Chattanooga Is Home

The last Chattanooga Market of the year was this weekend and after an odd weekend, I managed to spend about half an hour there. It was kind of overwhelming to see all the different merchants and know that I didn’t have a lot time to spend there.

I was able to pick up a pound of coffee from the Greyfriar’s booth and I even got a small Christmas present for someone (can’t say who!) from the the Wood You Believe booth. Rick Urban, the artist/ craftsman/ merchant was so nice and took my information to be entered into a drawing for one of his 50% off sales.  

Below are some of my pictures from the outing (I’m still trying to figure out Worpress and layout, so sorry if it is ugly). I look forward to the opening of next year’s market. (more…)

I got this email today, announcing the DVD release of a Chattanooga-based documentary. I replied to Mary, the email sender, if I could post this and she replied with an enthusiastic “SURE!”

One Road, a documentary short on the story of The Passage public art project is now available for sale for $12.95 plus tax at A Novel Idea bookstore at 38 Frazier Avenue and the Chattanooga Regional History Museum at 400 Chestnut.

This movie, now available on dvd, made its world premiere at the Harvard Design School this spring, and locally at the Hunter Museum of American Art. It was produced by local filmmaker Mary Barnett and written by Ann Coulter, and makes a great stocking stuffer or corporate gift for the holiday season! All proceeds go the Native American Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.

The Passage at Ross’ Landing at Chattanooga, Tennessee is the largest and most significant public art installation of contemporary Southeastern Native American art in the United States. Created by a team of 5 Cherokee artists in Oklahoma, the art in The Passage teaches import lessons about how public art can create places of meaning, memories, healing, joy and wonder.

One Road is an independently produced documentary short that tells the story of how the artists symbolically returned to their ancestral homeland in the Tennessee Valley, and how a city came to terms with its past by creating a powerful interpretation of the history of Ross Landing.

[tags]Chattanooga, Ross’ Landing, documentary, The Passage, Mary Barnett, Ann Coulter, public art[/tags]

I really appreciate all the folks who work to get the Chattanooga Market together every Sunday. It fills two needs for me: nostalgia and a sense of home.

The need for nostalgia comes from the two years that I spent in Germany/ The Netherlans as a teenager. Our family would usually carve out time on the weekends to go to the open air markets in one or two of the neighboring towns. We would stock up on our vegetables, cheeses, and whatnots… items that were fresh and unique to the region. And not usually found on the base commissary. The open air markets really gave us a sense of the culture of Germany and The Netherlands and at the same time helped us feel like we lived there and were not just tourists for two years.

The sense of home that the market provides comes from seeing all the local and nearby merchants come together to give Chattanoogans a part of their lives. There are farmers who provide herbs, vegetables, and honey. And there are crafters who have unique knit items or wooden toys and furniture. The photographers who share their art always get a wistful look from me- I want all their Chattanooga pictures to hang in my home! And of course, the local musicians who provide the atmosphere are such fun to hear and watch. I forget who was playing last time we were there, but my son loves dancing and singing, so it was added fun for him and a delight for me to watch. (more…)

The other day our postman delivered our first gift of the season. It is a present for my son and it is now hidden away where his little hands can’t rip off the plastic wrapping. He’s only two, so he has no real concept of Christmas right now anyway. He just loves the lights on the tree in the living room.

We still have plenty of other presents to get or make for this season and I am hoping that some of the gifts can be from local merchants here in Chattanooga. The idea of promoting the city I love via gifts made and sold here gives me a bit more of the holiday cheer than is probably legal. 

Fortunately, The Pulse, Chattanooga’s Alt Weekly, had a shopping guide a few weeks ago that I have bookmarked and am ready to consult when the shopping mood hits. It is organized by Chattanooga region, which will help make any shopping easier.

Here are a few ideas I’ve gleaned from my recent shopping expeditions:

For the family that is in need of a good time: A membership to the Tennessee Aquarium or Creative Discovery Museum.

For the office “dirty santa” gift exchange: A tee-shirt from The Noog or a gift basket of coffee and tea from Greyfriar’s.

For the gal pal who will always be your best friend: Something fun from Blue Skies, which stocks fun everyday. I recently gave a necklace from Blue Skies as a birthday gift and I had serious thoughts about keeping it for myself.

Guys like gifts too, and if your guy enjoys all the outdoor activites Chattanooga has to offer, why not head over to Chattanooga’s own Rock Creek Outfitters for new backpack or Nalgene bottle?

If you have a history buff or cookie lover (or both!) on your shopping list, then maybe the book MoonPie: Biography of an Out-of-This-World Snack by David Magee would be appropriate.

The opportunities to gift your friends and family with love from Chattanooga are boundless. And this list is just a small jumping off point.

[tags] Chattanooga, shopping, holiday gift guide, Christmas, gifts, Greyfriar’s coffee, Rock Creek Outfitters [/tags]

I work in downtown Chattanooga and often take walks at lunch. The other day I walked down Broad Street toward the Tennessee Aquarium, taking in the various holiday decorations and enjoying the warm weather. I passed by a new independent bookseller on the corner of Broad and 4th- Rock Point Books. Their grand opening was earlier this week. Welcome to the neighborhood!

I love bookstores, especially independent booksellers who work hard to fit into their surroundings and be a part of the community. It was so nice to walk into their spacious store and browse the shelves. Rock Point Books has plenty of displays of local and Southern writers and their event calendar is packed with appearances by many of those authors. And they serve Chattz coffee, another Chattanooga favorite.

Parents, if your children are into the Captain Underpants series, then take them down to the store for a pyjama party on Saturday, December 2nd, 10 am for a reading.

If you are downtown and looking to support our Chattanooga merchants, check out Rock Point Books. There are 24 shopping days left until Christmas.