This week's entertainment calendar offers everything from a bird count to a fandom convention to an antiques show and sale.
Art lovers can find three installations for the Tennessee Triennial, a statewide spotlight on contemporary art. Every three years, selected museums, galleries and organizations present exhibitions simultaneously under a common theme, as a project of the nonprofit organization Tri-Star Arts. This year's theme is "Re-Pair."
ARTS
-- Institute of Contemporary Art, inside the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Fine Arts Center, 752 Roland Carter St., will feature a Thursday lecture by artist Stacy Kranitz, whose collection, "As It Was Give(n) to Me," is part of the Tennessee Triennial. The lecture will start at 6 p.m. in the Card Family Auditorium in the Engineering, Math and Computer Science Building, Room 201. A reception will immediately follow in the gallery, which is across the street. The show continues through March 12. icachatt.org
-- Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St., has three events scheduled this weekend. The February artists in residence will introduce themselves and their works 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday. An opening reception for "And I Shall Still Be Lonely" is scheduled 6-8 p.m. Friday as part of the Tennessee Triennial. The exhibition features works by Chattanooga artists inspired by artist/activist Lorraine Hansberry. Chattanooga Noise Night, featuring regional noise musicians, will follow at 8 p.m. stoveworks.org
-- Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, has two free events scheduled. Thursday features a panel discussion, A Sense of Place: Memories of Chattanooga, at 6 p.m. with educators and faith leaders David and Carol Meredith and educator/activist Charlie Newton, a lifelong Westside resident. The program is the first of two inspired by a new exhibit, "Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe." Saturday offers a 30-minute guided tour of the museum's Tennessee Triennial installation at 2 p.m. huntermuseum.org
(READ MORE: New exhibits at Hunter Museum explore the lives, works of Knoxville, Atlanta artists)
-- Athens Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens, Tenn., will host an opening reception for "Transition" by Chattanooga artist Dannita Noble at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The exhibition runs through March 17. athensartscouncil.org
-- River Gallery, 400 E. Second St., will host a demonstration by painter Linda Kerlin 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Kerlin is one of three artists whose works are featured at the gallery through February. river-gallery.com
MUSIC
-- Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., has two upcoming shows. Dexter Bell & Friends will play for the weekly Jazz in the Lounge at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Cover is $5. Doetry, described as a word fusion focused on self-love, starts at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $35. barkinglegs.org
-- Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., has three shows this weekend. Americana band Yarn will play at 9 p.m. Thursday, with support by Will Overman. Yarn is responsible for the title track on the soundtrack for the upcoming movie "Cocaine Bear," which has ties to North Georgia. Tickets are $15-$20. Paul Cauthen will stop on his Country Coming Down tour at 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $35. Rock band Dizgo will play at 9 p.m. Saturday, with Three Star Revival opening. Tickets are $15-$20. barrelhouseballroom.com
-- The Signal, 1810 Chestnut St., has two shows this weekend. Rock band Strfkr will play at 8 p.m. Thursday, with support by Das Kope. Tickets are $25-$50. Country singer Mitchell Tenpenny will stop on his This Is the Heavy Tour, with Tyler Braden opening, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25-$45. thesignaltn.com
-- "A Little Bit in Love": Chattanooga Girls Choir and Opera Tennessee will unite for a night of love songs, including favorite Broadway melodies, at 7 p.m. Friday at Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave. Chocolate and cheese will be served, and you can bring your own wine. Tickets are $15. Proceeds support the choir's scholarship fund. facebook.com/chattanoogagirlschoir
-- Gate 11 Distillery, 1400 Market St., will host the final preliminary round in the Songwriters Stage competition for singers and songwriters 7-10 p.m. Friday. Cover is $5. The finale will be March 3 at The Camp House. chattown.net
-- Songbirds, 35 Station St., has three upcoming shows. Friday's act is Tyler Booth, who is on his Country Gang debut headline tour. Reid Haughton opens at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15-$20. Saturday features the double bill of multigenre musicians Ben Sollee (cello) and Scott Mulvahill (bass) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$23. On Tuesday, winners of qualifying rounds from around the Chattanooga area will perform a showcase concert at 6 p.m. as Tennessee Songwriters Week enters its next phase of competition. Tickets are $5. songbirdsfoundation.org
-- Whitwell Middle School, 1 Butterfly Lane, Whitwell, Tenn., will be the site of a gospel concert benefiting the Whitwell Education & Heritage Center 4-7 p.m. CST Saturday. Scheduled to perform are Eric Dempsey & Crystal Pickett, Whitwell Church of God Drama Team, Mount Calvary Drama Team, Praise & Worship Center singers, Messiah Bond Servant Singers, Crossroads bluegrass gospel singers, Mary Lynn Holloway & Natalie Blair. Tickets are $10 for ages 13 and older. whitwellcenter.org
