Happy Thursday!
This week the city is talking about a paid healthcare apprenticeship that pays students to earn a degree, a new indoor sports complex breaking ground at The Howard School, and 60 affordable housing units about to open their waiting list. Not bad for the tail end of July.
The weekend more than backs it up. Ten mini margaritas competing for a citywide crown, a vampire night market, dueling Jerry Garcia stages, a Convention Center full of model trains, and a beginner samba class if you would rather move than sip.
One planning note before you commit to anything outdoors. Thursday and Friday are dry and gorgeous, and then Saturday turns wet. Plan around it.
Let's get into it!
Local Snapshots
Blue Horizon Program
🎓 BlueHorizon Wants to Pay You to Start a Healthcare Career
BlueHorizon is a paid apprenticeship for students who want to fast track into healthcare. You earn an associate degree in Health Sciences at ChattState while working at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, one of the region's biggest employers. There is an info session Thursday, July 30 at 6 p.m. Applications are open August through October, and classes start January 2027.
🏗️ The Howard School Is Getting a New Indoor Sports Complex
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp says The Howard School will soon have a new multi sport indoor facility, with groundbreaking expected by the end of 2026. It will serve as a practice space for sports and ROTC and a hub for year round youth indoor soccer, designed by Franklin Architects. The complex is part of the South Broad stadium deal that gave the Lookouts a new home at Erlanger Park, which county leaders tied to upgrades for the school. The $10 million project also adds a new HVAC system, security upgrades, and theatre improvements.
🏠 60 New Affordable Housing Units Open Their Waiting List Monday
A new 60 unit affordable housing development is about to start taking applications. The AIM Center will accept 75 more online waiting list applications for Espero Chattanooga on Monday, August 3, from 10 a.m. to noon. Espero sits at 1807 and 1823 E. Main Street with one and two bedroom units, and 19 of the 60 are reserved for chronically unhoused and justice system involved individuals with SMI. Applicants must meet income requirements for HUD's Project Based Voucher program and apply through the Chattanooga Housing Authority's online portal. No computer at home? Any Chattanooga public library offers free access with a library card. If you already applied in person, do not submit again.
☀️ Weather Snapshot
Thursday 88° ☀️ 💧 0%
Friday 89° 🌤️ 💧 10%
Saturday 82° 🌧️ 💧 75%
Sunday 83° 🌦️ 💧 35%
Here is the rare late July gift: Thursday and Friday are dry. Highs in the upper 80s, lows in the mid 60s, and almost nothing on the radar, which for the end of July is basically a miracle. Then Saturday collects the bill. A 75% chance of storms lands right on the busiest day of the weekend, so if you are headed to Margarita Fest, Jerry Fest, Riverfront Nights, or the Brainerd market, keep one eye on the sky and stash a poncho. These are summer storms though, quick in and quick out. Sunday settles back to scattered afternoon pop ups at 35%. Sunscreen Thursday and Friday, a rain plan Saturday, and a little of both on Sunday.
C&C Nursery and Landscape
☔️ Saturday's Rain Is Headed Straight for Your Lawn
Two dry days up top. Then Saturday opens up.
Your grass is about to have a great weekend. You are not.
Let it slide one week in this and you are not mowing anymore, you are clearing brush.
C&C Nursery and Landscape puts you on a schedule so the yard never gets the jump on you, and handles the rest whenever you are ready. Beds, pruning, plant installation, full redesign. One crew, one call.
Book a plant installation now and the summer pruning is on them.
Friday Wrap
Library Late Show: Ice Cream Social: Teens 12 to 18 get the library all to themselves after hours, plus ice cream. Exactly the kind of low key Friday that beats doomscrolling.
Night Market: Crimson Court: A vampire themed night of local art, food, dark magic, and gothic everything. Dress the part for the Vampire Costume Contest, with tattoo artists, a magician, drop in D&D, and live painting throughout the night.
Tanael Joachim: Haitian born, New York based, and a Comedy Cellar regular whose smooth set mines race and the gap between Haiti and America. Shows at 7 and 9:15, running Saturday too. 18 and up.
RUST at The Tavern: Cold beer and classic rock, heavy on the Neil Young catalog, from a band with over 100 years of combined experience between them. Chuck Shepard, Mike Salter, Ron Eller, and open mic pioneer Michael McDade.
Saturday Insight
Chattanooga Margarita Festival: The Ultimate Margarita Throwdown returns to First Horizon Pavilion, 5 to 8 p.m., with the city's bars and restaurants competing for Best Margarita. Entry gets you 10 mini margs to taste and vote your way through. GA is $54, VIP gets you in early with extra pours. 21 and up, so line up a sitter.
Free Family Night: Creative Discovery Museum opens after hours at no cost. Dig for dinosaur bones, hit ArtSpace, and climb the TreeHouse. Registration is recommended to reserve your spot.
National Train Show: Several hundred booths, dozens of layouts, and the largest National TTrak layout take over the Chattanooga Convention Center, Saturday and Sunday, 9 to 4. Bring the kids or the inner kid.
