As I mentioned in a recent article, the haunted attraction season is upon us. I enjoy haunted houses but as I get older, I also enjoy Halloween at a much slower and educational pace.
Here are a few other things to do to embrace the spooky season.
Ole’ Green Eyes Festival
The annual Ole’ Green Eyes Festival returns to Chickamauga on Oct. 17, 2026. Festival creator Nate Tucker and his childhood friend Dillan Whisenant held the first Green Eyes Festival in 2024, paying homage to the haunting beast. The festival is held in the city’s historic downtown district along Gordon Street. The festival runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. EST and is free to the public.
Who or what is Green Eyes?
Tucker said Ole Green Eyes is a mysterious local legend rooted in the lore of Chickamauga, Georgia. Unlike many cryptids with established backstories, Green Eyes lives in a space shaped by oral tradition and personal encounters.
According to local folklore people who have encountered Green Eyes describe it as a ghostly soldier lurking around the battlefield. Others say it is a heartbroken woman or elemental fey.
I went to the festival last year and it was a great experience. There were several great live musicians, lots of food vendors, tons of cryptid T-shirts and souvenirs for purchase. Some of my favorite Bigfoot T-shirts were acquired at the festival and I’m ready to buy a few more.
Festival guests can take the trolley ride around the battlefields, learn about the folklore and history of Ole’ Green Eyes and other spooky spirits. There will be some Green Eyes relics and other oddities on display at Southern Shadows, a walking ghost tour company which is on Gordon Street.
In addition to the festival, visitors can register for the Green Eyes Gallop, a 5K/10K and monster mile run held prior to the festival. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be awarded. Guests can also participate in the Green Eyes Scavenger hunt and collect prizes. Information is available and constantly updated on their website.
Southern Shadows
Civil War author and local historian Courtney McInvale opened Southern Shadows offering ghost walking tours to guests who want to venture into the haunted realm of Chickamauga. When I first met Courtney, I learned she also owns and operates Seaside Shadows, a walking ghost tour in Mystic, Connecticut. It was voted the number three best ghost walking tour in 2024 by USA Today. I also learned she is a direct descendant of an accused witch.
Their Haunted Heart of Chickamauga tour offers an immersive historical account of real events that some say have left an eerie impression in certain areas around the city and battlefields. While the walk is easy, wear comfortable shoes and expect to be walking for about 90 minutes.
Their Ghosts by the Tracks tour is only 30 minutes and guests trace the eerie footsteps of phantom locomotives along the Western & Atlantic Railroad and uncover Cherokee legends that predate the town itself. Southern Shadows hosts periodic scavenger hunts and other themed events throughout the year. To learn more or book a tour visit their website.
Chattanooga Ghost Tours Inc.
Chattanooga Ghost Tours is owned by former attorney and current book author Amy Petulla. She started walking tours in 2007. Don’t be fooled by another walking tour going by a similar name. Petulla’s company has been named top 10 Ghost tour by TripAdvisor and USA TODAY’s 2019 Top 10 Readers Choice award.
Guests are encouraged to bring their personal ghost hunting equipment especially when taking the UTC Cemetery tour. Chattanooga Ghost Tours has trained paranormal investigators leading the tours using equipment such as infrared temperature guns, electromagnetic frequency (EMF) detectors, electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) recording and the using the talking Ovilus X.
I’ve taken their Murder and Mayhem tour more than once. I caught a few creepy figures in a few of my photos, especially while we were inside the Read House Hotel. I need to book the cemetery tour and their combination walking / ghost hunt tour soon.
Petulla is the author of Haunted Chattanooga, Ghostly Tales of Chattanooga and The Corpsewood Manor Murders. She is currently working on another book.
So, if you’re looking for different ways to honor Halloween or at least the spooky season try one of these walking tours or check out the festival. You get to be outdoors, get your steps in and learn about all the ghoulish horrors from the past.