When the Chattanooga Market Moves Indoors, the Southside Fills the Weekends Between

"After Thanksgiving weekend, we'll take a short break before heading indoors to the Chattanooga Convention Center for two weekends of Holiday Market fun." That line comes from the Chattanooga Market's own Thanksgiving Market page. It explains this year's Southside holiday calendar better than any event roundup.

The short break runs from Nov. 23 to Dec. 11. The Southside has other events on those dates. An ice rink takes over the Market's pavilion, a street festival takes over Main Street, and a second-year holiday market fills the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The weekend right after Thanksgiving is the only one between Nov. 21 and Dec. 20 with no major Southside event, and even then the rink is in its season.

The Calendar, Weekend by Weekend

Two Sundays Left at the Pavilion

The regular outdoor season has two more themed Sundays. Big Band Day is Nov. 8, and the Chattanooga Beard Contest is Nov. 15. Both run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd., and both are free. The Market's published schedule goes from there straight to the Thanksgiving weekend and lists no December Sundays.

That makes Nov. 15 the last ordinary outdoor Market Sunday of 2026. If your weekend usually includes a stop at the pavilion, these two dates are the last ones that look like the rest of the year.

November 21 Is the Handoff

The Thanksgiving Market runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Market describes it as a one-stop shop for the holiday table, with seasonal vegetables, breads, cranberry sauce, pies, fall flowers and greenery. Admission is free. Paid lot parking is available on campus. Pets aren't allowed inside, but the adjacent dog park and outdoor areas are open to them.

That Saturday is also opening day for Ice on the Landing, the covered rink under the First Horizon Pavilion. Its site lists the season as Nov. 21, 2026 through Jan. 31, 2027. The Market's page says the rink "joins the fun" that weekend with a dedicated chill zone, extra seating, games and gathering spaces. For two days, the last outdoor market and the first skate share the same roof.

The rink lists its address as 1826 Reggie White Blvd., and its site says tickets and more information are still to come. Check there for hours and prices closer to opening day. Last season's numbers won't apply.

The First Saturday in December Belongs to Main Street

With the Market on break, Dec. 5 is the Southside's busiest day of the season. MAINx24 is always held on the first Saturday of December, and its organizers confirm Dec. 5, 2026 as this year's date. The event says it has grown from a handful of happenings to a schedule of 120-plus. Regular features include its parade, a Chili Cook-Off, Adult Big Wheel Races and plenty of concerts.

The MAINx24 Parade runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Main Street and designated side streets close to traffic from 10 a.m. to noon. If you drive anywhere in that window, plan around those two hours. The organizers haven't published a parade route.

The same weekend, the Chattanooga Choo Choo at 1400 Market St. opens Christmas at the Choo-Choo, a free multi-weekend holiday market now in its second year. Its organizer lists artisan gifts, handcrafted goods, holiday décor, specialty foods, holiday music and seasonal drinks in the decorated Choo Choo. The market runs Dec. 5 and 6, then again Dec. 12 and 13.

Together, these two events cover the weekend the Chattanooga Market leaves open. Main Street has the parade in the morning, and the Choo Choo has gift shopping for both days of the weekend.

December 12 and 13 Double Up

Then the Market comes back indoors. The Holiday Market opens at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter St., with about 200 local and regional artists. The Market says the event is "always producer only," with handcrafted jewelry, woodworking, bath and body care, toys and artisan foods. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free.

Its first weekend, Dec. 12 and 13, is also the second weekend of Christmas at the Choo-Choo. That puts two free holiday markets on the Southside on the same two days, at 1 Carter St. and 1400 Market St. Here is one way to plan that weekend:

• Saturday morning: Start with the Holiday Market when the Convention Center doors open at 10 a.m., before the crowds build.
• Midday: Walk over to the Choo Choo for Christmas at the Choo-Choo.
• Sunday: Both markets run again, and the Holiday Market opens at 11 a.m., so anything you passed on Saturday is still there.

The Holiday Market's second weekend, Dec. 19 and 20, closes the Southside market season. The Choo Choo's market will have finished by then, so the Convention Center has the last weekend to itself.

Where to Sit Down Between Stops

Two Southside restaurants that opened this summer give the season new places to eat.

The Trinity, 1278 Market St.

Chattanoogan.com reported that The Trinity held its ribbon cutting on Aug. 20, 2026. It's a New Orleans-inspired restaurant founded by longtime friends Ken Newburger and Carlitos Fernandez, in the historic former St. John's Restaurant and St. John's Hotel building. The menu includes étouffée and grits and grillades. Newburger, a New Orleans native, told the outlet, "The Trinity is my way of sharing a bit of home with everyone." The restaurant sits on Market Street, the same street as the Choo Choo, which makes it an easy stop on either side of the Choo Choo's market weekends.

Bona Fide, 55 Johnson St.

Bona Fide Restaurant and Bar opened July 31, 2026, in the building that once housed Ernest Chinese and Flying Squirrel, according to The Pulse. The Pulse describes a rotating seasonal menu of housemade pastas, entrées and small bites, plus craft cocktails, wine, beer and non-alcoholic options. The team includes head chef Joey Milenkovic, pastry chef Estela Felipe and beverage director Garth Poe. The Pulse's reviewer parked in the paid lot by State of Confusion, across the street, and walked past Niedlov's to the entrance.

The Times Free Press profiled Milenkovic on Oct. 20 and called Bona Fide one of the Southside's exciting new restaurants.

The Evenings Move Up McCallie Avenue

The Southside's markets close by 5 p.m. The big holiday performances that night are at Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. On the same weekend as the Choo Choo and Convention Center markets, the Chattanooga Ballet performs The Nutcracker on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.

During the Holiday Market's second weekend, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera performs Home for the Holidays at the same auditorium on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. You can shop the Southside during the day and catch a performance downtown that evening on both weekends.

A Southside home shows best when buyers can picture weekends like these from the front porch. At Putnam Property Group, our family team stages and photographs every listing with that in mind. If you're curious what your downtown home would bring heading into the new year, start with a free home valuation and we'll walk you through the numbers.