The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will host its annual swing concert, Big Band Fever, on Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre. Tickets start at $21 and are available at www.chattanoogasymphony.org. This concert will feature the CSO’s big band, guest clarinetist Fred Lemmons and Kyle Barels from Dance Tonight Chattanooga.
Get the scoop on soil
The Master Gardeners of Hamilton County will host a free gardening class titled “Everything Begins with Soil” on Saturday, Feb. 17, 10 a.m.-noon. Presented by UT Extension Agent Tom Stebbins and master gardener Bud Hines, the class will be open to the public. MGHC classes take place at the UT Extension Agricultural Service Center, 6183 Adamson Circle. For additional information and to register for the class, visit www.mghc.org/education-committee-classes.
Music for the Lenten Season
The Chattanooga Bach Choir will continue its Barnett & Company Cantata Series with “Music for the Lenten Season” on Sunday, Feb. 18, 4 p.m., at Christ Church Episcopal, 663 Douglas St. Admission is $15; students will be admitted for free. The program will feature George Frideric Handel’s “Have Mercy on Me, O God,” Heinrich Isaac’s “Lenten motet Scapulis suis” and Dietrich Buxtehude’s “Canzonetta in D minor for organ.” Guest soloists Maria Rist (soprano), James Harr (tenor) and Karla Fowkes (organ) will join the Bach Choir and Orchestra. Information, www.chattanoogabachchoir.org.
Criminal justice reform forum
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee will host a criminal justice reform and voting rights forum in Chattanooga on Thursday, Feb. 22. Hedy Weinberg, ACLU-TN executive director, will lead the discussion and share ACLU’s work and how community members can take action in support of voting rights. The forum will take place at the Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St., 6-7:15 p.m. It is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required. Information: www.aclu-tn.org/aclu-tn-freedom-forums, 615 320-7142.
Crime prevention training
The Chattanooga Police Department is sponsoring free crime prevention training designed for business owners and managers interested in making their facility and employees as safe as possible. A nationally accredited crime prevention specialist from the University of Tennessee’s Law Enforcement Innovation Center will cover a variety of topics during the four-hour training session, including lighting, access control, video surveillance, emergency management, glazing, environmental design and more. Participants can choose from one of four sessions taking place at the Edney Innovation Center, 8 a.m.-noon, Monday, Feb. 26 through Thursday, March 1. Register in advance: http://bit.ly/CPDLEIC
Hunter Underground
The Hunter Museum of American Art’s young patron group, Avant-art, will host its annual museum fundraiser, Hunter Underground, on Saturday, March 10, 8 p.m. During Underground, the museum’s basement will be converted from a maze of art storage to a night club with music, entertainment and art.
The evening will feature DJ Summer Dregs, heavy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and a dance party in the loading dock. Silent auction works will be available from several local galleries, with additional works from Charlotte, North Carolina galleries Hidell Brooks, Allison Sprock Fine Art and Shain Gallery.
The evening will also include the Smash & Grab Gallery. Underground attendees whose Smash & Grab Gallery tickets are drawn will have 30 seconds to enter the gallery to grab a work of art to add to their personal collections. This year’s gallery will include more than 40 works donated by artists such as Myles Freeman, Daryl Thetford and Aloyse Blair. Tickets: www.huntermuseum.org/events/2018/3/10/hunter-underground
Chattanooga Ballet annual scholarship fundraiser
The Chattanooga Ballet will hold its annual fundraiser on Thursday, March 15 at the William L. Montague Jr. Center for the Dance, 817B N. Market St. The event will take place from 6-9 p.m. and feature a sit-down dinner, an open bar and a performance from the ballet’s upcoming spring concert, “The Sleeping Beauty.” Proceeds from the event will benefit the Chattanooga Ballet Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition support to children whose families are in need. Tickets may be purchased at the ballet or by calling 423 265-0617.
Masterpiece Experience wine dinner
WTCI-TV will host the Masterpiece Experience wine dinner at the Westin Hotel on Tuesday, March 20. The Westin chefs will create a five-course meal for the evening and pair each course with a specific wine. Tickets are $175 each. Individual and corporate seating is available and most table configurations can be accommodated.
Silent auction items will include special lots of wine, round-trip airline tickets, weekend stays at the Doubletree and the Westin Hotel and an Alor and diamond necklace from Dayle May Jewelry. Proceeds from the evening will support WTCI in its effort to reach a 35-county region and serve over 400,000 households with programming, events and educational outreach. Information: wtciTV.org/wine, Lisa McDowd at 423 702-7817.
Rescues on the Runway
The Humane Educational Society will host its annual Rescue on the Runway fundraiser Saturday, March 24 at 6 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Guests will sip on complimentary beer or wine while they sample appetizers and bid on an array of silent auction items before sitting down for a three-course meal. During the runway show, guests will have the opportunity to bid on live auction items ranging from vacations to one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Formal attire is required. Tickets, tables: www.heschatt.org/fm/events/detail/id/118