Voter registration drive
A taskforce comprised of community leaders and pastors have teamed up to launch GOVoteCHA. Through this nonpartisan effort, organizers have hosted voter registration rallies throughout the Greater Chattanooga Area to educate residents about the importance of civic participation and to encourage them to register to vote. The final outreach event and voter registration rally will be held Saturday, Oct. 1 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Westside Baptist Church, located at 4001 Hughes Ave. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions, register voters, and update registrations. The registration deadline to vote in this year’s presidential election is Oct. 11, and early voting in Hamilton County begins on Oct. 19. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.GoVoteCHA.org or email GoVoteCHA@gmail.com.
New Chattanooga Community Expo
On Saturday, Oct. 1, The Tenesha Irvin Show will present the 2nd Annual New Chattanooga Community Expo at the Avondale Youth and Family Development Center between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is a free community event that includes a vendor expo, inspirational speakers, an old school car show, basketball three-point shootout, games, free food, and more. The expo is intended to connect businesses, organizations, churches, and municipalities with people living in the Avondale community.
4th Annual TasteBuds Farm Tour
Farm Tour is an opportunity for people to enjoy a self-paced road-tripping weekend themed around Chattanooga’s local food shed. Purchasing a $20 car pass offers access during the first weekend of October to an up close and personal look at local food production. This annual event provides an opportunity to meet the farmers featured in the TasteBuds local food guide publication and serves as a fundraiser for Grow Chattanooga, the non-profit local food program that supports them. Visitors will be able to experience a variety of activities including guided tours, hayrides, and an open farm stand for purchasing local fare. More information is available at growchattanooga.org. Tickets can be purchased at crabtreefarms.org or by calling (423) 493-9155. For a map of participating farms, visit bit.ly/farmtour2016.
Fireside at Greenway Farms
Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union is sponsoring Fireside, a free, family friendly outdoor music series at Greenway Farm Park. All ages are invited to bring blankets and chairs, marshmallow roasting sticks, and perhaps a picnic supper, and sit around the campfire and enjoy live music in a rustic setting. The events will take place Thursdays in October from 7 p.m-9 p.m. Greenway Farm Park is located at 5051 Gann Store Rd. in Hixson. The lineup includes: Oct. 6 – The Von Wamps; Oct. 13 – Caney Creek Company; Oct. 20 – Tin Cup Rattlers; and Oct. 27 – storyteller Vincent Ivan Phipps.
An evening with artist Alyssa Monks
The public is invited to attend a free lecture Saturday, Oct. 15 from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Townsend Atelier by nationally recognized contemporary painter Alyssa Monks. Through slide presentation, Monks will talk about her work, painting process, and journey as an artist. Considered one of the best realist painters in the country, Monks earned her B.A. from Boston College and studied painting at Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence. She went on to complete her M.F.A at the New York Academy of Art’s Graduate School of Figurative Art in 2001. She teaches and lectures at universities and institution nation-wide, and is an adjunct professor at the New York Academy of Art. Monks’ paintings have been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions, and her work is represented in public and private collections. Monks has been awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for Painting three times and is a member of the New York Academy of Art’s Board of Trustees. She currently lives and paints in Brooklyn, N.Y. Townsend Atelier is located at 301 East 11th St. For more information, visit www.alyssamonks.com and www.townsendatelier.com, or call (423) 266-2712.