Why you should cut a path to Chattanooga for the World of Bluegrass festival next month

The Tuesday bluegrass jam at Barrelhouse Ballroom. // photo by Nick Spacek

Much like Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Birmingham, Alabama, the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee is experiencing something of a cultural revival. While most folks know that bluegrass came from Kentucky, hence the name, but Tennessee has always been a home for roots music. While much of that attention has long been focused on the larger music cities of Memphis and Nashville, Chattanooga has become a bustling hub for bluegrass in the south, bolstered by a robust musical community and set within a gorgeous river valley.

So much so, in fact, that the International Bluegrass Music Association selected the city as the home for its annual World of Bluegrass conference and musical showcase beginning in 2025.

As Ken White, executive director of IBMA, stated in a press release announcing the move, “In our mission to spread the music, IBMA considered 30+ destinations for a new home. While other cities could offer the necessary commitment, the passion and enthusiasm of the people of Chattanooga truly stood out. We are incredibly grateful for the support from the state of Tennessee and the welcoming spirit of Chattanooga. This city’s unique charm and hospitality makes it a perfect home for WOB artists and guests.”

When we visited the city in late July, we got to meet with bluegrass musician Randy Steele, who acts as something of an unofficial bluegrass ambassador for Chattanooga. While he thinks there are at least a half dozen folks who have better claims to that title, he says he’s happy to be able to spread the gospel of Bluegrass music to any and all: “Mostly just grateful for the music and the community that we have here in Chattanooga.”

Songbooks at the bluegrass jam. // photo by Nick Spacek

As host of the weekly bluegrass jam at the Barrelhouse, Steele certainly has reason to know of what he speaks. The jam pulls in dozens of musicians to play, from seasoned professionals to folks just getting started. A stack of songbooks on a barroom table means that you don’t have to know all the words and chords to something like the Johnny Horton romp, “Ole Slew-Foot,” committed to memory to be able to join in, and the music spills from the taproom out onto the outside patio, where you’re likely to hear the phrase, “This is just something I’ve been workin’ on” more times than you can count.

The beginner jam starts at 6:30 p.m. For new folks to get comfortable (and you can even download the songbook from the TN Jams website ahead of time) with open jam starting at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Snag yourself one of the great beers from Five Wits Brewing like their Midnight Moonlight black IPA or the very bluegrass jam-appropriate Double Mando double dry-hopped hazy IPA, pull up a stool, and prepare to be amazed. We saw every skill level, and never ceased to get impressed, as when a young woman who’d been quietly strumming in the back for most of the night took the lead on vocals and absolutely filled the room with a voice that seemed too big to come from someone so tiny.

When the IBMA World of Bluegrass returns to Chattanooga from October 20-24, it’s not only a chance for fans to experience music at the Chattanooga Convention Center, along with nearby music venues the Signal and Barrelhouse Ballroom, but a lucky couple thousand will get to be among the first to catch a show at the renovated Tivoli Theatre.

The Soldiers & Sailors Memorial. // photo by Nick Spacek

After four years of renovations, in a project totaling $73 million, the 1921 theater will reopen during IBMA with two sold-out concerts from guitar wunderkind Billy Strings on Tuesday, October 20, and Wednesday, October 21. The Tivoli is a sister theater to the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium just up the hill, where the IBMA Awards ceremony co-hosted by Sam Bush and Sierra Hull will take place on Thursday, October 22.

Behind the scenes of the Tivoli restoration. // photo by Ava Rymer

Touring the still-in-progress renovation at the end of July, along with the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium, we got an idea of just what is possible. Both of these century-old buildings are grandiose in a way one just doesn’t see anymore, and the attention to detail in both updating and honoring the original designs is stunning.

The research necessary to make sure the restoration of the Tivoli was accurate began with a program of historic research and documentation, a conditions assessment, and planning for the restoration of the Tivoli Theatre and adaptive reuse of the Tivoli Center, says Meredith Arms Bzdak, an architectural historian, is a Partner in the Princeton, NJ firm Mills + Schnoering Architects, with research regarding the development, use, and appearance of both buildings conducted online and using local archival sources and review of the National Register of Historic Places nominations for each building.

“The research helped the team to identify significant spaces, materials, and details for preservation and to determine locations in each building where change might be able to occur to meet current and future program needs,” Bzdak explains. “The historic research also supported information provided to the National Park Service as part of the historic tax credit submission.”

Restoring this theater is important, says Bzdak, because the Tivoli occupies an important place in Chattanooga’s downtown, and their full utilization and optimization will be a significant catalyst for further economic revitalization within the city’s urban core.

“Buildings change over time, as do our perceptions of them, but they also hold our collective memories,” notes the historian. “The more distinctive buildings are reminders of the people and events that have gone before us, physically connecting us to our past.”

