Scenic Roots

On a farm in Rising Fawn, Georgia. (Food As A Verb) Over the past two decades, Hamilton County has lost more than half of its land available to grow food. That includes more than 5,000 acres of farmland - and a 65 percent loss of cropland. Food As A Verb, the Chattanooga media startup, shared those numbers from the Land Trust for Tennessee. Hamilton County is far from alone: By the year 2040, the...

Across the Tri-State, the high stakes of disappearing farmland. Filling up to fight food insecurity at this year’s Empty Bowls. In Cleveland, the Whispering Giants Intertribal Native Festival. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(Dennis Palmer / Barking Legs Theater) This weekend, Barking Legs Theater here in Chattanooga will be buzzing with a kaleidoscope of creative activities indoors and outdoors. On Friday and Saturday, the theater on Dodds Avenue hosts the first Chattanooga Fringe Festival. Holly Morse-Ellington is the festival’s program manager.

Wreaths Across Chattanooga in the recent past. (Wreaths Across Chattanooga) The Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair is on Veterans Day Weekend. Wreaths Across Chattanooga will be there. The nonprofit prepares year round to lay wreaths each December on the graves of fallen veterans at Chattanooga National Cemetery. This year, those wreaths will be placed on those graves on Saturday, December 14th. J...

From “Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous.” (Chattanooga Theatre Centre) For its latest production, Chattanooga Theatre Centre is getting “Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous.” That’s the name of the play that premieres on Friday, starting at 7:30 PM, in CTC’s Circle Theatre - recommended for ages 13 and older. Amber Brown is the director.

Brandon Davis (Brandon Davis / Facebook) At McDonald Farm in Sale Creek, it’s once again time for the Fair. The Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair begins Friday and runs through Sunday at the Farm. Country music star Brandon Davis - a Hamilton County native who performed at the Fair’s first time at the Farm last year - performs on Saturday at 5:45 PM on the Dr. Pepper Stage.

Back to the Farm: Brandon Davis at the Hamilton County Fair. Wreaths Across Chattanooga. At CTC: “Angry, Raucous…” Fringe Forward: A new festival arrives at Barking Legs Theater. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(RISE Chattanooga) This weekend, All Things Disco hits the dance floor here in Chattanooga. The disco tribute party - featuring Neshawn Calloway - is Saturday, starting at 6:30 PM, at RISE Chattanooga at 2901 E. Taylor St. (Neshawn Calloway)

From “City As Canvas: Graffiti Art From The Martin Wong Collection.” (Hunter Museum of American Art) Graffiti dates back centuries - with samples found from Ancient Rome to Mayan ruins to medieval churches in England. In New York City during the 1970’s, graffiti was considered underground and illicit - often spraypainted by teenagers on buildings and subways. Martin Wong began to collect samples o...

(Thrive Regional Partnership) Thrive Regional Partnership strives to cultivate what it calls “responsible and inspired growth” in this corner of the Southeast. The nonprofit reaches across 16 counties where Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia meet - including the Greater Chattanooga area - focusing on sectors from infrastructure, freight mobility and broadband to natural treasures, arts and culture. Th...

A map of Hamilton County, TN. (Koordinates) How did voters here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County make their voices heard in local races in Tuesday’s election? William Newlin of Chattamatters shares a few highlights. _____ Chattamatters is a civic storytelling project, created in partnership with the City of Chattanooga.

Chattamatters: Unpacking a few local election results. In the spotlight: Thrive’s Tri-State Summit in Chattanooga. “City As Canvas” at the Hunter. Disco at RISE Chattanooga. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(City of Chattanooga) (Aired Thu 10/31/24) An Emmy-award winning writer and producer whose credits include “The Simpsons,” “The Office” and “King of the Hill” is the first guest of a new conversation series that debuts this weekend in Chattanooga. “Culture on 4: A Conversation with Brent Forrester” is Saturday, starting at 6:30 PM at the downtown Chattanooga Public Library. Carmen Davis is senior...

