Voter registration drives
A taskforce comprised of community leaders and pastors are teaming up to launch GOVoteCHA. Through this nonpartisan effort, organizers will host 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 outreach events and voter registration rallies will be held Saturdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the following locations: Sept. 10 – Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church (1734 E. 3rd St.); Sept. 17 – Greater Tucker Baptist Church (1115 N. Moore Road); Sept. 24 – Olivet Baptist Church (740 E. Martin Luther King Blvd.); and Oct. 1 – Westside Baptist Church (4001 Hughes Ave.).
Volunteers, including several attorneys, 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.
Fall plant sale
Crabtree Farms’ fall plant sale featuring vegetable, fruit, and herb starts will take place Saturday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The sale will be coupled with workshops focusing on fall gardening techniques, vegetable fermentation, and hand crafted beauty products. Local vendors specializing in mushrooms, herbs, hand crafted garden décor, handmade beauty products, apples, and fermented foods will be present to share their wares and expertise. For those who enjoy music, the Tin Cup Rattlers, Chattanooga Folk School and Just Us Gals will showcase their talent throughout the day. Crabtree Farms is located at 1000 E. 30th St.
Gallery Hop 2016
The Association for Visual Arts (AVA) will present the tenth annual Gallery Hop on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 2-8 p.m. The Gallery Hop is a free event featuring galleries and artist studios in and around Downtown Chattanooga. During the event, the public will be able to meet local artists, watch demonstrations, and learn about the artists’ creative processes. Galleries will have special exhibitions on display, and refreshments will be provided at most venues. A map featuring the location of each gallery and studio is available at www.avarts.org.
Celebration of Hope
Sponsored by Hope Unlimited Ministries, Celebration of Hope will take place Sunday, Sept. 11, from 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Coolidge Park. This event is for single parents, their children, and the community, and will feature music from various choirs, speakers that will encourage single parents, and health fair booths that will provide information regarding available services. There will also be activities for children, including face painting, crafts, and a puppet show. Food will be served as well. For more information, contact Dr. Rita Carr at (423) 493-0288.
An evening with author Jordan Sonnenblick
Baylor School and Children’s Hospital at Erlanger will host an evening with young adult fiction author Jordan Sonnenblick on Monday, Sept. 12 from 7 until 8:30 p.m. in Baylor’s Alumni Chapel. Sonnenblick is the author of seven books for children and young adults, including “Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie,” the story of an 8th grade boy whose younger brother is battling leukemia. Locally, the book inspired Jack Skowronnek to create Jack’s Chattanoggins, an annual head shaving event that promotes awareness of childhood cancer and raises funds for the Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital. Skowronnek, a senior at Signal Mountain High School, will be at the event to introduce Sonnenblick. In addition, Erlanger officials will be on hand to answer questions about the new Children’s Hospital. The event is free, and will include a question and answer session and a book signing.
Pickin’ on Poetry
Southern Lit Alliance, UTC Fine Arts Center, and SoundCorps will host poets Rebecca Gayle Howell and Ansel Elkins for Pickin’ on Poetry, a discussion of poetry in American songwriting, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at Camp House, located at 149 E. MLK Blvd. Howell is a senior editor of Oxford American and the author of “Render / An Apocalypse.” She has won a Pushcart Prize, as well as other awards and fellowships, and is notable for her translations of poetry volumes. Elkins is the author of the poetry collection “Blue Yodel,” which was selected as a winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and has been featured in Guernica and Oxford American, among other publications. The conversation will be moderated by UTC English professor Joseph Jordan. Lookout Mountain writer Jamie Quatro will introduce the lineup. This event is free and open to the public. Food and drink will be available for purchase at Camp House. For more information, visit www.SouthernLitAlliance.org.
Park(ing) Day
To celebrate Chattanooga’s ninth annual Park(ing) Day, metered parking spots will once again become mini-parks on Friday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parklets in 2015 included yoga classes, carnival games, jam sessions, theatrical performances, dance performances, live drawing, poetry readings, coworking space, a makeup booth, a massage station, dart matches, a puppy petting park, and more.