Peaches, tomatoes, big helpings of history served up this weekend
Programs that look back at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Scopes Trial and the Civil War are on the weekend calendar, along with country singers Mitch Rossell and Lee Roy Parnell, plus salutes to tomatoes and peaches. Here are some highlights.
› Olympics rewind:
The Museum Center at Five Points, 200 E. Inman St., Cleveland, Tennessee, will host a History Happy Hour 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday that spotlights the 25th anniversary of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Special guest will be Bradley County native Wayne Dickert, who competed in men’s slalom double canoe in the 1996 games. September Song will provide music. Tickets, as available, are $20 for nonmembers, $10 for members. museumcenter.org
› The Comedy Catch,
29 Station St., will feature comedian Killer Beaz, a regular on Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners,” as the weekend headliner. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday ($15-$20) and at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday ($20-$25). thecomedycatch.com
›Hamilton County Master Gardeners have two Zoom classes scheduled. The Thursday session, 11 a.m.noon, will recommend the best small fruits for Tennessee gardens. The Saturday session, 10 a.m.-noon, explains why native plants are essential for supporting insects, pollinators and birds. Zoom links are free with registration. mghc.org
› Nightfall welcomes Lee Roy Parnell, the country/blues artist behind such hits as “What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am,” “Tender Moment” and “Little Bit of You,” as Friday’s headliner. Local artist Rachel McIntyre Smith will open the show at 7 p.m. at Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. Food trucks, artisans and lawn games will be set up at Miller Park across M.L. King Boulevard. Lookout Wild Film Festival will show an hour of short adventure films when the music’s over, around 9:45 p.m. Free admission.
nightfallchattanooga.com
› Nokian Tyres Summer Nights, a July concert series in Dayton, Tennessee, continues Friday with the Michael Seabolt Band playing classic rock music on the Rhea County Courthouse lawn, 1475 Market St. The band starts at 6 p.m. following an openmic local talent showcase at 4 p.m. scopesfestival.com
› The Signal, 1810 Chestnut St., has three upcoming shows. Friday: rock band Sevendust, with Austin Meade and Kirra opening, 7 p.m., $30-$50. Saturday: Americana band Flatland Cavalry, with Ben Chapman opening, 8 p.m., $22-$30. Wednesday: Opposite Box, an experimental rock band from Chattanooga, 8 p.m., $10. thesignaltn.com
› Arts Avenue, 1800A Rossville Ave., has two shows this weekend. Country artist Mitch Rossell, the former Chattanoogan who counts Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood among his collaborators, plays Friday at 7 p.m.; tickets are $20. Singer/ songwriter Chris Knight plays Saturday at 7 p.m; tickets are $25. theartsave.com
› The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tennessee, fills the weekend with two acts in its aboveground amphitheater. Funk band Lettuce plays at 7 p.m. CDT Friday and Saturday; tickets are $50-$85. Blues Traveler plays at 7 p.m. CDT Sunday; tickets are $49-$80. thecaverns.com
› Bobby Stone Film Series continues this weekend at the Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. Friday’s film is “Boogie Nights” at 7 p.m. Showing Saturday are “Being John Malkovich” at 3 p.m. and “Get On Up” at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10-$12. Tuesday’s kiddie matinee is “How To Train Your Dragon” at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $5. tivolichattanooga.com
› Civil War history: A living-history program that explores the special identities and cultures that existed in Civil War armies, specifically a Zouave unit that fought in the Battles for Chattanooga, will be presented this weekend at Point Park, 110 Point Park Road, Lookout Mountain. The program’s focus is the 8th Missouri Infantry, which modeled itself after
elite French army units, known as the Zouaves, in drill and dress but with a Midwestern spin. Programs start at 10 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 2:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday and at 10 a.m. Sunday. The park’s entry fee is $10 for ages 16 and older. nps.gov/chch
› Summer Market:
Mountain Heights Venue, 1298 Hendon Road in SoddyDaisy, will have 50 to 60 merchandise vendors, food trucks, mini photo sessions and music at this Saturday event, scheduled 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Facebook.com/ mountainheightsvenue
› Sounds of Summer, a biweekly concert series, continues Saturday at Market Park Pavilion, 106 S. Jackson St., in Athens, Tennessee. Featured is the Goat Hill String Band, playing pop and rock hits from the 1960s through the 2010s, plus the occasional bluegrass tune. Free admission. Facebook.com/ SOSAthensTN
› Scopes Festival: “How It Started,” a new telling of the Scopes Trial, the prosecution of science teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution, will be presented in three performances this weekend in the courtroom where the 1925 trial took place. Written by Cara J. Clark, the play uses excerpts of the trial transcript, historical records and related lore to explore the history and continued significance of the trial. Performances start at 1 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Rhea County Courthouse, 1475 Market St., Dayton, Tennessee. Tickets are $8-$10. Saturday also includes a cruise-in and bluegrass festival, 10 a.m.8 p.m. scopesfestival.com
› The Peach Truck,
offering 25-pound boxes of fresh Georgia peaches ($45) and 10-ounce bags of Georgia pecans ($11), will make three stops in Chattanooga on Sunday. Advance orders have ended; walk-ups will be served while supplies last. Stops are 8:30-10 a.m. at Tractor Supply Co., 1785 Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; noon-1:30 p.m. at Hamilton Place, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd.; and 3:305 p.m. at Vinterest Antiques, 2105 Northpoint Blvd., Hixson. thepeachtruck.com
› Chattanooga Market
plans a Top Tomato Festival 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at First Horizon Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. Admission is free, but for $15 you can taste bloody marys stirred up by Southside Social, Scottie’s on the River, Edley’s BBQ , Nic & Norman’s and Mix It Up, the market’s home bar. Chattanooga band No Big Deal takes the stage at noon. chattanoogamarket.com
› Car show, bowling:
The Hixson Lions Club will present a community car show and cruise-in from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Spare Time Hixson, 5530 Hixson Pike. Entry into the car show is $20. Entry to the cruise-in is free, though donations are appreciated. All proceeds help fund the Lions’ vision programs. Old eyeglasses, frames and cellphones will be collected for recycling, and children up to age 5 can receive free eye screenings. Bowling is 2-4 p.m. for $25 per person. e-clubhouse.org/sites/ hixsontn/calendar.php
› Lookouts baseball: The Chattanooga Lookouts are at home next week against the Birmingham Barons. Games start at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday through July 24 and at 2:15 p.m. July 25 at AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. Tickets are $6-$11. There are two ways to get free general-admission tickets Tuesday: Show a Food City ValuCard for buy one, get one; or get two free tickets when you bring a new or gently used backpack to donate to area children in need. On Wednesday, get a Chick-fil-A freebie, delivered via app at the game. Wednesday is also National Park Night, when kids can interact with park rangers and make a baseball card depicting famous women in history. National Park Partners is seeking donations to send Chattanooga RBI League female athletes and their families to the game. The baseball and softball league is the Chattanooga affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities initiative. Donate at nppcha.org/ upcoming-npp-events. lookouts.com