Judy Darling Donuts, 121 Frazier Ave., will host The Donut Show, an art show opening, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 4-7 p.m.
Artists Brianna Bass and Noah Kocher will conduct a short talk at 5 p.m. Judy Darling will be open for business during the show.
Knoxville-based Bass explores color theory and optical illusion, playing eye games with candy-colored acrylic paintings. Nashville artist Noah Kocher’s paintings focus on movement through color choice and line work.
ShapeShifter Gallery is a contemporary moving gallery. It features one-night gallery shows taking place in spaces throughout Chattanooga, including this event at Judy Darling.
Symphony & Opera opens 85th season
The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will open its 85th season on Thursday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., in the Tivoli Theatre.
The performance will begin with Benjamin Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” The evening’s second piece will be Tan Dun’s “Crouching Tiger Concerto.” This concert work is based on Dun’s Oscar-winning score for the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Guest cellist Benjamin Karp will perform the concerto for cello and orchestra.
The feature of the night will be Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1 – The Titan.” Around 85 musicians will take to the stage for the piece. The symphony features a finale with eight French horn players performing on their feet.
Tickets range from $21 to $85, with discounts for students and educators, and can be purchased by calling the CSO box office at (423) 267-8583 or visiting the CSO’s website at www.chattanoogasymphony.org.
Following the concert, ticket holders are invited to a reception held in the lobby with a chance to meet the musicians and guest artists.
Celebrate National Public Lands Day
In recognition of National Public Lands Day, Tennessee State Parks and State Natural Areas invite the public to take part in ranger-led hikes, volunteer projects and interpretive programs at all 56 state parks on Saturday, Sept. 30.
National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with only three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Now in its 24th year, NPLD is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands, which make up over 30 percent of America’s landscape.
For more information, including a list of hikes and events statewide, visit www.tnstateparks.com/about/special-events/national-public-lands-day-hikes.
Women’s Fund Voices luncheon
The Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga will host its fifth annual Voices Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Stratton Hall. The doors will open at 10:45 a.m. for the Power of the Purse Silent Auction. The program will conclude at 1 p.m.
Shelley Zalis will deliver the keynote address. Zalis is the founder of the Female Quotient, which works with corporations to advance equity in the workplace. She is also the host of a new Bloomberg series titled “Walk the Talk,” which is focused on gender equality and the importance of women in executive leadership. Zalis will speak about the importance of gender-balanced teams.
In addition, the Women’s Fund will present a check to the winner of the Nightingale Network grant. The Nightingale Network supports local nonprofits that serve women and girls. The finalists are Chattanooga Room in the Inn, TechTown and Girls, Inc.
Proceeds from the event will support the WFGC’s work at the state and local levels to advance policies that protect and advance women and children, the Nightingale Network and partnership organizations across Tennessee that support women and girls.
Visit www.chattanoogawomensfund.org to purchase tickets, or contact Emily O’Donnell (423 443-9915) to purchase a table. Individual tickets are $65 and tables start at $600. Corporate sponsorships for the event are still available.
3 Sisters Music Festival
An abundance of bluegrass entertainment will be served up on Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7, during the 11th annual 3 Sisters Music Festival. Held at Ross’ Landing, the free event will feature top names in contemporary and traditional bluegrass.
The music will begin Friday at 6 p.m. with music by local bluegrass favorites and festival hosts, The Dismembered Tennesseans. The Stray Birds will perform at 6:50 p.m. and the Jeff Austin Band (a mandolinist and singer best known for being a part of the Yonder Mountain String Band) will take the stage at 8:10 p.m. Del McCoury will end the night with a set beginning at 9:30 p.m.
At noon on Saturday, The Lone Mountain Band will kick off a full day of bluegrass entertainment. Bluetastic Fangrass will follow at 1 p.m., the Hamilton County Ramblers at 2 p.m., the Berklee College of Music Fiddlers at 3 p.m., the Molly Tuttle Band at 4 p.m., Bryan Sutton at 5:30 p.m. and the Kruger Brothers at 7 p.m. Sam Bush will provide the final set on Saturday beginning at 8:30 p.m.
3 Sisters merchandise and performer merchandise will be available for sale. Food from a variety of food trucks, beer, wine, whiskey and non-alcoholic drink concessions will also be available. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets. No outside food or beverages will be allowed.
This event is sponsored by Fletcher Bright Realty and the City of Chattanooga and produced by Chattanooga Presents! Information: www.3SistersBluegrass.com, 423 265-0771.
Urban League Equal Opportunity Day
The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga will present its annual Equal Opportunity Day breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Chattanooga Convention Center. John Hope Bryant, founder and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, a nonprofit financial services network, will be the keynote speaker. This year’s event theme is “Urbanomics – The Breakdown of Economic Inequality.”
Bryant has been an advisor to the last three sitting U.S. presidents. At the request of Bryant, President George W. Bush signed the first executive order establishing financial literacy as the policy of the federal government in the nation’s history in 2008. President Obama appointed Bryant to serve on his new U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans in 2014.
To recognize corporate and individual leadership in the region, the Urban League will give out three awards at the event: the Inclusion by Design Award; the Community Impact Award; and the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award.
The Urban League is offering several sponsorship levels or individual tickets for the event. All proceeds from the event will support the organizations programs. Information: www.ulchatt.net, Lily Sanchez (423 756-1762, lsanchez@ulchatt.net).