Returning to the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo complex downtown this Saturday, August 29th, is the 2nd annual Twilight Grand Market, a lively and whimsical evening market presented by Shop the Market At, featuring a diverse and eclectic mix of artisans, craft makers, vendors, local businesses, and more, all brought into one unique marketspace.
The market offers a wide variety of products for folks in attendance, including homespun jewelry, juried art, tasty foods, and retail finds, to name a few things. The evening will also feature live music from Jason Lyles and Taylor Levin, plus a host of other incredible refreshments and eats, all within a spirited, bustling market atmosphere.
Not only does the evening market celebrate and spotlight local businesses and more diverse, smaller makers and vendors around the Scenic City, it also builds community connections through a creative night market that further reinforces Chattanooga’s identity as a creative and artistic city.
In speaking with Rob Davis, founder of Shop the Market At, about what folks can expect from the Twilight Grand Market and how it got its start, he discussed the evening market being an inclusive and diverse marketplace, one where people can explore a wide variety of products.
“Approximately two years ago, we developed the concept for the Twilight Markets with the goal of creating a distinctive evening market experience in Chattanooga. From the beginning, we felt the Chattanooga Choo Choo was the ideal setting for a vibrant night market.
The Twilight Grand Market is one event within a larger series of evening markets held at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Designed to be broad and inclusive, the Twilight Grand Market welcomes a wide variety of vendors, including handmade artisans, vintage and repurposed sellers, retail and resale businesses, B2B companies, specialty merchants, and more.
In addition to handmade goods, shoppers may discover retail and resale items, vintage finds, repurposed pieces, specialty products, B2B businesses, unique merchandise, and much more. The result is a larger, more dynamic marketplace that gives customers more variety to explore and more opportunities to discover something unexpected.”
Rob went on to detail the impact he hopes the markets and events of Shop the Market At are having in creating a vibrant ecosystem for small vendors, creative artists, and local businesses.
“By creating engaging events that connect local residents, visitors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, artisans, retailers, and established companies, we hope to help strengthen the local economy and contribute to sustainable economic growth throughout the region.
Our goal is to create events that vendors and customers can depend on year after year. Establishing a consistent presence helps build recognition and trust, allowing the community to know when and where they can find us while giving vendors a dependable platform through which to reach customers and grow their businesses.”
When asked about plans for the future of the Twilight Grand Market and Shop the Market At in the years to come, Davis mentioned continuing to grow and build momentum through an expansion of their markets and vendors, while looking to become a staple event in the area.
“Our goal for 2027 is to continue building on the momentum of each of our markets, strengthening attendance, expanding vendor participation, and creating even greater value for the communities and businesses we serve.
We are equally committed to the continued growth of the Twilight Grand Market and look forward to seeing it evolve into an even stronger and more established part of our event calendar. As awareness grows and the market continues to develop, our hope is that it will attract new audiences, create additional opportunities for vendors, and become an increasingly anticipated experience at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.”
Twilight Grand Market at the Chattanooga Choo Choo
- 5-10 p.m. Saturday, August 29.
- Chattanooga Choo Choo. 1400 Market Street, Chattanooga.
- Free.
- shopthemarketat.com