Howdy, neighbors! We've reached that funny part of October where the leaves are changin' and all sorts of decorations are poppin' up in the yard. At this point, I can't tell whether that noise outside is a spooky creature or Clementine rummagin' through the snack cabinet again.

Either way, I'm mighty glad you're here! Grab somethin' warm, get yourself settled, and stick around a spell. We've got some good stuff to yap about!

As always, we’ve added a fresh track to this week’s issue purely for vibes as you read. Click the link below before ya start reading if you wanna listen, or listen to the full Chattynooga playlist on Spotify!

Between work, errands, and whatever else the week's throwin' at ya, findin' time to cook a proper meal can be a real doozy. Luckily, CookUnity's got a whole bunch of chef-made meals ready to heat up whenever your belly starts hollerin'.

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STEAMagination!
Saturday, October 24 @ UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM 

Calling all future scientists, inventors, artists, and professional question-askers! Explore the wonderful world of STEAM at this free, family-friendly festival packed with interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities, and projects you can recreate at home. There's something for curious minds of every age to enjoy! 

🧪 Full STEAM ahead!

Harry Potter & the Whimsical Fall Festival
Saturday, October 24 @ Warner Park | 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Yer a wizard, Chattanooga! Warner Park is getting a Hogwarts makeover with a Harry Potter obstacle course, magical scavenger hunt, Dobby's sock toss, inflatable games, and plenty of Halloween candy. Grab your robes, bring your fellow witches and wizards, and prepare for an afternoon of magical mischief!

✨ I solemnly swear that I am up to no good

Halloween EEKstravaganza
Saturday, October 24 @ Soddy Municipal Park | 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Things are getting a little EEKstra spooky on the north end of town! The Soddy-Daisy Community Library is celebrating its fourth annual Halloween EEKstravaganza with games, food trucks, live music, a costume contest, and a pie-baking competition. Don't forget your costume and candy bucket because there's a whole lot of trick-or-treating to be done! 

👻 EEK there it is

Chattanooga Jazz Fest
Sunday, October 25 @ Chattanooga Choo Choo | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM 

The Scenic City’s jazz scene is taking center stage this Sunday. The second annual Chattanooga Jazz Fest celebrates our local jazz scene with a day dedicated to live music and the musicians who make it happen. There's even an open jam afterparty at Wanderlinger for anyone who isn't ready to call it a night! 

🎷 Why don’t we paint the town and all that jazz

IBMA World of Bluegrass
Tuesday, October 20 - Saturday, October 24 @ Downtown Chattanooga 

Break out the banjos because bluegrass is taking over Chattanooga! IBMA World of Bluegrass brings musicians and fans together for five days of performances, showcases, an awards ceremony, and a weekend music festival featuring some of the biggest names in bluegrass. Check out the full schedule to explore everything from ticketed concerts to free shows around town!

🪕 Paddle faster, I hear banjos

Between the Bridges
Saturday, October 24 - Sunday, October 25 @ Coolidge Park | Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sun 12:00 - 5:00 PM

Chattanooga's creative community is putting its talents on display! Hosted by the Association for Visual Arts, Between the Bridges celebrates its sixth year with approximately 50 Chattanooga-area artists displaying and selling their creations at Coolidge Park. This one's strictly for the locals, giving Chattanooga-area artists the spotlight all weekend long! 

🎨 Made in Chattanooga

Litter Bit Louder Tour
Saturday, October 24 @ Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga | 12:00 - 5:00 PM

Pick up the litter and turn up the volume! Join Culture & Co and Green Steps for the first stop of the Litter Bit Louder Tour, where volunteers will travel to local cleanup sites with DJs providing the soundtrack. Then trade your trash grabbers for microphones at an afternoon block party featuring karaoke, food trucks, and live entertainment!

🗑️ Trash talk never sounded so good

Frazier Festival
Saturday, May 23 @ Frazier Avenue | 12:00 - 7:00 PM

Frazier Avenue is closing to traffic and opening for a whole lot of fun! Local artists, small businesses, food vendors, and musicians are taking over Frazier Avenue for an afternoon celebrating everything Northshore. The neighborhood's shops and restaurants are getting in on the action, too, so there's plenty to explore beyond the festival booths! 

🍂 Frazier? I hardly know her!

