Happy Thursday! This week Chattanooga's Jim Osborn has a real shot at a national humanitarian award and $100,000 for local families, two young entrepreneurs share the wild story behind buying the Choo Choo Express Car Wash, and the Tennessee Aquarium's newest penguin chick beats the odds. Add in a paddle parade, a bluegrass tradition in St. Elmo, and a full weekend of live music, and there is plenty to get into.
Let's get to it!
Local Snapshot
Jim Osborn (Co-Founder)
🏁 Chattanooga's Jim Osborn Named Finalist for NASCAR Foundation's Humanitarian Award
Jim Osborn is the co founder, medical director, and chairman of the board of the Austin Hatcher Foundation for pediatric cancer, and he is one of four finalists for the NASCAR Foundation's Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Jim and his wife founded the Foundation twenty years ago after their son, Austin "Hatch" Osborn, was born and died of pediatric cancer. The winner is chosen entirely by public vote and receives a $100,000 donation for their organization. You can vote every day, for free, through September 6, with the winner announced September 8 at the NASCAR Foundation Honors Gala in New York City. Thousands of us read this every week, so let's put that to use for a good cause.
🚗 "Never Give Up": Young Entrepreneurs Overcome Challenges, Acquire Car Wash
Kamari Childress, 20, and Jay Bruninga, 21, spent two years working oil fields in North Dakota just to save enough to buy a business together, then became official owners of the Choo Choo Express Car Wash earlier this year. Weeks later, while Bruninga was overseas proposing to his now fiancée, their apartment complex caught fire. They never closed the car wash, not even for a day. "Just chase your dreams," Bruninga says. "No matter how young you are, you can always achieve them." Read the full story at Local 3 News.
🐧 TN Aquarium Welcomes Another Gentoo Penguin Chick
The Tennessee Aquarium's second Gentoo chick of the summer had a rough start, struggling to hold its head up and feed from parents Blue and Flower. "Without intervention, the chick would not have made it," says Assistant Curator of Forests Loribeth Lee. One month later, it has gained 2,700 percent of its body weight, going from 101 grams to 2.73 kilograms. A penguin chick baby shower is set for Sunday, September 13, with naming rights up for bid at the Aquarium's online fundraiser starting September 15.
☀️ Weather Snapshot
Thursday 92° ☀️ low 71°
Friday 88° 🌤️ low 69°
Saturday 90° 🌤️ low 69°
Sunday 89° ☀️ low 64°
Hot and mostly clear straight through the weekend, with just enough cloud cover Friday and Saturday to take the edge off. Sunday cools slightly overnight, dipping into the low 60s. Sunscreen, water, and shade breaks all four days, especially if you are out on the river for the Paddle Parade.
Together With C&C Nursery and Landscape
🔥 Your Lawn Has Been Cooking for Two Weeks Straight
Fresh Yard Care
Heat advisories two weeks running. Triple digit heat index. Your grass has been quietly cooking the whole time, and it is not bouncing back on its own.
Here's the part nobody tells you: by the time you see the brown patches, the roots underneath have already been dying for days. Grass does not wilt first and die later, it dies first and wilts where you can finally see it.
Keep watering it yourself and you are guessing. Too little and you finish the job the heat started. Too much and you drown roots that are already stressed, and either way you are out there every evening while the humidity does its thing.
C&C Nursery and Landscape knows exactly what a Chattanooga lawn needs to survive a stretch like this, and it is not more guessing, it is a schedule built for the heat we are actually having. Beds, pruning, plant installation, full redesign, all handled before the damage is permanent instead of after.
Book a plant installation now and the summer pruning is on them.
Friday Wrap
Chattanooga Nonprofit Thrift Crawl: Celebrate National Thrift Day. Shop 3 participating nonprofit thrift stores, spend $5 at each, and turn in your punch card for a shot at prizes. Runs through August 22.
Hudson Macready w/ Charlie George: Hudson stepped on stage with Buddy Guy at 10 and now splits time between music and a recurring role on ABC's High Potential. Sixteen year old Charlie George opens, fresh off a sold out night at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe.
Forever Bluegrass Fridays: A Chattanooga tradition curated by the Pinion family at the Woodshop, doors 5 p.m. with barbecue and drinks, music at 8 sharp. Seating is limited and fills fast.
BYOC: Bring Your Own Craft at Plant Bar: Grab a seat, order a drink, and work on whatever project is calling you. Free entry, every Friday in August, 21 and up.
She/EDH Game Night!: A casual drop in Magic the Gathering Commander night at Myth & Fable Comics and Cosplay, welcoming women, femme aligning, and gender diverse folks. Men and masc aligning folks welcome too.
Saturday Insight
Family Day Out: Zoo Day: Northgate's monthly family program, 10 a.m. to noon. Games, crafts, and memories made together.
Chattanooga Paddle Parade 2026: A leisurely four mile, two hour paddle from Rivermont Park to Coolidge Park. Costumes and decorated paddlecraft encouraged, with prizes for best in show.
