🧭 Hundred-Mile Happenings: Turn a Family Recipe Into a Keepsake at Chattanooga's Downtown Library, Hike to the Base of Cummins Falls, Walk to Suter Falls With a Savage Gulf Ranger, Watch Glow-in-the-Dark Disc Golf in Cleveland, Shop a Kids' Christmas Marketplace, Stop by the Cleveland Flock Swap and See the Sanders Family Christmas at Burritt

Or: Seven New Outings — a Family-Recipe Memory Workshop, Two Ranger-Led Waterfall Hikes, a Glowing Disc Golf Night, a Kid-Run Christmas Market, a Backyard Flock Swap and a Christmas Play in an Old Country Church

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Sunday, November 8, 2026

Morning, neighbor. This batch is all new to our lists, and it leans toward the homespun: family stories, waterfalls, kids with big ideas and a church-pew Christmas show. Next Saturday, Nov. 14, Chattanooga’s Downtown Library holds a free Family History Harvest workshop where you turn a treasured family recipe into a little keepsake booklet. That same morning, early birds can hike to the base of Cummins Falls with park staff. On Monday, Nov. 16, a Savage Gulf ranger leads a hike to Suter Falls, less than an hour from home. On Saturday, Nov. 21, Cleveland’s disc golfers play The Space Race, a glow-in-the-dark tournament. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, Cleveland kids sell their handmade gifts at the free Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace. On Saturday, Dec. 5, flock owners gather at Beaty Hardware for a free Flock Swap. And Dec. 16–20, the singing, squabbling Sanders Family returns to Burritt on the Mountain’s Old Country Church in Huntsville. What it means for you: most of these are free or $10, three need a quick sign-up, and you’ll want to watch the clock, because Chattanooga and Cleveland are on Eastern time.

⏱️ Your 30-second trip list

• Sat., Nov. 14, 10 a.m.–noon (Eastern = 9–11 a.m. Central): Family History Harvest recipe-and-memories workshop, Downtown Library, Chattanooga. Free; reserve a seat.
• Sat., Nov. 14, 8–9:30 a.m. Central (our time): Morning Hike to the Base of the Waterfall, Cummins Falls State Park, near Cookeville. $10; register.
• Mon., Nov. 16, 8–11 a.m. Central (our time): Suter Falls Hike, Savage Gulf South Trailhead, Gruetli-Laager. $10; register.
• Sat., Nov. 21, tee-off 6 p.m. (Eastern = 5 p.m. Central): The Space Race glow-in-the-dark disc golf, Fletcher Park, Cleveland. $45 to play.
• Sat., Nov. 28, 1–4 p.m. (Eastern = noon–3 p.m. Central): Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace, Keith Street Ministries Gym, Cleveland. Free.
• Sat., Dec. 5, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. (Eastern = 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Central): Flock Swap, Beaty Hardware parking lot, Cleveland. Free; no sign-up.
• Dec. 16–18 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 19–20 at 2:30 p.m. Central (our time): Sanders Family Christmas, Burritt on the Mountain, Huntsville. $30.

🕰️ The one thing to remember: this list mixes Eastern and Central time. Chattanooga and Cleveland are on Eastern, one hour ahead of Dunlap, so subtract an hour. Cummins Falls, Savage Gulf and Huntsville are on Central, same as us. So the library workshop at 10 a.m. Eastern is 9 a.m. our time, while the Suter Falls hike at 8 a.m. is 8 a.m. our time. Three events need you to sign up ahead (the library workshop and both waterfall hikes), and it’s always smart to check before you go.

📜 Turn Grandma’s Recipe Into a Keepsake at the Family History Harvest

Every family recipe tells a story, and this free workshop at Chattanooga’s Downtown Library helps you save it. Oral historian Peggy Douglas will show how food traditions can preserve family history and help with genealogy research. You’ll learn simple ways to record and pass down the memories behind a dish, and you’ll make a zine, a simple do-it-yourself booklet, to hold a treasured recipe. The Scratching Your Roots Black Genealogy Society co-hosts.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon Eastern (9 to 11 a.m. Central).
• Where: Chattanooga Public Library, Downtown Library, 1001 Broad St., Chattanooga, TN 37402.
• How far: About 40–45 miles, roughly 1 hour down the valley and into downtown. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free.
• Who’ll love it: Family cooks, family-tree builders and anyone with a stained recipe card in a kitchen drawer.
• Good to know: Space is limited, so reserve your free seat on the library’s page; it showed only 7 seats left on Sunday morning. You’re invited (it’s optional) to bring a favorite family recipe, a photo of the person who made it and a short memory. Library phone: 423-643-7700.