Scott Schwartz, project architect for Mills + Schnoering, agrees. As the design team’s point of contact overseeing the project during construction, he made sure the work conformed to the contract documents, and notes that the Tivoli Theatre contains a plethora of ornate plasterwork, decorative metalwork, historic chandelier lighting, and elaborate prosceniums and balconies.

“Restoration allows future patrons to still experience this intricate level of craftsmanship, since it is generally infeasible to reproduce at newer buildings,” Schwartz says. The design team was able to work with Chattanooga’s City code official and fire marshal to integrate code-required fire protection into highly visible historic spaces, as the auditorium lobby corridors have ribbed ceiling structures that prevent pipes from being concealed and running continuously.

The Tivoli Theatre. // photo by Nick Spacek

“We did not want to replace the ceiling or expose new pipes under the ceiling in such historically significant spaces,” explains Schwartz, noting that an alternative solution allowed them to place recessed hose cabinets and extinguishers at the end of each corridor, in-lieu of installing pipe and sprinklers. “This generated a more appropriate system design in regard to historic preservation.”

That said, allowances were made for modernity during the Tivoli’s restoration, as modern federal laws require accessible wheelchair seating throughout the auditorium. This required design coordination to provide a dispersed wheelchair seating layout that did not impact sightlines, meaning ramps and flat platforms were installed at rear locations of the auditorium to allow for wheelchair access.

Being as how the Tivoli exists alongside the Soldiers and Sailors Auditorium just up the hill, the two complexes will now boast four venues total for the community. In addition to the Soldiers and Sailors’ 3700 person capacity in its auditorium, the building also hosts the smaller Walker Theatre, capable of seating 850. The Tivoli will hold 1625, with the attached Tivoli Performing Arts Center hosting the Bobby Stone Theatre, with a capacity of 250.

“This provides uniquely great options for artists, especially as they grow, to be able to expand their capacity for ticket sales in our market, as their careers grow,” enthuses Dave Holscher, COO and booking/project manager for the Tivoli Theatre Foundation.

You can see why IBMA chose to host their annual conference here for the 2025-2027 iterations, with such civic devotion to supporting the arts. However, it’s not all networking and awards. For non-industry folks, the real appeal of IBMA’s conference is the Bluegrass Ramble on Tuesday, October 20, and Wednesday, October 21. Much as the Folk Alliance International Conference offers their official showcases, so does IBMA, but but unlike FAI, you don’t have to attend the conference to attend the Ramble. Tickets are available for anyone who wants to attend, so for about 60 bucks, you can catch two full nights of music at a variety of venues.

In addition to two stages inside the Chattanooga Convention Center, there are sets to be caught at the nearby spacious Barrelhouse Ballroom, Hi-Fi Clyde’s, Feed Table & Tavern Event Space, the intimate Songbirds, and Stratus Rooftop at Caption. The latter two venues are worth setting aside a little extra time, as Songbirds features a small museum you should definitely spend some time perusing, with vintage guitars belonging to the likes of Roy Orbison, as well as some very fancy Nudie suits from some of country music’s finest, such as Hank Snow. Stratus Rooftop is atop the recently-opened Caption, a very swank hotel, and the views from the bar offer a 360-degree look at the city, as well as a stellar glimpse of Lookout Mountain.

As the Ramble takes you through its various venues, you’ll find plenty of food and drink. Gate 11 Distillery is right inside the nearby Choo-Choo, the former Terminal Station railroad hub opened in 1909, and offers spirits distilled on-site, with barrels aged in a nearby boxcar. Their gin, featuring botanicals grown in the home garden of owners Bill and Wanda Lee, is worth diverting a couple blocks to try.

Right near the Barrelhouse is 2^nd American, Chef Daniel Lindley’s “homage to the American family meal,” should you want to start your Ramble with something a little more upscale. The cocktails are absolutely on-point, with the food being something you’ll find yourself repeatedly gushing over while you’re eating.

Appetizers like the tomato pie could be a meal unto themselves, while entrees such as the braised rabbit and pork belly with turnip greens, radishes, and mustard gravy served with a heaping dollop of family-style mashed potatoes might be the epitome of elevated cuisine. It feels like you’re eating at grandma’s house for Sunday dinner, but grandma trained as a Michelin chef. The astonishingly tender rabbit falls right off the bone, the richness of the grilled pork belly is a brilliant counterpoint to the vinegary bite of the greens, and the gravy pulls all those elements together. A month and a half later, I still dream of this meal.

The International Towing & Recovery Museum. // photo by Nick Spacek

You get Thursday free to explore the city, with no shows happening aside from the IBMA Awards. I’d like to suggest hitting up The International Towing & Recovery Museum, “the only place in the world that offers a close encounter with a tow truck that is actually fun, positive, and nostalgic.” There’s something about a small, niche, well-curated museum that leads you to discover all sorts of things you didn’t know you wanted to know.