Chuck's Chug & Chatt: A low pressure book club for people who love to read and love to socialize. Bring your current read and grab a drink.
Grateful Dead Night: A pregame Creature Comforts Concert with St. Owsley Band at 5 p.m., plus an exclusive Grateful Dead Night t shirt with your ticket package.
Improv Comedy Show: A night of comedy from local improvisers, curated by Improv Chattanooga. 18+, doors at 7, show at 7:30.
Robin Baker Blues Band at Red Bank's Food Truck Saturday: Traditional blues in an outdoor park setting. Bring a chair and your appetite, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., free.
Watermelon Festival: Two days of everything watermelon at McDonald Farm, with inflatables, farm animals, and live music. $5 for 11 and up, kids free.
East Ridge Community Center Grand Reopening: Ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., open house tours until 4, family activities, and a light lunch while supplies last.
SPONSORED
🎁 Book a Class, Get $25 Back for Your Next One
Young men working on a delicious meal together
No scrolling. No half paying attention. Just flour on your hands, something on the stove, and an actual reason to put the phone face down for once.
The Sweet and Savory Classroom is built around that feeling, a real instructor, real ingredients, and a couple hours where the only thing in front of you is what you're making. You leave with a full plate and a skill you'll actually use again, not just a photo for later.
Classes run all year, and November and December dates just went live if you're already thinking ahead.
Book this month with code Bundle2026 and we'll send you a $25 Gift Certificate toward your next class.
Sunday Reset
Touch A Truck: Kids climb aboard work trucks, emergency vehicles, and heavy equipment while parents enjoy a regular day at the Chattanooga Market.
Record Pop Up Event @ Mean King Brewing: An afternoon of buying, selling, and trading vinyl, 1 to 5 p.m. Sign up for ten minutes to spin your record for the brewery.
The Temptations & The Four Tops: The Four Tops celebrate 70 years of hits in 2026, sharing the Tivoli stage with one of the most legendary vocal groups in music history.
🔮 Look Ahead
💃 Active Older Adults Line Dancing
Monday, August 24 | Red Bank Community Center | Free | More Info
A weekly line dancing class built for older adults, low pressure and welcoming to every skill level. Noon to 1 p.m.
🎸 Jhett Black's Tuesday Bluesday feat. Leadfoot Granny
Tuesday, August 25 | The Woodshop | $17 | More Info
Chattanooga's best blues event, hosted by internationally touring bluesman Jhett Black. This week's guest is young blues rock band Leadfoot Granny. Doors 5, show 6, and it sells out.
🧠 Trivia Showdown
Wednesday, August 26 | Wanderlinger Brewing | Free | More Info
No sign ups, no nonsense, just show up and play. Top three teams win gift cards. 7:30 p.m.
🍷 Cigar Guild feat. Espinosa's Comfortably Numb
Thursday, August 27 | Cigars International, East Ridge | Free, pairing discounted | More Info
Good drinks, good stogies, and even better company, plus a pairing with the Distillery of Modern Art. 7 p.m.
Together with The Blade Partners
Closets By Design: If you're constantly rearranging your closet and it still never feels right, it's not you, it's the space. Upgrade your closet.
C&C Nursery and Landscape: Overgrown yard? Schedule a plant installation and get free summer pruning. Get a free quote.
Restoration 1 of Chattanooga: Summer humidity can bring out mold in places you're not checking. Get a hassle-free estimate.
The Sweet and Savory Classroom: Book a class this month and use code Bundle2026 for a $25 Gift Certificate toward your next reservation.
Where To Eat
Parkway Pourhouse: This is one of our favorite finds along the riverwalk, and it knows exactly how to work all day long. Grab a table on the patio for river views or post up at the bar for brunch and a game in the background, and do not skip the Gator Queso, it is worth the trip on its own. Bring your dog too, there are always a few furry regulars roaming around. One thing to know, servers work as a team rather than one set table, so on busy days expect a short wait. Otherwise this place is an absolute treat.
Burger and fries
📍 801 Riverfront Pkwy, Chattanooga, TN 37402
The Daily Ration: One of our favorite brunch spots in the city, and a place we find ourselves coming back to again and again. The atmosphere is relaxed and cozy, and the outdoor seating on a nice morning is truly unmatched. The Southern Benedict is incredible, flavorful and perfectly done every single time, and the hazelnut iced coffee is smooth, slightly sweet, and the perfect pairing with it. Steak and eggs and blueberry pancakes round out our go to order.
📍 1220 Dartmouth St, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Eggs Benedict
And that's everything worth knowing about Chattanooga this week, from a shot at a national award to a car wash comeback story to a penguin chick fighting her way to a healthy weigh in.
Know someone who is always asking what is going on around town? Forward this their way and let them thank you later.
Catch you next Thursday 💛
More From The Blade
Previous Issue: Things To Do In Chattanooga This Weekend August 13-20
That's it for now, check back next week for the latest, or browse our Guides in the meantime!
