Mark Twain expert to speak
Friday, Oct. 24
Southern Adventist University’s McKee Library will host a presentation by author Ben Tarnoff on Friday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. The lecture, “Mark Twain and the Bohemians of the Far Western Frontier,” is free and open to the public. Attendees will be entered into a drawing to win signed copies of the speaker’s books. Turnoff has also written for The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle. The lecture is part of the annual celebration by Southern’s Center for the Study of 19th Century America. For more information about the Twain presentation, call (423) 236-2789 or email dbravo@southern.edu. For details about the speaker, visit bentarnoff.com.
Edward Yates slacklining exhibition
Friday, Oct. 24, Saturday, Oct. 25
Local slackliner Edward Yates will be slacklining, Friday, Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m., 1 a.m., and 3 p.m. between the pyramids of the Tennessee Aquarium, located at 1 Broad Street. The public is invited to view this spectacle from the Aquarium Plaza.
RvrRox Grand Finale
Saturday, Oct. 25
The public is invited to the RvrRox Grand Finale party in Coolidge Park Saturday, Oct. 25 beginning at 4 p.m. The event will include slacklining and acro yoga demonstrations, music, and food trucks.
Urban trail running event
Saturday, Oct. 25
Salomon is bringing its event series, CITYTRAIL to Chattanooga on Saturday, Oct. 25. The looped urban running race takes place during RiverRocks, and includes distances of 30 kilometers and 10 kilometers, both starting and ending at the Renaissance Park bordering the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga. The courses will include stairs, multi-surface paths, and side streets. For course maps and registration, visit www.rockcreek.com/salomon-citytrail.rco. This race will serve as a fundraiser for Wild Trails, a non-profit that spearheads trail access and maintenance effort in the Chattanooga area.
Frightening A** Film Festival
Friday, Oct. 31
Mise En Scenesters have announced the line-up for its fourth annual Frightening A** Film Festival, scheduled to take place Friday, Oct. 31 from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Films will include: local shorts; “The Demon’s Rook”; “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary,” with a pre-film intro by “Leatherface” director Jeff Burr; and “The Babadook.” Live music by White Reaper and Soocro, stand-up comedy by Evatt & Bloom, and a costume contest will round out the festivities. To purchase tickets, email info@mesfilmclub.com.
Spooky vampire cruise
Friday, Oct. 31
Blood Assurance will host a Halloween cruise on the Tennessee River Friday, Oct. 31. The Southern Belle will depart from Renaissance Park on the North Shore at 9:30 p.m. loaded with Halloween treats and a cash bar. Activities will include a costume contest and dancing. Ghouls must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Tickets are available at chattanoogariverboat.com – just click on reservations and go to Oct. 31 on the calendar.
1st Annual Chattanooga CureSearch Walk
Saturday, Nov. 1
The Chattanooga CureSearch Walk on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Coolidge Park will bring together over 200 people to celebrate and honor the 42 children diagnosed with cancer every day. Funds raised at the CureSearch Walk will fund research that accelerates the cure for children with the greatest risk of losing their battle with cancer. During this event’s opening ceremony at 10 a.m., survivors will be called to the stage to state their name and receive a medal, while those who lost their battle will be remembered as their families release a balloon in their memory. After the opening ceremony, survivors, supporters, families, friends, and medical professionals will walk about two miles over the Walnut Street Bridge before returning for the closing ceremonies.
Symphony on Stringer’s
Saturday, Nov. 1
Chattanoogans with a love for both music and the outdoors will be treated to a one-of-a-kind experience on Saturday, Nov. 1 with Symphony on Stringer’s. The event will take place in Stringer’s Ridge Park from 3-5 p.m. and will feature a free concert by the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera brass quintet. The concert will be held on Old Baldy, a cleared knoll overlooking the downtown skyline and the Tennessee River. Fall foliage should be in full array to offer an autumn backdrop and clear views from the ridge. Before and after the concert, visitors will be free to explore the seven miles of forest trails in the park on their own or with guides. Light refreshments will be available following the performance as visitors exit the park. Volunteers from Friends of Stringer’s Ridge will be at the park’s entrances to provide maps and suggest walking routes as well as guide small groups. Symphony on Stringer’s is presented by Friends of Stringer’s Ridge and the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, and is sponsored by The UNFoundation and Publix. v
Rock City’s Enchanted MAiZE
Rock City’s Enchanted MAiZE is now open at Blowing Springs Farm every Thursday through Sunday through Nov. 2. Back for its 13th season, this fall’s new maze design is a crop circle that holds a hidden code visitors can break by going to Rock City’s social media pages for clues. The Critter Corral returns Fridays through Sundays with rabbits, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, a miniature Scottish Highland Cow, a mini-horse, and more. Tickets include the maze, a hayride, the cow train, the Coca-Cola Playground, corn slingshots, the Critter Corral, and the pumpkin maze. Directions, social media links, and more at www.enchantedmaze.com.