It truly is the most wonderful time of the year when ordinarily proper-seeming adults take on the wild joy of racing a big wheel. It’s that time when — for 24 hours straight — Chattanoogans shop, dance, create, parade, eat, drink + celebrate on the Southside’s Main Street.

Since 2007, the community has had a standing date with Main Street on the first weekend in December for the annual Mainx24 extravaganza, and this year’s schedule is finally here.

Is it really a party until someone wrecks a Big Wheel? | Mainx24

If you go

🎉 24-hour festival with 150 events
📍Sat., Dec. 7, 6:30 a.m
📱Main Street
☀️ The event is rain or shine, and the weather is looking nice so far.

The big five

There are so many events, it’s truly difficult to narrow down the best ones, so here are what we consider the mainstay must-dos.

Annual pancake breakfast | 6:30 a.m. | 218 E. Main St., | $5 | Proceeds benefit The Forgotten Child Fund
Southside Parade | 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Main Street corridor starting at Jefferson Street, ending at Cowart Street | Free
World Heavyweight Chili Championship + vendor market | 11:30-3 p.m. | 326 E. Main St. | $15 |
Adult Big Wheel Race | 12-5 p.m. | Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. | Free | It’s free to watch + you can still register a team of four for $100
Mean Mug Silent Disco | 8 p.m.-11 p.m. | 114 W. Main St. | Free

Last year, beloved Chattanoogan Sandy the Flower Man was the parade’s Grand Marshal. Sandy Bell, who was known for selling and giving away flowers downtown, died in January 2019. This year, there will be a memorial bike ride in his honor during the parade. | Mainx24

Don’t miss

In addition to this voter registration event, here are the quick hits on what NOOGAtoday editors think you shouldn’t miss:

Chloé’s picks

Trista’s picks

Why we love it

Chloé: Mainx24 is the epitome of what makes Chattanooga the place I’m proud to choose as home. It’s fun and free. It’s humble (despite its size) and happy. It’s the badass result of a beautiful collaboration. Yes, please.

Trista: I love this festival because it embodies the spirit of community that Chattanooga fosters so beautifully. I love being a part of it all and watching everyone come together to let loose, have fun + even learn something new. It’s truly the ultimate way to experience our awesome city and all it has to offer.

ProTips

Responsibly manage your alcohol intake.
Bring cash and a tote bag.
Dress in layers.
Be prepared to park and walk.
If you’re unsure where to go or what to do, just let go and wander.

Quiz

Look for the answer in The Wrap section of today's newsletter.

(function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.ex.co/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk'));