Wag-O-Ween Puppy Brunch
Sunday, October 25 @ Scottie's On The River | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Who's ready for brunch with a side of puppy cuddles? Scottie's On The River is teaming up with the Humane Educational Society for Wag-O-Ween, featuring adoptable dogs, puppy playtime, food and drink specials, and a fundraising silent auction. Even if you're not looking to adopt, there's plenty of puppy love to go around!

🐾 Who let the dogs brunch?

Got somethin’ you wanna tell the community about?

Tell us all about it with our new and improved events form, or just reply to this email with your event details and we’ll go from there!

October is the month of tricks but most importantly treats! We’ve been tinkerin’ away behind the scenes, and I reckon it’s about time we let y’all in on a little secret. We’re makin’ some big changes to our website!

Our lil’ internet hub has been in great need of sprucin’ up since we started this silly newsletter but have been puttin’ it off when other big ideas take precedence. Not anymore, pals! It'll be easier to revisit old issues, catch up on Yap Sessions, and keep tabs on what your neighbors are up to all around Chattanooga. Don't worry, Bubby and Clementine ain't goin' anywhere. We're just makin' a little more room for everybody else that’s been joining us!

Since we're already in the spirit of Halloween, we've gotta few more treats up our sleeves, including a fun new way to bring your favorite folks into the Chattynooga bunch. Got a friend who oughta be readin' along? Pretty soon, we'll have just the thing for ya.

That's all I'm allowed to spill for now. Clementine says I can't keep a secret to save my life, so I'd better hush before I prove her right. Talk soon!

Well neighbors, Hollerween is creepin’ upon us and I've been doin' my darnedest to get into the spirit of it all by scarin’ myself silly all October. I’ve been to a few Haunted houses, watched a horde of scary movies safely under the blankets at home, and even fell for a few of Clementine’s pranks. 🙄 I’ve prolly hollered enough this month that the neighbors prolly think I’m gonna be a basset hound for my costume.

We were hopin' to get our fill of Southern cryptids and creepy local legends at the Green Eyes Festival this past weekend, but we wound up missin' it! So I had to find another way to get my fix of things that go bump in the holler.

And that's how I wound up listenin' to the Old Gods of Appalachia.

It's a horror storytellin' podcast set in an alternate version of Appalachia, where the mountains look familiar, but somethin' underneath 'em ain't quite right. Town names are a little different, history's gone sideways, and there's a mighty good reason folks oughta mind where they're diggin'.

What I love most is how much it reminds me of sittin' around a campfire listenin' to somebody's uncle tell a story he swears really happened. The storytellers grew up in Appalachia themselves, and you can hear it in every tale of family secrets and southern folklore that explains whatever lurks in the woods longer than anybody cares to remember. There's over a hundred episodes to keep ya occupied, too, so you won't be runnin' out of nightmares anytime soon.

Fair warnin', this one's for the grown folks that can handle it. Things get downright nasty, and not just in the boo-behind-a-door kinda way. I been listenin' after sundown on our porch for what I think is the most authentic experience, and the W Road is plenty spooky without an ancient mountain demon keepin' me company.

Anywho, what's been givin' YOU the heebie-jeebies lately? Maybe you've got a favorite ghost tour, a scary book, or some local legend your granddaddy swore was true.

Hit reply and tell ol' Bubby! I'd love to hear what's keepin' y'all up at night.

Last week I told you all about how to celebrate spooky season around Chattanooga. Since then, someone gave Mother Nature the memo that it’s fall and the weather should act accordingly.

With that I am happy to announce to you my friends, that it finally feels like fall.

Crisp air, colorful leaves, and NO MORE BUGS… this is why fall is my favorite. To celebrate the weather finally matching the season, here are some autumn haikus.

Grab a warm cuppa and enjoy!

Send in your own Fall Haikus if you’re feeling poetic this week! Not sure how to make one? I’ve got you covered!

Thanks for spendin' another little piece of your week with us, neighbor. It's been a hoot gettin' into the spooky spirit with y'all, but I think I've had enough scares for one sittin'. I'm gonna go find somethin' sweet to eat and pretend that weird noise in the walls was just the family of raccoons I fed outside earlier (sorry in advance for the electric bill that’s about to ensue from this decision, Meemaw. Ya live and ya learn 🤷)

Take care of yourself out there, and we'll see ya right back here next week!

— Bubby and Clementine