JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Chattanooga’s famed Coolidge Park, situated in the North Shore area of the city, was brimming with celebration for New Year’s Eve.
Orchestrated by both Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors and the Chattanooga Office of Arts, Culture & Creative Economy, this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration was packed with residents and visitors of all ages who gathered together to celebrate both the conclusion of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. The festivities began at 3:30 p.m., where several live performers gathered to the event’s Kids’ Stage to perform live music to families during the celebration’s early beginnings. Acts included musicians Jennifer Daniels and Swayyvo, and the children based performances concluded with an apple juice toast and countdown alongside with the Chattanooga Fire Cabaret.
After the children based activities ended, the celebration’s main event commenced, kicking-off at 6 p.m. with event host Johnny “Jay Fever” Harrington V, alongside a musical warm-up conducted by local DJ Shoey Russell. Several performers took to the stage afterwards to provide additional entertainment to guests participating in the evening’s festivities, including Emerald Butler, Soul Aerobics Line Dancers, the House-The Plug Band and Cuatro Cinco & the Gloss Family Band.
Various games and activities were available for many who visited the park, such as Coolidge Park’s well renowned carousel being open to visitors to ride on during the event. A number of vendors from around the Chattanooga area and beyond also attended the New Year’s Eve celebration, providing a range of food and treats for guests within the park. Among the vendors who participated was Sam Steadman of Smash Boyz, a community food truck known for its burgers and fries. Steadman explained the business started off as a pop-up establishment within the Chattanooga area, providing the business’s signature dishes to customers across different nightclubs before eventually expanding into a food truck.
“We’ve done that for two years and now we’re a food trailer,” said Steadman. “This will be our fourth month and we try to do bigger events because that’s where you can sell the most and get the most volume.”
Another food vendor on site was Sheka Ransom of Windy City Eatz, a family operated food truck dedicated to Chicago style food items ranging from pizza and hot dogs to chicken wings and Italian beef sandwiches. Ransom explained she and her family are originally from Chicago, relocating to Gig City and bringing with them several well beloved dishes to the community.
“We also have a restaurant with a brick and mortar called Windy City Eatz Soul,” said Ransom. “It’s a soul food restaurant located at 5855 Brainerd Road Suite 117.”
All festivities abound concluded with the iconic countdown towards the first hour of the new year, a new year ball drop being presented to further cement the beginning of 2026 within nearby Chattanooga.
Photo from Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Facebook Page