What's happening
Events Calendar
Just events, no always-open places. Each circle is something happening that day; tap a day to see what it is.
- Event
- Free
- Kids
- Halloween
- Cancelled
Friday, October 23
Fri–Sat, Oct 23–24
Downtown Chattanooga — The Signal, Chattanooga Convention Center & Barrelhouse Ballroom
The headline weekend of the IBMA World of Bluegrass — ticketed concerts by top bluegrass acts (headliners Sierra Ferrell and Leftover Salmon) across The Signal, the Chattanooga Convention Center and Barrelhouse Ballroom, with the free, family-friendly Pickin' in the Park running alongside at Miller Park and Miller Plaza.
Friday Night Lights — High School Football
7:00 PM (varies by school)
Local high schools across Hamilton County & the area
Weekly Friday night football through the regular season — check TSSAA for your local team's matchup and kickoff time. Small admission fee typically applies.
Weekly through Nov 6
- Free
Fridays, 3:00 PM
Chattanooga Public Library — Downtown, 1001 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN
A weekly drop-in mahjong afternoon at the downtown library — all experience levels welcome, tiles provided. Free.
Weekly through Dec 31
- Kids
Fall Festival at Flat Top Mountain Farm (Fridays)
Fridays 10 AM–6 PM
Flat Top Mountain Farm, 638 Bowman Cemetery Rd, Soddy-Daisy, TN
New! Opening day of the farm's fall season (runs through Nov 1) — hayrides, a corn maze, Highland cows and mini donkeys, and mountain views. $12 admission includes a homegrown pumpkin; kids 3 and under free. Free parking, stroller-friendly. Worth the drive north of town.
Weekly through Oct 30
Rails, Wizards & Spells (Fridays)
Fridays 4–10 PM
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Rd, Chattanooga, TN
New! A family fall event on weekends through Oct 25: a train ride to Wizards Way Village, an enchanted-forest walk, potion-making, oversized games, a hayride and a turntable demonstration. $35 per person, ages 2+; plan on about 2.5 hours.
Weekly through Oct 23
Enchanted Pumpkin Patch at Rock City
Fri 10 AM–10:30 PM
Rock City Gardens, 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, GA
Rock City's fall wonderland — pumpkins, twinkling lights, fall photo spots and seasonal treats among the gardens and rock formations. Runs daily through Oct 31; this file covers the Friday nights.
Weekly through Oct 30
- Kids
Mayfield Farm Park Fall Festival (Fridays)
Fridays 11 AM–4 PM
Mayfield Farm Park, 257 Hwy 307 E, Athens, TN
Three corn mazes, a 50-variety pumpkin patch, hayrides, zip lines, a mountain slide, a silo light show, animals and more (40+ activities), running through Nov 8. This is paid admission, not free — buying online saves a few dollars off the gate price; check the ticket page for the current day-by-day prices. Kids 2 and under are always free.
Weekly through Nov 6
- Kids
Nashville Fall Festival (Fridays)
Fridays 3 PM–dark
Nashville Fall Festival, 8687 Old Harding Pike, Nashville, TN
New! Worth the drive (about 2 hours) — a corn maze set in a scenic valley, free hayrides, and tethered hot-air balloon rides ($25/person on select days, weather permitting), running through Nov 1. Online admission is $23 adult / $11 kids 7-13, kids 6 and under free; a few dollars more at the gate. Check the official site for the current balloon schedule.
Weekly through Oct 30
- KidsOutside
1–2 PM
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Rd, Chattanooga, TN
A guided barn owl program on Fridays (Oct 16, 23 and 30). A paid ticket is required, including for supervising adults; price isn't posted — call 423-821-1160. No dogs; outdoors, weather-dependent.
Weekly through Oct 30
- KidsOutside
Wild Wonders: Native Animal Encounters
Fridays 1:30–2:30 PM
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Rd, Chattanooga, TN
New! A guided visit to the Native Animal Area to meet bobcats, raptors and red wolves while staff and volunteers explain each animal's habits and conservation. Sign up through Eventbrite; price isn't listed on the park's page, so call 423-821-1160. Outdoors, weather can cancel it.
Weekly through Oct 30
- KidsHalloween
4–8 PM (timed entry: 4-5, 5-6, or 6-7 PM)
Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N Holtzclaw Ave, Chattanooga, TN
The zoo's after-hours Halloween event. Zoo members $11.95, non-member kids ages 3-12 $17.95, non-member adults $20.95, kids 2 and under free (reserve a ticket anyway). Tickets are online-only and this one sells out — the zoo closes early (3:30 PM) to reset for it.
- FreeKidsHalloween
Little Boos, Big Smiles Trunk or Treat (Hixson)
5:30–7 PM
Morning Pointe of Hixson, 5501 Old Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN
A free community trunk-or-treat for young children in costume, hosted by Morning Pointe of Hixson with Life Care Center of Hixson and Hughes Farmers Market.
The Trinity Chapel & Events, 240 1st Ave, Dayton, TN
New! The first-year Porchlight Festival — visual art, ballet and live music in a historic 1887 chapel. Reservation required; donations collected go entirely to the artists. Also runs Saturday Oct 24.
- FreeOutside
The Tempest (Scenic City Shakespeare)
7:30 PM
Greenway Farms Park, 4960 Gann Store Rd, Hixson, TN
New! Free outdoor Shakespeare. Bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets; seating is not provided. RSVPs aren't required but help the company send weather delay or cancellation updates. ASL interpreters at this performance. Also runs Oct 16, 17 and 23.
