Chattanooga was named one of Outside magazine’s top U.S. mountain towns in 2022. This is no surprise, because Chattanooga’s autumns offer a wide variety of things to do, such as walking the Tennessee Riverwalk and Walnut Street Bridge, hiking one of the 50 nearby trails within a 30-minute drive of downtown, biking along the Tennessee River, rafting, paddling and hang gliding over the bright foliage. The Tennessee River was named the best urban kayaking spot by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice. All that activity making you hungry? Recently, bread from Niedlov’s Bakery & Café was named The Best Bread in Every State by Food & Wine magazine. How about a bit of history? The Hunter Museum of American Art will continue to celebrate its 70th anniversary with a selection of works from an private collection. For sports fans, the TSSAA Girls’ Soccer Championships and the Bluecross Bowl will be held this fall for the second consecutive year.
This summer (2023), Chattanooga’s music scene takes center stage. The Nightfall Concert Series occurs every Friday at Miller Park, featuring live music from local artists, along with food and artisan goods available for purchase. The weekly event is free to the public. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Riverbend Festival, June 2-4, includes a toe-tapping lineup with Maren Morris, Nathaniel Rateliff and other performers. Runners of all skill levels will come together for the 40th annual Chattanooga Riverfront Triathlon, which takes place June 25 along the Tennessee River. The Choo Choo Hotel is reopens later this summer after a top-to-bottom renovation that includes the restoration of 25 vintage Pullman cars that are being repurposed as freestanding hotel rooms.