Eastgate Library at Brainerd Farmers' Market: Your Eastgate Library sets up at the Brainerd market with seed packets, program info, and a half hour outdoor storytime. Bonus this week: a 10 a.m. Tomato Pie Contest where a $1 vote gets you a taste of every pie and the winner takes a $25 gift card. Drop your pie by 9:45.
A Taste of Carnival: Beginner Samba Workshop: Georgette Bond, a Passista for Rio's Paraíso do Tuiuti, teaches the foundations of Brazilian samba at The Chattery, 1 to 2:30. No experience needed, just energy.
Jerry Fest 2026: Seven bands, two stages, ten hours of Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia at Five Wits and Barrelhouse Ballroom. 2 p.m. to midnight, $30 in advance, all ages, kids under 10 free.
Creative Break (Ages 12-18): Teens take a creative break at Northgate the first Saturday of the month, 2 to 4. This month it is origami.
Dalton Cage Wars: Live cage fighting in Dalton for anyone who likes their Saturday night loud. Hard hitting action from the opening bell to the final decision.
FarleyCon 2026: East Ridge's pop culture and comic expo hits year 11 with panels, vendors, cosplay, and special guests all weekend.
Riverfront Nights: Free live music under the stars at Ross's Landing. Chairs, blankets, and leashed pets welcome, concessions from 6, music 7 to 10. Watch the radar on this one, it is the most exposed thing on Saturday's list.
SPONSORED
🍱 Turn Screen Time Into Chef Time
Young men working on a delicious meal together
Screens can wait. Your kid's next favorite memory is waiting in the kitchen.
The Sweet & Savory Classroom is where kids get messy, laugh loud, crack eggs, decorate cupcakes, roll dough, and proudly serve something they made all by themselves. Every class is packed with hands on fun that keeps little hands busy and big imaginations even busier.
One week they are mastering homemade pizza. The next they are baking colorful treats, folding dumplings, or creating holiday favorites. Every class is a new adventure, so there is always a reason to come back.
No experience. No pressure. Just real chefs, real ingredients, and plenty of smiles as kids learn skills they will use for years to come.
Whether your child dreams of being the next great baker or just loves to lick the spoon, this is the class they will be asking to come back to.
Seats fill fast. Reserve your spot today and use code Explorer to save $20.
Sunday Reset
National Farmers Market Week: It is National Farmers Market Week, and the Chattanooga Market is celebrating the farmers, growers, makers, and musicians who make it go. Fresh produce, local foods, flowers, and handmade goods with live music all afternoon. It is a warm one, so go early.
Author Reading and Signing with Christina Bergling: Horror writer Christina Bergling reads and signs in the Reading Room at 3 p.m. Her work runs from post apocalyptic to psychological to horror comedy, and she is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
Junk Journal Workshop at Plant Bar: Spend Sunday afternoon making a junk journal at PlantBar, 4 to 8, with tools and materials provided. Pastries and drinks at the bar. 21 and up.
🔮 Look Ahead
📝 Poetry Craft Lab
Monday, August 3 | Beignets & Brew | Free | More Info
Bring your poetry and workshop it in a laid back, supportive room. Craft new verses or get feedback on what you already have.
🚶 Collegedale Walking Group
Tuesday, August 4 | Little Debbie Park | Free | More Info
Every Tuesday at 8 a.m., a friendly stroll for fitness, health, or just company. Meet at the new lot at 4793 Ooltewah Ringgold Road.
🌊 Creek Days with Waterways
Wednesday, August 5 | Chattanooga Audubon Society | Free | More Info
Wade into the creek with the WaterWays team, hunt crayfish and macroinvertebrates, and learn about water quality. Hands on fun for all ages.
🧘 Return to Center: Gentle Somatic + Therapeutic Yoga
Thursday, August 6 | ORA Center | Donation based | More Info
A gentle somatic and therapeutic yoga class to soften, settle, and reconnect. 6 p.m. at the foot of Signal Mountain. Bring a journal and a pen.
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: If your date nights are starting to feel repetitive, this is a solid way to change it up. Use code Explorer for $20 off.
Where To Eat
Tony's Pasta Shop: A quaint spot serving old world Italian with killer views of the arts district. Bring a friend or a date for the housemade pasta. The grilled salmon pasta and the beef ravioli are the ones to beat. We give it four pasta points out of five. 🍝🍝🍝🍝
📍 212 High St, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Housemade Pasta
Calliope: On what natives still call 9th Street, now MLK, sits one of the city's best. Start with the whipped feta or the hummus, then work through the sofra, braised beef cheeks, fattoush, and lamb meatballs. We would argue it is the best Levantine cooking in the country.
📍 422 E M L King Blvd, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Levantine Cuisine
That's a wrap on this one.
If today's edition made your weekend easier, forward it to someone who loves this city as much as you do. Preferably someone who owes you a margarita.
See y'all next week 💛
More From The Blade
Previous Issue: Things To Do In Chattanooga This Weekend July 23 - 30
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