Free day at the Zoo
The Chattanooga Zoo is inviting everyone to visit for free on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. during the 11th Annual GoFest, a celebration of people of all abilities. The City of Chattanooga created the initiative to raise disability awareness. This year, GoFest will welcome Special Olympics Gold Medalist Nicole Gonzales, who will be demonstrating her winning shot put.
Pink Heals National Firetruck tour
The 2015 Pink Heals National Firetruck tour will be at Hamilton Place on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Pink Heals began in 2007 as an effort to help women battling cancer. The organization gives all of the donations it receives either to charities or directly to people in need.
Guided bicycle tour
The Chattanooga History Center will partner with Outdoor Chattanooga to offer a bicycle tour on Tuesday, Sept. 15. “An Environmental History of Chattanooga” will be guided by Caroline Sunderland, senior educator at the CHC. Registered participants will meet at Outdoor Chattanooga in Coolidge Park at 6:30 p.m. The tour will conclude at 8:30 p.m. The tour is appropriate for ages eight and up. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited, and preregistration is required by Monday, Sept. 14. To register, call the CHC at (423) 265-3247, or visit chattanoogahistory.org. The fee is $10 per person and $5 for CHC members. Participants may bring their own bicycle. To reserve a bike or a helmet from the Outdoor Chattanooga Mobile Bicycle Fleet, call (423) 643-6888. There is no additional charge for bike or helmet reservations. All participants must wear a helmet.
All About Children fundraiser
The 10th annual All About Children fundraiser, presented by Friends of Special Children, will benefit Signal Centers’ effort to purchase an elevator for students in wheelchairs. This event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Signal Centers, located at 109 N. Germantown Rd., The evening will include cocktails, dinner, prizes, and live and silent auctions. For ticket information, contact Anne Stone at (423) 421-0623 or email friends@friendsofspecialchildren.org.
Dunk the police chief!
Chattanooga Friends will present the sixth annual Dunked, a fundraiser that benefits four local nonprofits, on Friday, Sept. 18 at Miller Plaza from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Dunked involves recruiting well-known Chattanoogans to take the plunge for a good cause. This year, Dunked will benefit Siskin Children’s Institute, Northside Neighborhood House, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga, and LaPaz Chattanooga. Well-known Chattanoogans have volunteered to allow friends and foes alike to attempt to dunk them in support of these local charities. Each dunkee is raising funds for one of the four nonprofits at www.crowdrise.com/Dunked15. Dunkees will include Chattanooga Chief of Police Fred Fletcher, James McKissic from the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Web Raulston of Jones & Raulston PC, James McKissic of the City of Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs, Richard A. Park, Jr., of UBS Financial Services, Shelton Chambers of Elliot Davis Decosimo, and Katie King of EPB, to name a few. For a $5 donation, participants will receive three balls to throw at the Dunkee of their choice, or for $20, they can buy unlimited throws. For more information, including the times the dunkees will take their turns in the dunking booth, visit www.crowdrise.com/Dunked15.
Walk for Cammy’s Cause
On Saturday, Sept. 19 at Ross’s Landing, the Mary Cameron Robinson Foundation will host its 10th annual fundraiser, A 5K Run/Walk for Cammy’s Cause, in memory of Mary Cameron “Cammy” Robinson. After losing Cammy 10 years ago to complications stemming from a 14-year battle with eating disorders, her family and friends have walked in her memory every September. This year, the event will transition to a 5K run and walk with a one-mile run and walk option. The proceeds will support the programs of the MCR Foundation, which promote a positive body image and self esteem for the prevention of eating disorders. Check in and registration will begin at 7:30 a.m.; the run and walk will start one hour later. Visit www.mcrfoundation.com for more information and to pre-register.
3rd Annual TasteBuds Farm Tour
The 3rd Annual TasteBuds Farm Tour will take place Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Car passes are on sale at growchattanooga.org/foodguide/FarmTour. The pass will be good all weekend, and will grant visitors access to Brady’s Farm Direct (Saturday only), Crabtree Farms, Dixie Does Alpines (Saturday only), The Healthy Kitchen (Sunday only), Lavender ‘n’ Rust Herb Farm, Lookout Homestead Teaching Farm, Red Clay Farm (Sunday only), Tant Hill Farm, Wheeler’s Orchard, and Wildwood Farm (Sunday only). Visitors are encouraged to bring a cooler, as they will have the opportunity to shop for items produced on the farms, including meats, produce, honey, and eggs. Hand crafted goods, such as yarn, soap, goat milk fudge, and balms, will also be available at certain locations. A Farm Tour map with descriptions of each site is available at www.bit.ly/CHAfarmtour. Guided caravan tours will also be offered at no additional cost. Starting at Crabtree Farms at 10 a.m. each day, the caravan will embark on a round-trip journey to a selection of farms.
First Things First banquet
First Things First will welcome New York Times best-selling author David Horsager as guest speaker for their 18th Annual Fall Banquet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Chattanooga Convention Center at 6:30 p.m. Horsager’s “The Trust Edge” teaches eight pillars of trust and how to apply them in relationships. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. A special VIP experience will include a reception with Horsager and premium banquet seating. For additional information, or to purchase tickets or a corporate table, call (423) 267-5383, or visit firstthings.org.
History Center walking tour
The Chattanooga History Center will present Taming the Tennessee River, a walking tour, on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. Registered participants will meet on the Aquarium Plaza and take a 1.5 mile stroll through downtown led by Senior Educator Caroline Sunderland. Sunderland will discuss how the city has used, abused, and enjoyed the Tennessee River. Participants will learn how Chattanooga built itself from Ross’s Landing and adapted to the unpredictable economic and environmental nature of the River. Sunderland will also unpack the possibility and the legend of Underground Chattanooga. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required by Monday, Sept. 28. For more information or to register, call (423) 265-3247 or email caroline.sunderland@chattanoogahistory.org. You can also register at chattanoogahistory.org/wgo.
Wine Over Water
The 21st Annual Wine Over Water will take place Saturday, Oct. 3. Hosted by Cornerstones, the event will incorporate hundreds of wines as well as local food and music. The event weekend will start with the Best Cellars wine tasting event on Friday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chattanoogan Hotel. Wine Over Water will follow on Saturday, with the gates opening at 3:30 and wine tastings starting at 5 p.m. on the Walnut Street Bridge. The event will feature food from local restaurants, more than 300 wines from nearly 100 wineries, and local music. Ticket information can be found at www.wineoverwater.org.
Chattanooga Zoo’s annual Banana Ball
The Chattanooga Zoo will host its annual Banana Ball on Saturday, Oct. 10. The day will start at 2 p.m. with the Banana Split event, at which children ages 3 and up will enjoy a presentation by Jack Hanna and his animal friends. The Banana Ball will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a VIP meet-and-greet with Hanna. The VIP ticket includes admission to the Banana Ball as well as the VIP reception. From 6:30-11 p.m., guests will be able to stroll through the Zoo and enjoy a presentation by Hanna, up close animal encounters, dinner catered by Lee Towery, live music by The Michel Jons Band, an open bar, and a cigar bar providing signature hand rolled cigars. The Banana Ball is the Chattanooga Zoo’s signature fundraising event, with the proceeds going to the care of the Zoo’s animals, as well as its conservation, education, and rehabilitation efforts. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (423) 697-1322 or visit www.chattzoo.org/events/banana-ball. The Banana Ball and the VIP reception are 21 and older only events.