21st Century Waterfront Grand Opening Events
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Saturday,
March 19: Creative Discovery Museum Opening
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Inventors’ Club House, dinosaur area, Rooftop Fun Factory
open. “Arthur” from the popular children’s
books by Mark Brown, will be on hand to help celebrate. A
ribbon cutting takes place at noon.
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Saturday,
April 23: First Street, Pedestrian Bridge and the Hunter American
Museum of Art Opening, Renaissance Park Opening
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
First Street comes to life with public art, the incline and
pedestrian bridge open. All areas will feature music, dance
and working artists. The Hunter Museum of American Art opens
their $20 million expansion with a special exhibition of Georgia
O’Keefe. Renaissance Park will open with a dedication
by local officials and outdoor enthusiasts.
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Friday,
April 29: Tennessee Aquarium’s Ocean Journey Opening,
Lunch at the Landing
8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Tennessee Aquarium opens its new 60,000 square foot building,
Ocean Journey, featuring an amazing coral reef exhibit. A
morning parade, Caribbean bands, Samba musicians and puppets
will animate the entire Aquarium complex. Lunch at the Landing
will encourage casual dining on the Chattanooga Green and
will feature music and food vendors.
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Saturday,
April 30: The Chattanooga Pier Opening
6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The Chattanooga Pier, dominated by seven, 40-foot tall masterpieces
of light by artist Jamie Carpenter, will be inaugurated in
the evening with an all-star swing band, dance, antique wooden
boats and a movie shown under the Olgiati Bridge.
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Sunday, May 1: Tour of Downtown Living and Public Art
1 to 6 p.m.
The Tour of Downtown Living and Public Art will allow citizens
to enjoy organized tours of waterfront and other downtown
living quarters and all the magnificent public art in downtown
Chattanooga.
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Saturday
and Sunday, May 7 and 8: Four Bridges Art Festival
Art lovers will flock to the Four Bridges Art Festival at
the First Tennessee Pavilion and then ride shuttles to the
river to stroll through the parks and enjoy the public art.
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Friday
May 13: Passage Commemoration
10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
This celebration of art, culture and the history of Native
Americans in our area will introduce team Gadugi. This group
of five Cherokee artists has come together to design and create
art to symbolically recreate centuries of Native American
influence.
During this
day, children and families will enjoy Native American art, sports
and culture. Artists, craftspeople and performers will provide
demonstrations. As the sun sets, Challenger, an American bald
eagle, will fly over Ross’s Landing from the Market Street
Bridge to his handler on the Chattanooga Pier; a 25-voice Cherokee
choir from Oklahoma will perform and then be joined by a 500-voice
choir of Chattanoogans. Musicians, storytellers and dancers
will perform on stage. Cherokee Chiefs Smith and Hicks will
bring fire from a giant signal fire at Renaissance Park to large
torches on the south side, symbolically returning to the East.
Gail Ross, great-great-great granddaughter of Chief John Ross
will narrate the tale of the Little Water Spider as fires burn
late into the night.
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Saturday,
May 14: Grand Finale
10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
This final celebration will begin with the art and beauty
of Tai Chi performed by hundreds of people at Ross’s
Landing. Scavenger hunts, hot air balloons, kite club demonstrations
and performances by Allied Arts groups will entertain participants.
At 2 p.m. Project Bandaloop, an internationally acclaimed
team will dance on the outside of the steel of the Market
Street Bridge accompanied by local hammered dulcimer artist
Dan Landrum. As sunset approaches, the river comes alive with
a performance orchestrated by Steven Koplowitz. A CSO performance
of water and river music highlights the evening. Project Bandaloop
will join the CSO – the group will once again dance
on the dramatically lit Market Street Bridge. The evening
ends with a laser and fireworks show.
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