The Association for Visual Arts is pleased to present the fourth annual Between The Bridges local arts festival.
Now a two-day festival, happening on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20 from 10am-5pm, Between The Bridges features over 40 artists from Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.
The festival will take place in Coolidge Park (the section between the Market Street Bridge and the Walnut Street Bridge), and is FREE for all attendees.
AVA was excited to create this new event for local artists in 2021, and we’re delighted that the event has grown and expanded and improved so that we can continue to highlight the incredible artists of the Tennessee Valley area.
Chattanooga’s visual artist community has grown by leaps and bounds in the 21st century, and this event is a response to that – a new festival showcasing some established local artists, but also introducing many new, emerging makers and creators.
As we did in 2022 and 2023, Between The Bridges will again include a Potters Alley section on Saturday ONLY, featuring the work of ceramics artists working out of the Scenic City Clay Arts cooperative space downtown.
There will be 45 booths at the festival for artists brought in under AVA’s umbrella, and 15 booths of SCCA artists. AVA organizers are “absolutely thrilled” to have this collaboration with SCCA again this year to help showcase more exceptional artists in our area.
On Saturday, Coolidge Park will be a hive of activity, hosting not only the festival but a 25th Anniversary celebration of Coolidge Park itself, hosted by the City of Chattanooga, and featuring free carousel rides on the spectacular Coolidge Park carousel starting at 11am, a ceremony featuring past and present city mayors and leaders at 11am, and a host of activities and adventures supplied by Outdoor Chattanooga under the Walnut Street Bridge.
And if you get hungry? It’s also Clumpies 25th anniversary jubilee. Stop in at their nearby Frazier Avenue location for a sweet treat, and visit their back parking lot for special deals from other North Shore businesses and restaurants.
On Sunday, the 7 Bridges Marathon/half marathon/5k will take off and finish in Coolidge Park, with over 3,000 runners participating! In other words, it will be BUSY on the North Shore during Between The Bridges weekend. Plan ahead for parking (they suggest parking downtown and walking across our lovely bridges), and bring money not only for food and drinks from local North Shore merchants, but for the incredible art you’ll find!
For more information about Between The Bridges, visit the main AVA website at AVArts.org or contact the AVA main office at (423) 265-4282.