Chattanooga Is Home

Chattanooga is gearing up for the long awaited reopening of the Market Street Bridge. Right now, you can register for a makeover for either yourself or man’s best friend. To register, go to most of the North Shore merchants soon because the drawing will be held on Thursday, July 26th with the announcement of the winners being Saturday, July 28th.

The actual celebration of the bridge reopening will be held August 4th with a pack schedule of celebratory activities. Live music, a vintage scooter show, sports at Coolidge Park, and other fun activities held along the North Shore. For a complete list of events, check out this pdf of the schedule.

The main attraction for me will be the Dragon Boat Festival. This will be the inaugural festival for Chattanooga, which will highlight the bridge reopening and raise money for T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital.

From the press release:

“Dragon Boat racing dates back 2,300 years and is a sport for any generation,” said Wendy Witsoe, Chattanooga Dragon Boat Festival Event Director. “With the festivities surrounding this event - the bridge opening and music afterward, the community gets one-stop, non-stop fun, with eclectic activities on and off the water. Add to it a fundraiser for the T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Foundation and it’s a great day to be in Chattanooga.”

Race participants will find out why Time magazine calls dragon boating “the next big thing” and how they can make a difference in the community, get friends and co-workers together for a great team building experience, and enjoy a cultural festivity. The race is geared for teams of all skill levels. Most team members have never picked up a paddle before they begin pre-event practice sessions. This is a unique opportunity for companies and organizations to work together, play together and hopefully win together! The real winners are the beneficiaries of the event – the thousands of children treated annually at the T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital.

Dragon boat teams consist of 20 paddlers, one drummer to keep the beat of the stroke and one trained steersperson - provided by race management. Paddlers raise money for the T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Foundation by setting $100 in pledges as their minimum fundraising goal. There is a limited time to register. Corporate teams pay $800; community/non-profit teams pay $750. The fee includes use of boating equipment, plus two on-water practices with trained coaches prior to the race, as well as company announcements at the event and company name placement on the Web site.

The registration deadline was July 21st. I can’t wait to see what teams got together to participate. The fun starts at 8:30, August 4th, with a traditional Lion dance and dotting of the eye ceremony.

An electric CARTA bus will hold the honor of being the first vehicle across the bridge when it reopens for traffic on August 5th.
[tags]Chattanooga Dragon Boat Festival, Dragon Boat Race, Market Street Bridge, Chattanooga downtown, Chattanooga north shore[/tags]