Head of the Hooch, held November 7 and 8, was the last event scheduled at Ross's Landing before the south shore closes. More than 6,500 rowers came for it, and the regatta brings an estimated $12 million to the area each year, according to Chattanooga CW. Later this month, crews begin rebuilding the riverfront from the Market Street Bridge to the Olgiati Bridge. The city's project update dated October 29 estimates the work at 18 months.
For most of 2027 and into 2028, downtown's riverfront season happens on the north shore. The two banks are connected again only because the Walnut Street Bridge reopened in early October. The holidays are the first real test of that setup.
The Closure Runs Bridge to Bridge
City officials first described the closure at a March 17 City Council meeting. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported an estimated 18-month closure of the Tennessee River's southern shore, from the Market Street Bridge to the Olgiati Bridge, which carries U.S. Highway 27 over the river. In the same report, Monica Kinsey of the city's Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy said officials planned to move Ross's Landing events to Coolidge Park.
The reopening falls in 2028. River City Company's leadership gave WDEF a target of the second quarter of that year. The Times Free Press reported in August that the parks should reopen in time for summer events in 2028. Either way, the riverfront will be closed for two holiday seasons and the whole 2027 festival calendar.
One riverfront business stays open throughout. According to The Pulse, the Southern Belle riverboat will be accessible the whole time, with parking in the lots across the street.
The Bridge Reopened Just Before the Closure
The Walnut Street Bridge reopened on October 3 after its own 18-month renovation. The city's project page lists the work: structural steel repairs, a new coat of the bridge's signature paint, more energy-efficient lighting and a new Alaskan yellow cedar deck on the 1891 span. Chattanoogan.com covered the reopening ceremony, which included a ribbon cutting and a group walk across.
The timing matters. The bridge reopened about five weeks before the Ross's Landing closure was set to begin. Event organizers are already planning around it. For the first north-shore holiday event, River City Company and its partners tell people to park in the south-shore lots and walk over the Walnut Street Bridge to Coolidge Park, The Pulse reports. For the next year and a half, the walk from the downtown core to the riverfront crosses the river.
The First Test Is the Holiday Calendar
Most of the riverfront events this season are on the north shore. Ice skating, which happens off the riverfront, keeps its downtown spot on the south side.
| Event | Where | Dates | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christkindlmarkt Coolidge | Coolidge Park | November 21–22 and 28–29 | Saturdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Ice on the Landing | First Horizon Pavilion | November 21 through January 31, 2027 | $14 adults, $12 children 12 and under on regular days |
| Reindeer on the Riverfront and Lighted Boat Parade | Coolidge Park | November 27, 4 to 8 p.m. | Free; first year at Coolidge Park |
| Christmas at the Choo-Choo | Chattanooga Choo Choo | December 5–6 and 12–13 | Holiday market on the Southside |
Christkindlmarkt's location has moved before. In 2025, The Pulse reported that the market had moved to the Chattanooga Green. This year, the organizer's calendar puts it back at Coolidge Park, on the same lawn where the boat parade crowd gathers the day after Thanksgiving.
At Ice on the Landing, check the date before you go. The rink charges $16.50 for adults and $14.50 for children on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and MLK Day. On December 31 there's a late skate from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
What Changes When the Boat Parade Changes Shores
The day-after-Thanksgiving event used to happen at Ross's Landing. This year River City Company is hosting it at Coolidge Park. Emily Mack of River City Company described the move to The Pulse:
"We are excited to be able to continue to host this beloved event and are looking forward to fun new activities that only Coolidge Park can offer. Coolidge Park offers perfect views of the river for the Lighted Boat Parade and the fireworks show as well as amenities like the Ellis Carousel."
The program comes over from the south shore mostly intact. Here's how the evening runs, based on The Pulse's report:
- 4 p.m. Gates open with Santa, real reindeer, the Chattanooga Elf, the Grinch, Elsa from Frozen and illuminated giant puppets by Playful Evolving Monsters. There will also be food and holiday art vendors, a hot cocoa bar, and drinks for guests 21 and older.
- 7 p.m. The 46th annual Lighted Boat Parade starts. Erwin Marine Sales coordinates it, and the decorated boats loop between the Market Street Bridge and the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
- About 8 p.m. Fireworks follow. Sponsors include the Southern Belle, Chattanooga Ducks, Mayor's Mansion Inn, Overboard Bar & Grille, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, the Incline Railway, TRG Lawncare and the MoonPie General Stores.
Organizers suggest bringing lawn chairs and blankets. Parking is available in lots near Coolidge Park, and the Walnut Street Bridge is open for anyone parking on the south shore. Barrett Chambers of Erwin Marine told The Pulse that this year's parade will run "along Coolidge Park and under the city's beautiful bridges."
2027 Is When the Change Takes Full Effect
The holiday move tests the setup. Next year the full event calendar shifts. Local 3 News reported that officials plan to move more than 50 events normally held at Ross's Landing to Coolidge Park starting in 2027. The city has already tried a big event there: the city's event listing shows Pops on the River at Coolidge Park on July 2, 2026.
Head of the Hooch is the biggest event making the move. Its president, Kerry Brown, told Chattanooga CW that organizers spent a year considering their options, including Columbus, Georgia, before deciding to stay in Chattanooga. "For 2027, we will move to the North shore," Brown said. He described a planned ramp down to the water, plus additional private land a local resident has offered so the regatta can stay the same size or close to it.
The north shore's own waterfront could change as well. At the March council meeting, city staff presented a grant application for a Coolidge Park dock project. Chattanoogan.com reported that the design includes a 75-foot rowing section, a fishing pier and a kayak launch. The project was still waiting on grant decisions at that point. The city says it is holding regular stakeholder meetings and helping event organizers find other downtown venues for 2027.
What the South Shore Gets Back in 2028
The south shore will look different when the fences come down. The Riverfront Parks NEXT plan includes:
- a passive porch, which is open space built to handle large-scale events
- a traffic-calmed Riverfront Parkway
- a shaded route for walking and biking
- seating and swings
- piers for fishing and picnics
- recreation courts and art beneath the Olgiati Bridge
The renderings also show a restaurant on Chestnut Street, a Pier Café with public restrooms, a flexible space called the Valley, a ribbon of plantings, a signature play zone, and a larger commercial dock with public access to the river.
Chattanooga-based PlayCore is designing the signature play structure, Chattanoogan.com reported. In August, the Times Free Press reported that the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation is giving $10 million to create the BlueCross Healthy Place at Ross's Landing. Public money includes $15 million from the state of Tennessee and $5 million each from the city and Hamilton County. River City Company set a $25 million goal for its private campaign. The city's October update says the construction documents are finished and the funding is secured.
Event organizers helped shape the plan. Brown told Chattanooga CW that designers adjusted the long-range layout so rowers can still get to the water. A restaurant planned for the top of the hill will either move or get a path for regatta access. He added that some parking lots have been guaranteed against development for a few years. When the riverfront reopens in 2028, it's designed to handle everyday use and big crowds in one space.
Until then, events like the boat parade and the regatta happen at Coolidge Park, and the reopened bridge is the walking route between the two shores.
If you have questions about how the riverfront project affects your part of downtown, or you'd like to know what your home is worth while the south shore is being rebuilt, the team at Don Ledford Group is glad to talk it through. Start the conversation and get your instant home valuation.