Tow trucks are on display, along with the history of how they came to be, a towing hall of fame, plenty of videos and photos to view, and a surprising number of visitors who, like me, popped in on a whim with a free afternoon and found themselves almost immediately rapt. It might seem like an odd way to spend an hour or two, but it’s worth taking a diversion.

Bessie Smith’s piano at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. // photo by Nick Spacek

If you’re not into towing (despite the fact that you absolutely should be), the Bessie Smith Cultural Center should definitely appeal to any fan of music and history. Permanent exhibits like “Walk Through Time: The Chattanooga African American Experience” and “Chattanooga’s Black Soundtrack” demonstrate that the musical heritage of the world owes a lot to Chattanooga.

R&B icon Usher spent his childhood there, the funky drummer Clyde Stubblefield was born and raised there, Fred Cash and Sam Gooden formed doo-wop act the Roosters there before moving to Chicago and starting soul act the Impressions, and of course, there’s Bessie Smith, “Empress of the Blues.” You’ll learn about all these artists, as well as the history of The Big 9, the Black cultural hotspot along the city’s 9^th Street until the ’60s, when urban renewal policies such as The Golden Gateway Urban Renewal Project gutted the neighborhood.

Take the time to speak with the folks working at the Bessie, as they have remarkable insight into the history of the neighborhood where the museum and cultural center now sits, as well as insight into details of the well-curated exhibits.

The wall at Yellow Racket Records. // photo by Nick Spacek

If shopping’s more your thing than history, take a trip to Yellow Jacket Records. They have a robust collection of new vinyl, as well as a used section filled with some great finds. When we popped in, there was a bin of new old stock Apple Records 45s from a collection they’d purchased. Brand new, never played 50 year old singles for $4 a pop. We snagged Wings’ “Band on the Run” and “Silly Love Songs,” and have never been so happy with a purchase.

That is, until we hopped over to the River North district and hit up neighbors Collective Clothing and Winder Binder. Both the vintage clothing store and book shop feature some stellar used vinyl, with Collective Clothing also hosting a solid selection of new heavy music curated by Inherent Records. Prices are affordable and the selection wide-ranging, especially at Winder Binder, where we snagged albums from both the Polecats and Dwight Twilley, but Collective Clothing also offered up an LP from power-pop band the Shoes and singles from Duran Duran and the Go-Gos.

All that and Frazier Street features artwork embedded in the concrete of the sidewalk featuring dance steps. You can learn to cha-cha or foxtrot while you’re wandering up and down, popping in and out of all the great stores and, should you find yourself overwhelmed, the nearby Coolidge Park offers grand and calming views of the Tennessee River sure to soothe even the most jagged nerves.

Randy Steele and band at Sniteman Cabin. // photo by Ava Rymer

Should you wish to sneak in a little music on Thursday, October 22, the City of Chattanooga’s fall Fireside Concerts Series happens every Thursday in October at the Sniteman Cabin at Greenway Farms in Hixson. Greenway Farms is a 180-acre park along North Chickamauga Creek, and it’s a gorgeous spot, with Sniteman Cabin offering a unique backdrop for free live music starting at 7 p.m., though you’ll need to bring your own chairs or blankets. When we were there in July, we caught some tunes by Randy Steele and his band and despite the heat and humidity, it’s an absolute thrill to be sitting in natural beauty watching musicians play in front of a cabin more than a century and a half old, and a unique opportunity not to be missed.

Then, on Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, there are the IBMA Live! concerts at the convention center and at the Signal, located near the Choo-Choo just a couple blocks away. These require a separate ticket, and while not cheap, they do offer the opportunity to catch Leftover Salmon on Friday and Sierra Ferrell on Saturday in a fairly intimate environment, loaded with like-minded music lovers. The Barrelhouse will also feature late-night sets from Jason Carter Band and Lonesome River Band following Friday and Saturday’s respective Signal shows.

There’s also Pickin’ in the Park, a free festival on Saturday, October 24, in Miller Park in downtown Chattanooga, featuring “college bands, participants from the Kids on Bluegrass program, and local Chattanooga artists.”

Gear at the bluegrass jam. // photo by Nick Spacek

If you can make it to Chattanooga for the 2026 IBMA World of Bluegrass, you’re in for a treat and, even if you can’t, you should find your way south for a visit at some point.

It’s worth the trip. As picker Steele puts it, the reason why the bluegrass community is so excited to have IBMA here in Chattanooga is why you should be excited to get there, too.

“I think it says a lot about not only the current bluegrass climate in Chattanooga but the decades-long bluegrass scene we’ve had here,” Steele says, noting that he thinks that some of the top talent in the bluegrass realm are constantly playing shows in Chattanooga, along with the multiple well-established weekly and monthly jams in the area.

“I think bluegrass and Chattanooga are in one of those special situations where each truly benefits from the other.”