👉 Read more (Chattanooga Public Library — Family History Harvest)

💦 Wade the Blackburn Fork to the Base of Cummins Falls

Cummins Falls is a 75-foot waterfall that pours into a natural pool in Jackson County, and this guided morning hike takes you right to the bottom of it. Park staff lead a rugged 3-mile hike from the Visitor Center, along the Blackburn Fork River, to the base of the falls. The park rates it strenuous: you’ll walk through water, climb over large boulders and gain some elevation.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Central (our time).
• Where: Meet at the Visitor Center, Cummins Falls State Park, 390 Cummins Falls Lane, Cookeville, TN 38501.
• How far: About 90–100 miles, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours by way of Spencer and Sparta or Pikeville and Crossville. For an 8 a.m. start, plan to leave Dunlap around 5:45 a.m. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $10 per person, with optional donation levels when you register.
• Who’ll love it: Strong hikers, teens who like a challenge and anybody who doesn’t mind wet feet in November.
• Good to know: Register ahead. Sturdy shoes are required; bring water and snacks, and pack dry socks and a change of clothes for the ride home. Staff will contact participants if weather changes plans. Questions: 931-268-7223.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Morning Hike to the Base of the Waterfall)

🍂 Walk to Suter Falls With a Savage Gulf Ranger

Here’s a close-to-home waterfall walk. Savage Gulf State Park ranger Dylan leads a morning hike to Suter Falls from the park’s South Trailhead in Gruetli-Laager, with talk about the park and what you see along the way. Cameras and binoculars are welcome.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, 8 to 11 a.m. Central (our time).
• Where: Savage Gulf South Trailhead, 2689 55th Ave., Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339.
• How far: About 35 miles, a little under an hour by way of Whitwell and up the mountain. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $10.
• Who’ll love it: Retirees and weekday-off folks who want a quiet trail without the Saturday crowd.
• Good to know: Register ahead. The listing calls it a 1-mile out-and-back, but the same page also tells hikers to be ready for “the entire 7-mile loop,” so check before you go by calling 931-692-3887. The hike is weather dependent, and refunds need 48 hours’ notice. Overlook edges can be slick.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Suter Falls Hike)

🛸 Watch Discs Glow in the Dark at Cleveland’s Space Race

Ever seen a disc golf course lit up like a starry night? The Cleveland Disc Golf Club hosts The Space Race at Fletcher Park IV, a space-themed, glow-in-the-dark tournament. Players take on 30 short holes in one glow round, with two throws per hole. Scoring is unusual: hitting metal earns 1 point, chains earn 3 and an ace earns 5.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. Player check-in 3:30–5:30 p.m. Eastern, players meeting 5:35 p.m., tee-off 6 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. Central), awards about 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
• Where: Fletcher Park, 121 Stonewood Drive, Cleveland, TN 37311.
• How far: About 65–75 miles, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $45 entry to play, any division, and each player gets a pack with two glow discs. The listing doesn’t mention a charge to watch, so check before you go.
• Who’ll love it: Disc golfers, teens who like a nighttime game and families who want to watch something different.
• Good to know: Big Daddy’s BBQ will be on site for players and spectators. Dress warm; it’s an evening outdoors in late November.

👉 Read more (Visit Cleveland TN — The Space Race at Fletcher Park IV)

🎁 Shop Handmade Gifts From Young Business Owners at the Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Cleveland kids set up shop. At the 6th annual Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace, local young people sell gifts and goodies they’ve made themselves: Christmas ornaments, homemade baked goods, jewelry, woodworking and dog treats, among other things. It’s sponsored by Bradley County Home Educators.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026, 1 to 4 p.m. Eastern (noon to 3 p.m. Central).
• Where: Keith Street Ministries Gym, 4000 Keith St. NW, Cleveland, TN 37312.
• How far: About 65–75 miles, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free and open to all ages. Bring money for gifts; the listing doesn’t say which payment types sellers take, so carry some cash.
• Who’ll love it: Grandparents who love encouraging kids, homeschool families and anyone hunting for one-of-a-kind stocking stuffers.
• Good to know: Questions go to clevelandkidentrepreneurs@gmail.com. Got a young seller at home? It’s a good look at how other kids run their little businesses.

👉 Read more (Visit Cleveland TN — Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace)

🐓 Bring Your Flock or Just Browse at the Beaty Hardware Flock Swap

Here’s a country tradition with a hardware-store twist. Once a month, flock owners and animal lovers meet in the Beaty Hardware parking lot to buy, sell, trade or just show off their flocks. It’s casual: no registration, free setup, and folks come and go as they please.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central).
• Where: Beaty Hardware parking lot, 650 Wildwood Ave. SE, Cleveland, TN 37311.
• How far: About 65–75 miles, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free to visit and free to set up.
• Who’ll love it: Backyard flock keepers, kids who love animals and anyone thinking about starting a flock in the spring.
• Good to know: It’s weather permitting. The store itself is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the same day. The tourism listing shows it as a monthly event that ends with the Dec. 5 date, so check before you go for future months.

