The campout will take place in Renaissance Park on Saturday, Oct. 18. "The overnight event will promote low-impact camping using innovative equipment. The Urban Campout was created to celebrate the notion of urban camping, while providing an entertaining and fun night in a site otherwise unavailable for this type of experience," organizers said.
Prior to the overnight camping, there will be a "fun-filled and family-oriented evening", organizers said, from 5:30-10 p.m. A brief educational presentation on Leave No Trace practices will be provided on site by Outdoor Chattanooga at the beginning of the evening.
Guests will have a grilled chicken dinner, sides and dessert by GQR Catering & Events of Chattanooga, with iced tea, lemonade, Fat Tire beer or wine. A concert of alt bluegrass will be performed by the Packway Handle Band from Athens, Ga. Other entertainment will include a “fragrant fire” using herb and aromatic wood for a campfire in the center of the Cherokee Circle and a short outdoor film from the Lookout Wild Film Festival entitled Seasons of the Smokies and featuring photography of the changing seasons in the mountains. Tethered hot air balloon rides will also be offered as part of the entertainment (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 15 colorful tents will be hung between the trees along the Riverwalk and the two parallel pathways in the park for overnight camping by TentsileUSA, a Chattanooga startup company who specializes in providing a distinct outdoor experience with no ecological footprint or environmental impact. The park will be closed to all but registered campers at 10 p.m.
Tickets for the evening event 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 two to three guests). Reservations for campsites and tents must be made in advance. The Urban Campout will offer an all-inclusive outdoor experience that can be enjoyed while still being in the urban setting.
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.