-- Chattanooga Bach Choir will salute a longtime friend and supporter in "Celebrating the Life of Thomas Wolfe in Music" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. The tribute to the Chattanooga musician and educator (1933-2021) will include selections by Byrd, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Strauss, Duruflé and Vaughn Williams. Tickets are $25. chattanoogabachchoir.org
-- Southern Adventist University will host the annual pops concert at 8 p.m. Saturday in Iles P.E. Center, 4870 University Drive, Collegedale. "Forward March" will feature the Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble and Steel Band. Admission is free. southern.edu/musicevents
-- The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tenn., will welcome electronic music artist Peekaboo at 8 p.m. CST Saturday, with support from Ternion Sound and Digital Ethos. Tickets are $50. thecaverns.com
-- Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will present a family concert, "Peter and the Wolf," at 3 p.m. Sunday at The Bethlehem Center, 200 W. 38th St. The musicians will be joined onstage by characters from puppetry organization Playful Evolving Monsters. Arrive early for crafts and an instrument petting zoo. Tickets are free. chattanoogasymphony.org
-- ChristWay Church, 6201 Mountain View Road, Ooltewah, is Sunday's stop on contemporary Christian band Big Daddy Weave's Only the Beginning Tour. Guests for the 7 p.m. show are Hannah Kerr and The Young Escape. Tickets are $20-$75. bigdaddyweave.com
OUT & ABOUT
-- The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St., has five nights of entertainment scheduled. Wednesday offers an Open Mic Night for up-and-comers at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7. Thursday features a special engagement by Pat Dixon, who'll do a live taping of his true-crime podcast at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25. The weekend headliner is Jason Cheny, who shares his cross-cultural perspective as a native of Taiwan living in America. Shows start at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $22-$25. thecomedycatch.com
-- Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., continues its free weekly Black History Month programs with a panel discussion on "Disparities in Health and Health Care Among African Americans" by Mountain City Medical Society at 6 p.m. Thursday. Livestream: bessiesmithcc.org/bhm
-- Outdoor Chattanooga continues its free Winter Workshop Series 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday with "How To Poop in the Woods (and Other Outdoor Ethics)" by Leave No Trace educator Terry Chapin. Attend in person (registration recommended) or virtually (register for link). outdoorchattanooga.com
-- The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., continues its weekly Black History Month events 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday with a Movie Night showing "Poetic Justice." Tickets are $10. thechattery.org
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Customers shop various booths Feb. 27 during the Houston Museum Antique Show and Sale held at the Read House Hotel as a fundraiser for the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts.-- Houston Museum Antiques Show & Sale is this weekend at the Read House, 107 W. M.L. King Blvd. Now in its 49th year, the event raises funds for the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. The $10 ticket is good all three days. For early shopping privileges, consider the preview party 7-10 p.m. Thursday. The theme is "A Night at the Moulin Rouge." The $100 ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, adult beverages and access to the show all weekend. You must register for the preview party. thehoustonmuseum.org
-- Con Nooga, a fandom convention, is this weekend at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza. Programming encompasses various aspects of pop culture, including anime, comics, fantasy, science fiction, horror, cosplay and video gaming. Hours are noon-2 a.m. Friday ($30 for a single-day adult ticket), 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday ($50), 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday ($10). Cost is $60 for a weekend pass, with discounts for children 6-12. connooga.com
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The vending hall was filled with characters Feb. 19. Con Nooga, a convention celebrating pop culture, fandom, gaming and cosplay, marks its 14th year this weekend at the Chattanooga Convention Center.-- Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, 400 Garden Road, will offer behind-the-scenes tours of the native plant nursery 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday (and also Feb. 25). Guests will get an insider look at seed collection, propagation and documentation, among other processes. Register online to receive a free plant. reflectionriding.org
-- Audubon Acres, 900 N. Sanctuary Road, will help observers in the Great Backyard Bird Count with a program 8:30 a.m.-noon Saturday by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ornithologist David Aborn, who will demonstrate bird banding and give tips for bird counting. The national count, scheduled Friday through Monday, asks participants to watch birds for 15 minutes or more at least once during the four days. Apps can help identify birds by sight and sound if you count at home. Aborn's demonstration is included in gate admission, which is $3-$6 for nonmembers. chattanoogaaudubon.org
-- Chattanooga Princess Party, featuring an hour with Rapunzel and other characters, is scheduled Saturday at Gilman Event Hall, 216 W. Eighth St., with a choice of time slots: 9 or 11 a.m., 1, 3 or 5 p.m. Children can enjoy interactive stories, songs, dance, crafts, portraits and a take-home gift. Costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $15-$30. eventbrite.com
