What is in season in Chattanooga. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- Cornbread season: Late April means the National Cornbread Festival in nearby South Pittsburg, with skillet cook-offs in Lodge Cast Iron's hometown.
- Market opening weekend: The Chattanooga Market opens its Sunday season in late April under the First Horizon Pavilion, first produce and food trucks of the year.
- Strawberries: May brings Rhea County berries to stands and the Tennessee Strawberry Festival in Dayton, an hour north of Chattanooga.
Summer
- Tomatoes and peaches: High summer loads the Wednesday Main Street Farmers Market and Sunday pavilion with field tomatoes, peaches and sweet corn.
- Patio and rooftop season: Long evenings fill the Westin and Edwin rooftops; June also sends day-trippers to Bell Buckle's RC Cola-MoonPie Festival.
Autumn
- Festival stack: October alone brings Oktoberfest, Wine Over Water and the Scenic City Wings cook-off, the densest eating month on Chattanooga's calendar.
- Apples and greens: Cooler weeks bring apples, winter squash and cooking greens to the markets, and meat-and-three vegetables shift heartier to match.
Winter
- Holiday markets: The Chattanooga Market closes its season with November holiday editions, while MAINx24 fills the first December Saturday with chili.
- Oyster and whiskey weather: Raw bars at Easy Bistro and Boathouse peak in the cold months, best chased with a Tennessee High Malt pour on Market Street.