Chattanooga this weekend: IBMA Bluegrass Live! with Sierra Ferrell and Leftover Salmon, free Pickin' in the Park Saturday, Boo in the Zoo and the River Market.

IBMA Bluegrass Live! takes over downtown Friday and Saturday, with the free Pickin’ in the Park all day Saturday, and Boo in the Zoo has its second-to-last weekend. Last checked Oct. 20, 2026. Confirm with the organizer before you go.

Friday, Oct. 23

  • IBMA Bluegrass Live!, day one. eTown tapings at the Chattanooga Convention Center from 2:30 p.m., then Michael Cleveland & Friends at 7 p.m. and Leftover Salmon at 9 p.m. at The Signal. Day pass $126.52 with fees. Our World of Bluegrass page has the full schedule. IBMA.
  • World of Bluegrass exhibit hall, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Chattanooga Convention Center. Free. IBMA schedule.
  • Late Night at Barrelhouse, Jason Carter Band, 11 p.m., Barrelhouse Ballroom. $33.37. Tickets.
  • Boo in the Zoo, 4 to 8 p.m., Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. Candy stations, costume shows and a scavenger hunt, with timed entry. $20.95 adults, $17.95 ages 3 to 12, $11.95 members. Chattanooga Zoo.
  • East Lake Trunk or Treat, 5 to 7 p.m., East Lake Center, 3610 Dodds Ave. Free, from the city. City of Chattanooga.
  • Halloween Escape Room for teens 12 to 18, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Northgate Library. Free; RSVP and a permission slip required. Event page.
  • “Vertigo,” 2 and 7 p.m., The Walker Theatre, in the Bobby Stone Film Series. Tivoli Foundation.
  • High school football: Brainerd at Tyner Academy, 5:30 p.m. Other games are on our Friday night football page.

Saturday, Oct. 24

  • Pickin’ in the Park, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Miller Park and Miller Plaza, Market Street. Free, no ticket. College bands, Kids on Bluegrass, Chattanooga musicians, a Chattanooga Ballet performance, crafts and food. IBMA.
  • IBMA Bluegrass Live!, day two. Special Consensus and Larry Sparks at the Convention Center from 2 p.m., then Della Mae at 7:30 p.m. and Sierra Ferrell at 9 p.m. at The Signal. Day pass $126.52 with fees. IBMA.
  • World of Bluegrass exhibit hall, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Chattanooga Convention Center. Free.
  • Late Night at Barrelhouse, Lonesome River Band, 11 p.m., Barrelhouse Ballroom. $33.37. Tickets.
  • River Market, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tennessee Aquarium Plaza, 1 Broad St. Arts, crafts and live music. Free. Chattanooga Market.
  • Boo in the Zoo, 4 to 8 p.m., Chattanooga Zoo. Timed entry. Chattanooga Zoo.
  • Matt McCusker, 7 p.m., The Walker Theatre. Stand-up comedy. Tivoli Foundation.

Sunday, Oct. 25

  • Chattanooga Bluegrass, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Chattanooga Market, First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd. Free sets on the Sunday Funday Stage. Chattanooga Market.
  • “Suspiria,” 2 and 7 p.m., The Walker Theatre. Tivoli Foundation.
  • Lantern Tour: Ghost Walk Edition, Ruby Falls, 1720 S. Scenic Highway. An after-hours lantern walk to the waterfall with ghost stories; ages 12 and up; book ahead. Ruby Falls.

All weekend

  • Enchanted Pumpkin Patch, Rock City Gardens, Lookout Mountain, Georgia, through Oct. 31. Lighted jack-o’-lantern displays on four trails. Rock City.
  • Rails, Wizards & Spells, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, on select dates through Sunday. TVRM.
  • Dread Hollow haunted house and escape rooms, through Nov. 1. Dread Hollow.
  • Free as they want to be: Artists Committed to Memory, Hunter Museum of American Art, through Jan. 11, 2027. Hunter Museum.

More Halloween events are on our Halloween events page and trick-or-treat hours page.

Regular weekend fixtures

  • River Market, every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tennessee Aquarium Plaza.
  • Chattanooga Market, Sundays at First Horizon Pavilion on its event days; this Sunday is Chattanooga Bluegrass and next Sunday, Nov. 1, is the Haunted Market.
  • Our farmers markets page lists every market and its hours.

Send us your event

Running something in Chattanooga next weekend? Email hello@chattanoogajournal.com with the date, time, venue, price and a photo you own.

More: things to do this month and arts and exhibitions this month.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Chattanooga this weekend?

IBMA Bluegrass Live! fills downtown Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24, with Leftover Salmon and Sierra Ferrell headlining The Signal. The free Pickin’ in the Park runs all day Saturday at Miller Park, Boo in the Zoo is Friday and Saturday evenings, and the River Market is Saturday at the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza.

What is free in Chattanooga this weekend?

Pickin’ in the Park, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park and Miller Plaza; the World of Bluegrass exhibit hall at the Convention Center, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; the River Market Saturday; Chattanooga Bluegrass at the Chattanooga Market on Sunday; and the city’s East Lake Trunk or Treat on Friday.

What time is Sierra Ferrell at IBMA Bluegrass Live!?

Sierra Ferrell plays The Signal from 9 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, after Della Mae at 7:30 p.m. A Saturday pass is $126.52 with fees on IBMA’s ticket page. Downtown meters are free after 6 p.m., and CARTA’s free Downtown Shuttle runs until 11 p.m.