Outdoor Chattanooga invites the public to the Great Community Campout and Fireside at the Greenway Outdoor Music Series, which will animate the Greenway Farm city park in Hixson throughout the month of October. Thursday evenings in October will be filled with fireside concerts, and on Oct. 8, families can also enjoy a night camping under the stars.
The family-friendly Great Community Camp Out on Oct. 8 is during the Hamilton County Department of Education’s fall break and will feature canoeing, live music, telescope stargazing, morning yoga and breakfast. Once registered, campers will have access to canoes to explore the North Chickamauga Creek prior to the fireside concert featuring local bluegrass group the VonWamps. Campers can enjoy a picnic supper and s’mores before stargazing begins with assistance from astronomers with the Barnard Astronomical Society. The evening ends with a fireside bedtime story. On Friday morning, campers will wake up to a warm pancake breakfast, followed by sun salutation yoga.
The Great Community Campout begins at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Greenway Farm, 5051 Gann Store Road.
Preregistration is required by Oct. 5. Register and reserve a spot by calling Outdoor Chattanooga at 643-6888 or by email at info@OutdoorChattanooga.com. Participants must complete a registration form and pay to secure a reservation. The campout is $30 per family of four. Additional members are $5 each. Individuals are $10. (The fee includes breakfast and activities.)
On Thursday evenings in October, families can enjoy creek paddling and free live music around a bonfire at Greenway Farm. Before the fireside concert, Outdoor Chattanooga encourages families to enjoy the changing season with a canoe ride on North Chickamauga Creek.
The Greenway Outdoor Music Series is begins with canoe paddling from 6-7 p.m. and concerts from 7-9 p.m. They will be held at the Sniteman Log Cabin at Greenway Farm.
The concert schedule is: Oct. 1: Randy Steele and Friends - hometown bluegrass; Oct. 8: Great Community Campout with the VonWamps - bluegrass with standup bass and Dobro; Oct. 15: Erin Medley - acoustic folk and southern rock; and Oct. 22: Tin Cup Rattlers - old timey classics. There is no concert on Oct. 29.
Blankets, camp chairs, marshmallow roasters and picnic suppers are all welcome. Outdoor Chattanooga will provide staffing and equipment for the creek paddle, but children under 30 pounds need their own personal flotation device (life jacket). Meet at the North Chickamauga canoe launch behind the Sniteman Log Cabin. Canoe rentals are $20 and are available from 6-7 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. Fireside at the Greenway Outdoor Music Series is sponsored by Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union.
For more information, visit outdoorchattanooga.com.