Hey friends, happy Thursday. Grab your coffee because this one is a big deal. Chattanooga just became the place in America where you can build the future and actually touch it. EPB flipped the switch on a full scale quantum computer downtown, our kids are learning quantum concepts in elementary school, and CARTA just made life easier for the riders who need it most. Add a packed weekend calendar and two spots you need to eat at before the week is out, and this might be our favorite issue yet.
Let's get to it!
Local Stories
EPB Quantum Center, home of the new IonQ Forte Enterprise computer
⚛ EPB Launches IonQ Forte Enterprise Quantum Computer in Chattanooga
Okay, we have to talk about this one first because it is genuinely wild. EPB just launched the IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer at the EPB Quantum Center, and for the first time anywhere in the country, commercial quantum computing and quantum networking are living under one roof. That means companies can now come here to develop, test and deploy real quantum technology, backed by serious infrastructure and a growing bench of partners including UTC and Vanderbilt.
EPB Board Chair Vicky Gregg compared this moment to 2010, when EPB rolled out the world's first community wide gig speed internet and changed the trajectory of our whole city. IonQ's CEO Niccolo de Masi called it a first of its kind environment where organizations can explore quantum applications today while helping shape what the technology becomes tomorrow. Read the full release here.
🏫 TN QuantumWorks Launches in Hamilton Co. Classrooms
And because Chattanooga never does anything halfway, our kids are getting in on the quantum action too. TN QuantumWorks just launched across 13 pilot schools in Hamilton County, splitting coursework into four age groups from kindergarten all the way through high school. Elementary students start with basic quantum concepts, and by high school they are simulating quantum security and comparing hardware.
Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson said the pilot lets Hamilton County students and teachers help shape how quantum education works in real classrooms, connecting what they learn today to the careers of tomorrow. It is funded through the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, with curriculum built by Sheila and Dr. Dane Boyington of Thinking Media, and led in classrooms by Hamilton County Schools, UTC and EPB. Full story here.
🚌 CARTA's Care-A-Van Fleet Expands, Adding 10 New Vehicles
Here is a story that deserves way more attention than it gets. CARTA just secured funding through the Federal Transit Administration to add 10 new vehicles to its Care-A-Van fleet, with TDOT and the city of Chattanooga chipping in a 20 percent local match for a total investment north of a million dollars. Riders with disabilities depend on this service every single day, and demand has grown sharply over the past two years.
CARTA is retiring five of its oldest vehicles and keeping five in service, then folding in all 10 new ones for a net gain of five, closing the gap between what riders need and what the agency can provide. CEO Charles D. Frazier said his team found a way to deliver both a newer fleet and a bigger one at the same time, calling it a mighty win for riders and our community. More here.
Together With The Sweet and Savory Classroom
🌶 Same Couch. Same Takeout. Same Tuesday.
A couple cooking together at the Sweet and Savory Classroom
Be honest. When was the last time date night was not just dinner and a show on the couch, followed by the same conversation about the same day.
That is not a you problem. It is a routine problem. Boredom does not show up all at once, it creeps in through a hundred identical nights until you look up and realize you cannot remember the last time you and your person actually did something together instead of just being in the same room.
The spark does not need a grand gesture. It needs a reason to show up, laugh, mess something up together, and remember why you liked doing things with this person in the first place.
That is exactly what a class at the Sweet and Savory Classroom gives you. No phones, no kids, no work talk, just the two of you, an apron, and something new to figure out side by side. Private group options are available too, if you would rather keep the whole night just between you two.
Variety. Fun. A little privacy. That is the whole recipe, book a class this month with code KnifeSkills for a free Knife Skills online class before your date.
☀️ Weather Snapshot
Thursday 76° low 65°
Friday 77° low 61°
Saturday 78° low 52°
Sunday 79° low 57°
Warm and sticky through the weekend, with that late September humidity that makes 78 feel hotter than it sounds. Stay hydrated, find some shade between events, and save the outdoor plans for morning or evening when it eases up a little.
Friday Wrap
Library Bingo at Eastgate Library: A city wide senior tournament celebrating Older Adult Month, with top winners advancing to the October championship round.
Zerbini Family Circus: A weekend of family fun, excitement and circus magic rolls into town.
KIC Nights: Rock With Us: A community celebration supporting local businesses through food, entertainment and more.
Project Pat: A full hip hop concert experience comes to Chattanooga.
Saturday Insight
Crabtree Farms Fall Plant Sale and Pollinator Festival: Thousands of fall plants, pollinator education, and family friendly activities at 1000 E. 30th Street.
Chattanooga National Park City Play Street: Chestnut Street closes between 3rd and 4th for a free day of outdoor fun celebrating our National Park City status.
Mountain Market: The first installment of St Elmo Maker's Market at Mountain Outfitters, with music, vendors, food and a bouncy house.