(The Chattery) (Aired Thu 10/31/24) A few months ago, a fire set at The Chattery damaged much of its space on Rossville Avenue here in Chattanooga. Since then, the nonprofit learning collective has continued to hold its classes at various locations around the city. Now, The Chattery has settled into a new temporary space - at 231 Broad Street - where it will host a Fall Open House this Saturday fr...

Kelly Hancock (American Civil War Museum) (Aired Thu 10/31/24) Next week, a Civil War storyteller will talk about Victorian Christmas traditions for this year’s finale of the Rita Vital Memorial Moccasin Bend Lecture Series here in Chattanooga. Kelly Hancock of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond will speak Monday, November 4th - starting at 7 PM - at the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Journey A...

Jewish Cultural Center (Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga) (Aired Thu 10/31/24) This weekend, the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga continues its symposium on “The History of Jewish Hate.” On Sunday, starting at 2 PM, the symposium will discuss “The Age of Mass Destruction” at the Jewish Cultural Center on 5461 North Terrace Road. Dr. John Steinberg is a professor of history at Austi...

Kathleen Biggins (C-Change Conversations) (Aired Thu 10/31/24) How do we bridge our political divides in talking about our changing climate? How we talk about it may hold the key. Kathleen Biggins is the founder and president of C-Change Conversations, which educates people across the political spectrum nationwide with a nonpartisan presentation of the science - just the facts - behind today’s ris...

Changing how we talk about our changing climate. “The History of Jewish Hate” at the Jewish Cultural Center. National Park Partners; The Chattery - & “Culture on 4.” These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(Understory) (Aired Weds 10/30/24) This weekend, on Chattanooga’s east side, an immersive art experience fills what was once a top textile plant here in the Southeast. “Though The Hollows” - presented by Understory - comes to Coosa Mill at 1800 S. Watkins St. for one night only on Saturday, with doors opening at 8 PM. The experience blends a costume ball, a concert, dance and an art installation t...

(TEDxChattanooga) (Aired Weds 10/30/24) “Carry On” is this year’s theme for all the events from TEDxChattanooga, independently organized under the TED program’s global initiative of “ideas worth spreading.” TEDxChattanooga’s flagship event for 2024 is Thursday, November 14th at Barrelhouse Ballroom, starting at 7 PM. Maggie Carruth O’Connor is with TEDxChattanooga. (TEDxChattanooga)

Dr. Kim Bateman (Cody Kerby / Chiron Publications) (Aired Thu 10/24/24) Dr. Kim Bateman is a clinical psychologist, a storyteller, an educator on death and an end-of-life doula. She serves as the executive dean and psychology professor at Sierra College in California. On Friday, November 1st, she will be the keynote speaker for “Demystifing Death,” the conference presented by Welcome Home of Chatt...

(ArtsBuild) (Aired Thu 10/24/24) ArtsBuild is the nonprofit that supports the arts here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County. In the past few years, it has targeted its grants for local artists to break down barriers, make arts funding more equitable - and promote arts and culture by diverse artists who reflect all corners of our community. The latest round of grants from ArtsBuild is for artists li...

(Chattamatters) (Aired Thu 10/24/24) Early voting is taking place here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County for the November 5th general election. A nonpartisan local voter guide is now available from Chattamatters, the civic storytelling project at The Enterprise Center. William Newlin tells us more.

Chattamatters: This fall’s nonpartisan local voter guide. ArtsBuild’s new grants for artists living with disabilities. “Singing Over Bones”: A TEDx talk by Dr. Kim Bateman. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Garry Posey (UTC) (Aired Tues 10/22/24) Garry Posey is a storyteller who knows his way around a theater - and how to bring a theater to new spaces. You name it, he’s done it - from on stage to backstage, and everything in between. In 2007, he founded Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, committed to compensating all its artists and developing a professional regional theatre that pays a living wage. A...