👉 Read more (Visit Cleveland TN — Flock Swap)

⛪ Sing Along With the Sanders Family Christmas in Burritt’s Old Country Church

If you’ve ever laughed through Smoke on the Mountain, you’ll know this bunch. Southern Rogue Theatre Company and Burritt on the Mountain bring back Sanders Family Christmas, the sequel, staged inside Burritt’s Old Country Church. It’s Christmas Eve 1941 in Mount Pleasant, N.C., and Reverend Oglethorpe welcomes the Sanders family to lift spirits before the local boys head off to war. Expect more than two dozen Christmas carols and vintage hymns, plus plenty of funny family stories.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Evening shows Wednesday–Friday, Dec. 16, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. Central; matinees Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19 and 20 at 2:30 p.m. Central (our time).
• Where: Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr. SE, Huntsville, AL 35801.
• How far: About 95–105 miles, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, at the edge of our range. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $30 a ticket.
• Who’ll love it: Church-choir folks, gospel and old-hymn lovers, and anyone who wants a gentle, funny Christmas show.
• Good to know: The matinees make for an easier daytime drive home. Buy tickets ahead on Burritt’s site; call 256-536-2882 with questions.

👉 Read more (Burritt on the Mountain — Sanders Family Christmas)

Before you head out, a quick checklist:

• 🕰️ Mind the time zones. Chattanooga and Cleveland are Eastern (subtract one hour). Cummins Falls, Savage Gulf and Huntsville are Central, like us.
• 📜 Sat., Nov. 14: Family History Harvest, 10 a.m. Eastern (9 a.m. ours). Reserve a seat now, and bring a family recipe if you like.
• 💦 Sat., Nov. 14: Cummins Falls base hike, 8 a.m. our time. Register, wear sturdy shoes and pack dry socks.
• 🍂 Mon., Nov. 16: Suter Falls hike, 8 a.m. our time. Register and call to confirm the hike length.
• 🛸 Sat., Nov. 21: Space Race glow disc golf, tee-off 6 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. ours).
• 🎁 Sat., Nov. 28: Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace, 1–4 p.m. Eastern. Bring small bills.
• 🐓 Sat., Dec. 5: Flock Swap at Beaty Hardware, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Eastern.
• ⛪ Dec. 16–20: Sanders Family Christmas in Huntsville, $30. Get tickets early.
• ⛽ Fill up before the long drives to Cookeville and Huntsville. Need a local mechanic, tire shop, feed store or gas stop? Look on Dunlap.Directory.

— Dunlap.Today

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these is free?

The Family History Harvest workshop, the Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace and the Flock Swap are all free. Both waterfall hikes are $10. The Space Race costs $45 to play, and the listing doesn’t mention a charge to watch. Sanders Family Christmas tickets are $30.

Which one is closest to Dunlap?

The Suter Falls hike at Savage Gulf’s South Trailhead, about 35 miles away. The Chattanooga library is about 40–45 miles. Cummins Falls and Huntsville are the farthest, about 90–105 miles.

Do any of these need a sign-up ahead?

Yes. Reserve a free seat for the Family History Harvest, and register for both the Cummins Falls and Suter Falls hikes. Space Race players sign up through the disc golf club. Buy Sanders Family Christmas tickets ahead. The kids’ market and the Flock Swap need no sign-up.

Which are best with younger kids?

The Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace and the Flock Swap are the easiest with little ones. The Cummins Falls hike is strenuous and wet, so it’s better for older kids and strong hikers. The library workshop is listed for adults and older adults.

Why are some on Central time and some on Eastern?

Hamilton and Bradley counties, where Chattanooga and Cleveland sit, are on Eastern time. Jackson County (Cummins Falls), Grundy County (Savage Gulf) and Huntsville, Ala., are on Central, like Sequatchie County. When in doubt, look for “ET” or “CT” on the event page.

Can I pair any of these in one trip?

Not easily on Nov. 14; the Cummins Falls hike and the Chattanooga workshop are in opposite directions, so pick one. On Saturday, Dec. 5, you can visit the Flock Swap in the morning and still be home by early afternoon.

Why are some details missing?

I only list what an official page or reliable local listing shows. The Suter Falls listing gives two different hike lengths, and the Space Race listing doesn’t say whether spectators pay. I’ve marked anything unclear check before you go.

🔗 Other Resources

• Chattanooga Public Library — Family History Harvest
• Tennessee State Parks — Morning Hike to the Base of Cummins Falls
• Tennessee State Parks — Suter Falls Hike at Savage Gulf
• Visit Cleveland TN — The Space Race at Fletcher Park IV
• Visit Cleveland TN — Kid Entrepreneur Christmas Marketplace
• Visit Cleveland TN — Flock Swap at Beaty Hardware
• Burritt on the Mountain — Sanders Family Christmas
• Dunlap.Directory — local businesses and services

🌅 Take It Easy, and Pick the One That Fits

You don’t have to do all seven. If you want something close to home, sign up for the Suter Falls hike on Monday, Nov. 16. If you love family stories, dig out that recipe card and reserve a seat at the Family History Harvest on Nov. 14. And if you want a gentle Christmas night out, the Sanders Family will be singing in Huntsville the week before Christmas. Jot down three things: Chattanooga and Cleveland are an hour ahead of us; Cummins Falls, Savage Gulf and Huntsville are on our time; sign up early for the workshop and both hikes; and check before you go. And for more calm, useful news from right here at home, keep reading Dunlap.Today and find local help on Dunlap.Directory.