The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the lineup for its 2026 IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival, featuring Grammy-winning Sierra Ferrell, Leftover Salmon, Larry Sparks and Michael Cleveland & Friends.
The two-day festival will be held Oct. 23-24 at The Signal, the Chattanooga Convention Center and Barrelhouse Ballroom as part of IBMA World of Bluegrass.
Also scheduled to perform are Lindsay Lou presents Bluegrass Women, Lonesome River Band, Della Mae, Jason Carter Band, Special Consensus, Randy Steele & High Cold Wind and Barefoot Nellie & Co.
The festival will debut a new format this year, combining ticketed indoor performances with Pickin’ in the Park, a free outdoor event at Miller Park and Miller Plaza featuring local musicians, college bands and Kids on Bluegrass participants. The lineup for the free event will be announced later.
IBMA is also introducing a limited VIP weekend pass, with only 200 available. The pass includes premium seating, exclusive happy hour receptions and other perks. General admission weekend passes also will be offered.
Public ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. July 21.
IBMA World of Bluegrass runs Oct. 20-24 and also includes the Business Conference, Bluegrass Ramble and the 37th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards.
More information is available at worldofbluegrass.org.
Property sales surpass $4.5 billion in fiscal year
Hamilton County recorded more than $4.52 billion in property sales during the 2025-26 fiscal year, generating nearly $16.7 million in state conveyance tax, according to the Hamilton County Register of Deeds.
The annual Sales & Mortgages Report shows 15,030 deeds and 15,271 deeds of trust were recorded during the fiscal year, with a total of 58,988 documents filed by the Register of Deeds Office.
Mortgage activity totaled nearly $5.86 billion, producing about $6.64 million in state mortgage tax revenue.
The largest recorded transaction was a $48.3 million sale at 1920 Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga. Other top transactions included a $37.8 million sale at 6153 Claude Ramsey Parkway and a $28.75 million sale at 4513 Access Road.
Several of the year’s largest transactions involved property on Northpoint Boulevard in Hixson and parcels identified only by tax parcel numbers.
Chattanooga seeks to expand traffic safety
Chattanooga is seeking additional federal funding to expand traffic safety improvements as the city continues its goal of eliminating traffic fatalities.
The City Council is reviewing Chattanooga’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan while city officials apply for another Safe Streets for All Implementation Grant.
The grant would build on earlier federal funding that helped create the city’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, Safer Streets database and a data-driven platform that identifies roadways with higher crash risks before collisions occur.
If awarded, the funding would support expanded traffic detection technology, infrastructure improvements and upgraded emergency-response equipment designed to improve crash response and survivability.
The city’s safety plan embraces a Vision Zero policy, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths by combining roadway design improvements with safer driving practices. Officials say the proposed grant would help continue implementing those long-term safety measures across Chattanooga.
Election Commission tests voting machines
The Hamilton County Election Commission has completed testing of its voting machines ahead of the Aug. 6 state and federal primary and county general election.
An independent audit conducted by CPA Quinten Howard found no issues with the county’s 112 early voting and Election Day machines. Howard reported no discrepancies between the machines’ control tapes and the results produced during testing, and high-speed optical scanners also passed testing without exceptions.
Election officials say the public accuracy test is required to verify that each machine correctly tabulates ballots and complies with state regulations. The voting machines are never connected to the internet, officials say.
After testing, all vote totals were reset to zero, and Howard signed each machine tape confirming the machines had been cleared. Tamper-evident seals with unique serial numbers were then placed on each machine and logged under the county’s chain-of-custody procedures.
Early voting runs from July 17 through Aug. 1. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is July 27, and Election Day is Aug. 6.
Investor pays $2.77M for Hixson Chick-fil-A
A Florida investor has purchased the new Chick-fil-A under construction on Highway 153 in Hixson for $2.77 million, months before the restaurant is scheduled to open.
The sale reflects continued investor demand for commercial property in Hixson, one of Chattanooga’s fastest-growing retail corridors. The new restaurant, which will replace the Chick-fil-A at Oak Park Town Center, is expected to open this fall.
Commercial real estate firm RealSource Group says the transaction set a Tennessee record for the lowest capitalization rate on a single-tenant Chick-fil-A drive-thru property, indicating investors were willing to pay a premium for the long-term leased restaurant.
The 6,008-square-foot restaurant is being built on 1.74 acres along Highway 153 near Academy Sports + Outdoors and Kohl’s. The area has seen continued residential and commercial growth in recent years.
Library touts growth, plans Downtown fête
The Chattanooga Public Library is highlighting a busy first half of 2026, pointing to expanded programming, new exhibits, growing community engagement and plans to celebrate the Downtown Library’s 50th anniversary.
The library released its latest quarterly update this month, showcasing recent accomplishments across its branch system.
Among the highlights is the continued growth of the Eastgate Library, which has welcomed more than 50,000 visitors this year while providing thousands of program attendees, computer sessions and notary services since last summer. The report describes the branch as one of the library system’s busiest locations.
The library also expanded its lineup of adult programming, offering regular book clubs, craft workshops, genealogy classes, writing groups, improv comedy and other activities at branches throughout the city.
A new local history and genealogy exhibit, “Next Stop, Chattanooga: Exploring Our Place on the Great American Road Trip,” opened June 6 and will remain on display through September. The exhibit explores Chattanooga’s role in American travel history through partnerships with local cultural organizations.
The report also highlights the success of this year’s Zine Fest, which attracted 850 attendees for a day of self-publishing workshops, guest speakers, artist vendors and hands-on activities celebrating independent creators.
Looking ahead, the library is preparing to celebrate the Downtown Library’s 50th anniversary on Oct. 17. Officials say the event will commemorate the building’s five decades as a center for education and community engagement.