The annual Southside street party creates new traditions
In what’s becoming as big a part of the beginning of the holiday season as Thanksgiving and Black Friday, MainX24 celebrates Chattanooga’s Main Street and Southside neighborhood this weekend by hosting a grassroots, 24-hour long festival organized by locals, merchants and party revelers in an attempt to make the Scenic City as popular for night owls as it is for families.
MainX24 is bigger and better than ever in its thirteenth year. Over 150 events are planned and packed into a 24-hour time frame. At the time of publication, organizers are still adding eclectic get-togethers that draw a few dozen people and making final tweaks to the tried and true community-wide celebrations.
For you early risers, it all starts off at 6:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the fire hall on East Main Street with all proceeds benefiting the Forgotten Child Fund. You can also grab sausage biscuits, coffee, and hot chocolate. There will be boxes available to drop off a new unwrapped toy or a new coat.
Buddy Shirk with Summitt Piano returns with the Steinway D Concert Grand and a bevy of local pianists, schools, and the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Choir to entertain you while enjoying all the pancakes you can eat.
Shirk helps the crowd segue into the day’s most popular event: MainX24 Southside Parade sponsored by EPB. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m. and regularly draws around 13,000 people and participants.
“The more weird and creative the parade, the better,” exclaims Monica Kinsey, one of the event’s organizers who lives and works on the Southside. “The parade really prepares the Southside business community for their biggest shopping day of the year.”
The route covers the Main Street corridor from Jefferson Street to Coward Street.
“You can count on this being the wackiest parade you have ever seen,” says Dawn Hjelseth, Director of Development for green|spaces. “The mutt strut and roller girls are always a highlight of the event.”
After the parade, storefronts open up and offer everything from art to Christmas merch and photos with Santa.
Stop by the H’art Gallery where artists come from varied underserved backgrounds and circumstances: those experiencing homelessness, living with mental and physical disabilities, disabled veterans, women fleeing abusive situations, political refugees, and others. Their community programs are designed to serve a wide range of populations.
You might take part in cookie decorating, watch sumo wrestling, flash mob dancing, or catch the silent disco at Mean Mug Coffeehouse. Chattanooga Cigar Club will host a celebrity bartending event where you can show off your karaoke skills.
“It’s hard to pick among the variety of events,” says Kinsey. “Make sure you eat and stay hydrated. You can rest on Sunday.”
A MainX24 tradition is the World Heavyweight Chili Championship and Vendor Market. It all starts at 11:30 a.m. and is only $15 for all the chili you can eat.
Hjelseth has been heading up the event for seven years, while the event itself is in its eleventh year.
“Over 20 teams will be competing in the cook-off this year with both bloody marys and beer being served,” says Hjelseth. “Make sure and pace yourself. Some people go home and take a nap then come back.” MainX24 is definitely a marathon not a sprint.
If you want to see some racing action early, don’t miss the annual MainX24 Adult Big Wheel Race. It is a longstanding MainX24 tradition that takes place in the Choo Choo Gardens immediately following the parade. The race features 24 co-ed, adult teams of four that race around a course (relay style) on adult sized big wheels (drift trikes).
It’s double elimination format and the winner takes home the coveted ‘Goat’, not to mention bragging rights for the next twelve months and a nominal prize, be it cash, gift cards, or bourbon. This year’s event will directly benefit the Northside Neighborhood House and SoundCorps.
Speaking of sound, new this year is Chromesthesia, an auditory and visual experience a year in the making. Josh Green will be debuting a live drum triggered light show in conjunction with the ambient enchantments of Eric Setterlund. Sensory percussion wizard Mason Self will be exhibiting his otherworldly, face melting compositions. This all goes down on 1404 Coward Street at 1 p.m.
Another MainX24 first will be one for beer lovers. Market South is bringing all of Chattanooga’s craft beer to Main Street for a party in their parking lot from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. After the brewfest, they will have an “out-of-this-world” release party.
My seven-year-old son wouldn’t let me write this story without mentioning how he wants to meet a National Park Ranger.
Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge and learn how to read and write script from the Civil War, transcribe letters written by soldiers during the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns, and imagine being a Civil War soldier wearing reproductions of Civil War uniforms. This “Hands on History” program is free. Just look for the National Park Partners booth next to the Granfalloon at 400 E. Main Street.
And who doesn’t love cheese? Stop by Bleu Fox Cheese Shop and pick up a cheese plate cone. It has everything an artisan cheese plate has to offer created for your strolling and snacking pleasure. You will find some of the shop’s favorite artisan cheeses and accoutrements such as charcuterie, olives, marcona almonds and crackers.
Regan’s place will host a meet and greet with Elsa and Anna where you can take pictures and get your face painted from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be a balloon artist on site. Smirnoff and Bailey holiday cocktails will be available (for adults, of course). Admission is $5 for ages two and up.
Dance Tonight Chattanooga encourages you to come dance and be entertained at their studio from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you only know the Hokey Pokey and don’t know any ballroom dances, never fear as they will have instructors and demo basics for you so you can get on the dance floor. This event is free and open to the public.
Handle and Bar is shutting down a section of Main Street for an afternoon of bike shenanigans with Handup Gloves, Ocoee Bikes, and Law Enforcement United. They will have radar races in a variety of categories (two-up sprints that our friends in blue will clock) followed by slow races that will test your track stand skills. Ocoee Bikes will be there offering demos and holding a drawing for their Ocoee Frame Set build up. Don’t forget to throw your name in the raffle before 3 p.m. for your chance to win.
At Habitate For Humanity, the ConNooga folks will use their Jedi mind tricks on you to bring out the Younglings and Padawans to their Family Fair and Saber Idol Jr. contest. Saber Idol Jr. is a performance competition where kids are given a light saber and 30 seconds of music to show off their skills.
The best performers will win fabulous prizes including a pass to ConNooga for the winner. Also watch out for the Witcher Axe Throwing Challenge.
Collective Clothing will host a Stranger Things themed fashion show with outfits from their shop and also pieces that were actually worn by actors on the show.
Come dressed up and join the after party just moments after the fashion show with a live DJ. Set up outside American Draft, get pics at their sets around the garden, or enjoy some classic ‘80s amusement in the Coin-Op Arcade.
Comedy doesn’t go unnoticed at MainX24. David Scott calls himself more than a stand-up comedian: He’s a throwback entertainer. Scott goes by the name Mr. Showtime and believes in more than just standing behind the microphone and telling jokes. He puts on a spectacle that will leave you “LAFFIN’, SINGIN’ and SWINGIN’.“
After night falls, Wildflower Tea Shop and Apothecary will host their Wild and Bitter event where they collaborated with local herbalist/cocktail creatress/stellar human Kaleena of The Bitter Bottle to bring you some truly unique botanical cocktails, as well as celebrate the launch of her amazing new herbal bitters line.
You can groove to the musical stylings of equally fierce female artist LVNDR while sipping in the Wildflower space decked out like you’ve never seen it (presented by Margaret Summersell of BohemianSeed). You must be 21 or older, it’s $5 at the door and proceeds go to Crabtree Farms.
And in one of the more risque MainX24 events, Gate 11 Distillery will host “What’s Under My Kilt?“
Four men in kilts. Mysterious items hidden underneath their kilts. Fabulous prizes for those who can guess correctly, all while drinking Gate 11 liquor. What could go wrong?
Volunteer contestants will be blindfolded, placed on their knees, and have their hands placed at the bottom of the kilt. They will be given 30 seconds to grope around and guess the mysterious item hidden beneath the gentlemen’s kilt.
The contestant with the most correct guesses will win a fabulous prize pack as if the game itself wasn’t rewarding enough.
It’s impossible to list everything MainX24 encompasses, so check out MainX24.com and their Facebook page before you head out. “Come out and explore,” says Kinsey. “See what piques your interest and try something new but plan on having a great time!”