4 Things to do in Chattanooga in October

The wonderful and colorful city of Chattanooga, Tennessee is a fantastic place to visit for curious travelers of all sorts. Nestled in the gorgeous Tennessee Valley and standing tall in front of the stunning Appalachian Mountains, Chattanooga is a particularly welcome sight for nature lovers and adventurers as well. Get lost in nature among the hiking and scenic trails, explore the underground caves, and take a bike ride down the Riverwalk! 

For sweater lovers, Chattanooga gets even more fun during the fall! From Halloween-themed adventures, to fall-art activities, there are more than enough things to get into this October. And, of course, more than enough deals to go around for yard sale savvy shoppers. Let’s look at four fall festivities in Chattanooga.

Take in the Fall Colors

To experience the perfect palette of a Chattanooga Autumn, Chattanooga Tourism has put together a list of activities representing all the beautiful colors of the changing seasons. Orange takes you through the various hiking trails of the city. Silver takes you through the huge collection of bike trails, especially through the Enterprise South Nature Park.

Beige takes us to the climbing wall, as Chattanooga has become a special place for climbers—both inside and out. The deep Blue of the Tennessee River can take you kayaking and paddleboarding through more gorgeous green, yellow, and brown sights. And the “Roasted Marshmallow” Black can come into play while you’re camping out, sleeping under the endless midnight sky. What better way to explore the season?

Enjoy a Festival

As the leaves start changing color to celebrate the season, locals and guests alike get ready to celebrate another way—through various festivals and activities! October, and fall in general, is a great time to enjoy a lot of what Chattanooga has to offer. Food and wine lovers will be excited to hear about the Wine Over Water festival held on October 7th, where guests will be able to enjoy various varieties of wine, food, and live music. More music can be found at the 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival and the Rocktoberfest.

There are plenty of other great activities to enjoy beyond the fall-specific festivities. Chattanooga has a lively music and arts scene that offers shows year-round, and the city’s comedy scene is bound to get some hearty laughs out of you no matter when you go.

Catch a Fright!

If your kind of October activity is more of the spooky variety, there’s plenty to go around in Chattanooga—or, should we say, ChattaBooga! For the whole family, there are lots of October and Halloween-themed activities like escape rooms, the Creative Discovery Museum’s Monster Bash, the Chasing Pumpkins 5k and Kids Candy Dash, and the Halloween Eekstravaganza.

For more adult activities, locals and guests alike love the several Chattanooga Ghost Tours, the Witch & Warlock Paddle, and the Halloween Bar Crawl. Whether your idea of fun is a good fright, paddling away in your costume and makeup, or stumbling like a zombie from bar to bar, everyone’s got something fun to do!

Go Hunting for a Deal

Finally, all of us yard sale enthusiasts must be wondering where we find a great Yard Sale in Chattanooga? Fortunately, there are a lot of great options for second-hand deals scattered throughout town. For a classic, no-frills thrifting run, try America’s Thrift Store. There might not be anything particularly flashy or out-of-the-box behind these doors, but it’s a nice and reliable shop to cover your basic clothing and accessory needs.

The East Brainerd Goodwill might be a surprising one to mention because, although Goodwill locations are a dime a dozen, this specific location is a goldmine. It’s a big shop with an impressive selection, with everything you would expect to find at a Goodwill as well as a common hidden gem or two. Make sure to spend some time digging through the bins and shifting through the racks—you’re bound to find something great.

For an absolute bargain, try The Samaritan Center. If you’re looking to find multiple articles of clothing for just a handful of dollar bills, this is the place to go. They have a Thrift Store, a Clearance Store, and a Toy Store for customers to figure out exactly what they’re looking for. Set some time aside to visit all three!

Finally, the yard sale hunt. Here, the rules are simple. Check out local coffee shops, check out the local library, check out online forums, ask the locals, and figure out where and when to go for great yard sale deals. The yard sale hunt isn’t for everybody, but for the aficionados like us, searching is half of the fun. Long live the yard sale!