Take advantage of the unique opportunity to camp overnight in downtown’s Renaissance Park on Saturday, at The Urban Campout. The Urban Campout was created to combine Chattanooga’s love of the outdoors in our beautiful downtown environment with a night full of outdoor fun.
From 5:30-10 p.m., ticket holders will enjoy a full meal from the grill of one of Chattanooga’s newest caterers, GQR Catering & Events. Along with the meal, two drink tickets will be provided for Fat Tire beer, wine, Sugarlands moonshine cocktail, as well as non-alcoholic options. An energetic concert of alt bluegrass will be performed by the Packway Handle Band from Athens, Ga. Other entertainment will include several “fragrant fire” campfires, using herbs and aromatic wood (perfect for making smores), and a short outdoor film from the Lookout Wild Film Festival entitled Seasons of the Smokies, to be shown following the music at 9 p.m. Topping it all off will be a beautiful hot air balloon on site offering free tethered rides to all in attendance (weather conditions permitting).
Then at 10 p.m., the party will end except for the overnight campers who have made reservations to stay in the limited number of TentsileUSA “treehouse” tents.
Approximately a dozen colorful tents will be hung about four feet high between the trees throughout the park for overnight camping by TentsileUSA, a Chattanooga startup company which specializes in providing a distinct outdoor experience with no ecological footprint or environmental impact. Each tent will be fully equipped with gear, including sleeping bags, pillow, lantern and two chairs.
A brief educational presentation on Leave No Trace practices will be provided on site by Outdoor Chattanooga at the beginning of the evening.
Tickets for the evening party from 5:30-10 p.m. are $50 for adults and $15 for children aged 12 and under. An additional $100 per tent is required for those who want to reserve a tent for overnight camping (with each tent comfortably accommodating up to three guests). Reservations for campsites and tents must be made in advance.
Purchase tickets online at http://www.ChattanoogaPresents.com/whats-next-the-urban-campout/ for either the evening event or the overnight camping.
Twenty-five percent of the proceeds raised from The Urban Campout will be shared with The Audubon Society and North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy.
Renaissance Park is the natural park on downtown’s north shore next to Coolidge Park, featuring indigenous vegetation and natural wetlands.
The Urban Campout is produced by Chattanooga Presents and TentsileUSA and made possible through sponsorships from Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union, Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga, Fat Tire, Sugerlands Shine and InXpress. Media support comes from Talk Radio 102.3 and Nooga.com.
For more information, call 423.265.0771.