Smith & Wesley and Friends tab. Like the Smith Charitable Endowment on Facebook.

Tuesday, Sept. 28

The Cherokee Area Council is hosting its annual Friends of Scouting luncheon Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Col. Mark Tillman, the pilot for Air Force One, will be guest speaker to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The event is by invitation; however anyone can request an invitation by emailing Becky.Mulkey@scouting.org.

Thursday, Oct. 7

Chickamauga American Legion Post 217 will sponsor a chili supper on Thursday, Oct. 7, from 6-8 p.m. It will be held at the Active Living Center at 414 W. 14th St., Chickamauga. The meal includes chili, cornbread or crackers, various toppings, a dessert and drink. Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children under 10. You may dine in or take out or request curbside service. For more information contact Leon Ellis at 423-883-5853.

Thursday, Oct. 14

The Fourth Annual Jayhawk Music and Arts Festival will be Oct. 1417 on the grounds of the Pigeon Mountain Grill in Chickamauga. The festival raises funds for Children’s Advocacy Center of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. The festival will feature regional artists, craftsmen, and national and regional performing artists. Saturday’s entertainment will include Tommy Womack, Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers, Mic Harrison of the V-Roys, Uncle Lightnin’, Lars Nagle of the El Caminos, Tom

Cheshire, Sweet Georgia Brown, Scarlet Love Conspiracy and The Ex-Laws on the main stage. Singer-songwriters will be in the restaurant and will perform Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Vending/info booth slots are available for $25 for both Saturday and Sunday. Food vending is limited because the restaurant is the primary food vendor. For more information, email jayhawkfest@gmail.com.

Saturday, Nov. 6

A new day-long event is being held in Fort Oglethorpe on Saturday, Nov. 6, beginning with a 10:30 a.m. parade honoring U.S. military personnel and veterans, firefighters, police officers and other first responders, as well as those from the medical and other service fields. The festivities move to historic Barnhardt Circle’s polo field for food and craft vendors, a car show, and military vehicle displays and exhibits and kid’s play zone. Live music will be heard throughout the day, with The Beaters taking center stage at 4 p.m. followed by fireworks at dark. 2021 marks the first year for the parade and festival, sponsored and planned by Fort Oglethorpe Veteran and Citizen Council and the city of Fort Oglethorpe. Parade and vendor applications and additional information can be found at https://fortogov. com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ Parade-and-Vendor-Info-2021.pdf.

Tuesday, Nov. 9

The Fifth Annual Walker County Veterans Appreciation Banquet will be Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the Walker County Civic Center, 10052 N. Highway 27, Rock Spring, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the event occurring from 6-8 p.m. The nonpartisan event to honor Walker County’s veterans will include food, fun, music, door prizes and thanks for all veterans, their families and friends. There will be guest speakers and special guests, Rolling Thunder. Meals will be provided by Lucky Eye Q barbecue. Organizers encourage everyone to invite veterans from their neighborhood, church, work and other organizations. Uniforms not required, and there is no age limit. Veterans and active duty military personnel feast free. Admission for non-veterans, which includes meal, is $15. Sponsor a veteran for $15 or a table for eight for $120. Call or text 423-421-1081 to register, sponsor, donate a door prize and include your business advertisement in a goody bag or for more information. All attendees must pre-register.

GENERAL

♦ FARMERS MARKET Rabbit Valley Farmers Market in Ringgold is open every Saturday through Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ringgold Market Pavilion. The market has vendors, food trucks, crafts for kids and more, with live music the last Saturday of each month. The market was started and is managed by local farm owner Samantha Martin, who lives in Ringgold with her husband and children and is an advocate for shopping local and supporting Ringgold’s small businesses, which was one of the reasons she wanted to start the farmer’s market. “The mission of the Rabbit Valley Farmers Market,” Martin said, “is to promote the exchange of fresh, high-quality local food and agricultural products between agricultural producers in Catoosa County (and its surrounding region), its residents, and visitors for the purpose of supporting local growers, providing quality products to consumers, and supporting sustainable agriculture and downtown revitalization.” “Whether you are looking for a locally grown vegetable, beef or poultry products, the Rabbit Valley Farmers Market will offer a unique connection between local families to area farmers,” said Randall Franks, Ringgold Downtown Development Authority chairman. “Through the special programs for children, monthly entertainment, and special participants each and every Saturday, taking a trip to town on those mornings will become a must for every Catoosan. The DDA and Main Street are proud to partner in this effort which will increase our downtown visitors to benefit all our merchants and eateries.”

♦ CHURCH Open Bible Full Gospel Church, 2803 Ga. Highway 151 in LaFayette, invites the public to worship on Sundays: Sunday school at 10 a.m., morning service at 11 a.m., and night service at 5 p.m.

♦ COOKBOOK North Georgia Animal Alliance has put together a cookbook, “Recipes to the Rescue,” to sell as a fundraiser for the animal rescue group. In addition to 200 recipes, including four for dog and cat treats and a few for homemade cleaning agents, NGAA’s cookbook, which sells for $12, features 20 pages of cooking tips and hints and information about the organization and its work. To learn more about “Recipes to the Rescue” and North Georgia Animal Alliance, visit https://www.northgeorgiaanimalalliance.org/home.html. You can also email ngaa.animals@gmail.com or call 796-937-2287. NGAA is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NorthGeorgiaAnimalAlliance.

♦ CLUB The Kiwanis Club of Fort Oglethorpe was chartered in 1954 and is Catoosa County’s oldest service club. The club meets each Friday at noon at Park Place Restaurant. To learn more about Kiwanis contact Club President Chris McKeever at 706861-2860 or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ ftoglethorpekiwanis.

♦ MEETINGS Chickamauga & Chattanooga Civil War Roundtable meets monthly to discuss the complex history of the Civil War and Reconstruction period. Meetings are the first Thursday each month at 7 p.m. Zoom meetings for now. Reputable historians/authors for each meeting. Email address: cccwrtable@gmail.com. Facebook group: Chickamauga & Chattanooga Civil War Roundtable Group.

♦ CHURCH LaFayette Presbyterian Church will continue broadcasting services at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Facebook Live. Members and visitors are invited to attend the service at 11 a.m. by making a reservation at https://www.signupgenius.com/ go/5080E4BAAAA2DA02-lafayette. There is plenty of space for additional families. Masks are required, and proper social distancing is maintained throughout the service. A recording of the service is posted on YouTube and on the church Facebook page (LaFayettePresbyterian-Church) for later viewing. The church is not closed, just meeting in a different way. Prayer requests can be sent via the website, https://www.lafpres.org/, or by calling 706-638-3932. Pastor Clay Gunter and the elders are available as needed. Full reopening will be announced at a later date.