-- The Chattery will present a birding hike by field ornithologist Laura Marsh on Stringer's Ridge 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, starting at the Spears Avenue trailhead, 1312 Spears Ave. "The Language of Birds" will focus on different species' sounds and communication styles. Cost is $25. thechattery.org
-- Master Gardeners of Hamilton County will begin this year's monthly series of free gardening classes at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hamilton County Extension office, 6183 Adamson Circle. The topic is "Winter Pruning Basics." Attend in person or via Zoom, but register either way. mghc.org
— Nonprofit Saturday at Front Runner Athletics, 4251 Hixson Pike, a quarterly shop-and-serve opportunity, will donate 10% of the day's sales to the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults. The nonprofit agency's community programs include a domestic violence shelter, home for aging-out foster youth, deaf services and elder home care. Saturday store hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. partnershipfca.com
-- Black History Festival, a community event highlighting Black and African culture, will debut 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the East Lake Community Center, 3610 Dodds Ave. It will include local vendors, authors, art exhibits, museum, cultural food, giveaways and music, dance and spoken word performances. RSVP to give organizers a head count. eventbrite.com
(READ MORE: City of Chattanooga installs fake coyotes at East Lake Park)
-- Tennessee Valley Bridal Fair, a vendor expo to help engaged couples plan their perfect wedding, is scheduled 1-4 p.m. Saturday at The Chattanoogan hotel, 1201 Broad St. Tickets are $10 per person, $15 per couple. eventbrite.com
-- Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District, 10 Hamm Road, will be the site of a free history program, "Cherokee Removal: Big Business and the Pursuit of Profit," at 2 p.m. Saturday. The 45-minute program will explore how the advent of railroads in the Southeast led to the Cherokee Removal Act of 1830. nps.gov/chch
-- Tennessee Valley Theatre, 184 W. Jackson Ave., Spring City, Tenn., will host a Somewhere in Time Valentine Dance 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Guests have the option to come dressed as a favorite storybook or movie character. The evening includes live music, drinks and hors d'oeuvres and door prizes. Tickets are $15-$20 for singles, $25-$30 for couples. tennesseevalleytheatre.com
– Improv Chattanooga will offer a night of improvisational comedy at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Bode hotel, 730 Chestnut St. The skits are fashioned after those featured on the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and include audience participation. Tickets are $10. improvchattanooga.com
-- Alhambra Shrine, 1000 Alhambra Drive, will host the All American Gun Show this weekend. More than 100 vendors will set up to buy, sell, trade and appraise. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. The $11 ticket is good both days. alhambrashriners.com
THEATER
-- Performing Arts League presents A Dramatic Affair, a fundraiser to support youth involvement in the performing arts, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. The evening includes wine and dessert receptions, dinner and a private preview performance of "The Color Purple." Tickets are $75. palchattanooga.org
-- Scenic City Shakespeare will offer a staged reading of an original play by its education director, Emma Collins, at 7 p.m. Friday at ArtsBuild, 301 E. 11th St. "Text Nora(h)" kicks off the nonprofit production company's inaugural winter workshops, happening Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free, but reservations are appreciated. tinyurl.com/TextNorahTix
-- The Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens, Tenn., will conclude its run of "School of Rock: The Musical," about a youth rock band organized by a substitute teacher, this weekend. Showtime is 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15-$20. athensartscouncil.org
-- Back Alley Productions will open "The Importance of Being Earnest," an Oscar Wilde comedy about two friends who use the same pseudonym (Ernest) for their on-the-sly activities, this weekend at Mars Theatre, 117 N. Chattanooga St., LaFayette, Ga. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday (same schedule Feb. 24-26). Tickets are $13-$15. bapshows.com
-- Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St., will open "The Color Purple: The Musical" this weekend. Adapted from Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the 1985 Steven Spielberg film, the story follows the 40-year journey of a downtrodden African American woman to her personal awakening. Shows start at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The show runs through March 5, adding 7 p.m. Thursday shows for the second and third weekends. Tickets are $20-$25. The show is recommended for mature audiences. theatrecentre.com
-- Signal Mountain Playhouse is midway through the run of "Boeing Boeing," a comedy about a playboy pilot and the multiple flight attendants he's wooing. Performances start at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Mountain Arts Community Center, 809 Kentucky Ave. (same schedule Feb. 24-25). The play is recommended for adults and older teens. Tickets are $15 (cash or check). smph.org
Find more events, and add your own, at timesfreepress.com/cnevents.
Contact Lisa Denton at [email protected] or 423-757-6281.