Scavenger Hunt in the Stacks: A 15 item hunt at the library, with a bonus prize for finding the book that is not a book.
Bobby Stone Film Series: Steel Magnolias: The Southern classic about women, friendship and community in a small Louisiana town.
DnDatBnB: A weekly drop in Dungeons and Dragons session at Bantam and Biddy, open to all skill levels.
Letters of Joy: A Letter Writing Social: A community letter writing social fighting isolation among seniors in assisted living and long term care.
Latin Connection Festival: The second annual celebration of Latin American culture with food, music, dancing and local vendors, free admission.
SPONSORED
A fresh fall installation from C&C Nursery and Landscape
🍂 Your Yard Is Not Dying, It Is Just Neglected
Patchy grass, a half dead shrub, beds you keep meaning to redo. Fall is the window that fixes it, cooler air and warm soil mean anything planted now comes back stronger next spring.
C&C Nursery and Landscape knows this soil. Schedule a plant installation this month and get complimentary summer pruning thrown in, spots fill up fast.
🔮 Look Ahead
⛅ Trail Quest: Intro to Mountain Biking
Sunday, September 27 | More Info
Classes begin in a controlled field environment where instructors focus on the fundamentals, balance, braking, and body position, before riders move on to more challenging terrain at their own pace.
📚 Chattanooga Comic Con
Sunday, September 27 | Chattanooga Convention Center | More Info
Costumes, panels, games and celebrities fill the Convention Center for a full weekend of fandom fun.
🍂 Fall Festival at the Chattanooga Market
Sunday, September 27 | More Info
Apples, cider, pumpkins, seasonal produce, live music and all the cozy autumn vibes you have been waiting for.
🎨 Full STEAM Ahead South Chatt
Monday, September 28 | South Chattanooga Library | Free | More Info
Hands on science, technology, engineering, art and math activities just for K through 3rd graders, sponsored by Thompson Engineering.
🎰 Active Older Adults: Bingocize
Tuesday, September 29 | Red Bank Community Center | Free | More Info
A 10 week program combining the fun of bingo with light physical activity and health education, meeting twice a week.
🤝 Get Connected: Find Your Chattanooga
Wednesday, September 30 | The Chattery | Free | More Info
A gathering for anyone who wants to feel more connected to the city they call home, whether you moved here six months ago or have lived here your whole life.
🎤 Open Mic Comedy
Thursday, October 1 | JJ's Bohemia | Free | More Info
Free Kittens has been running weekly for over 10 years, with a strong and supportive community. Sign ups start at 8, everyone is welcome, 21 plus venue.
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 late season pruning. Get a free quote.
Restoration 1 of Chattanooga: Late summer humidity can bring out mold in places you're not checking. Get a hassle-free estimate.
M.B.D Janitorial Services: Local, reliable office and commercial cleaning that keeps your space client ready. Get a quote.
The Sweet and Savory Classroom: Book a class this month and use code KnifeSkills for a free Knife Skills online class.
Where To Eat
Pickle Barrel: Let's talk about the Barrel for a second because everybody has a Pickle Barrel story and they are all good ones. The Old Standby is a classic for a reason, but do yourself a favor and get the Signature with Pepper Jack instead of Swiss, it changes everything. Order the Banger Fries and the onion rings while you are at it because you will regret it if you do not. Maybe it is the rooftop view, maybe it is the staff who always seem like they are having a better night than you, or maybe it is just the fact that they stay open until 3am, which is basically a miracle in this town. Pickle Barrel is where you take the guys, your wife, your situationship, whoever. Just not the kids, because it is 21 and up around the clock.
📍 1012 Market St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Pickle Barrel on Market Street
Federal Bake Shop: If you grew up here, you already know. If you did not, let us catch you up. Federal Bake Shop has the best pastries and cakes in the whole city, hands down, and the shop itself is spotless, like walking into a surgical room clean. Cakes, cookies, pies and every sweet you can think of line the walls from end to end. Our personal favorite is the Cherry Flip paired with a slice of white cake, it is basically a religious experience. So do yourself a favor, skip the sad three dollar gas station honeybun and walk through their door instead. Fair warning though, we are not responsible for what happens after that first bite.
📍 1966 Northpoint Blvd d, Hixson, TN 37343
Federal Bake Shop's pastry case
That is a wrap on this week, friends. From quantum computers humming downtown to a fleet of new vans that will make somebody's Tuesday easier, this city keeps finding new ways to surprise us, and honestly, we would not want to cover anywhere else. Get out there this weekend, hit the plant sale, catch Project Pat, sneak in a Cherry Flip on your way home. Know someone who is always asking what is going on around town? Forward this their way, they will thank you for it.
Go make some noise in this beautiful little city of ours. Catch you next Tuesday 💛
More From The Blade
Previous Issue: Things To Do In Chattanooga This Weekend September 17 to 24
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