The Wild Hunt returns to Patten Square on November 7

By Marcus Bennett

The Wild Hunt returns for its second year to Patten Square in downtown Chattanooga on Saturday, November 7, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free to attend. Art 120 organizes the procession in partnership with River City Moving Company as part of its Wylde Christmas Market.

Art 120 invites participants to join a costumed spectacle inspired by European winter folklore. The organization describes the setting as an old-world winter street festival that transforms the Scenic City. The wider Wylde Christmas Market brings together local artists, makers and vendors, alongside European-inspired street food, crafts, live music and seasonal activities in the same downtown setting.

Art 120 places performance art and costume design alongside public art and theatrical storytelling. The organization presents the gathering as part of Chattanooga’s dedication to local creativity and community-oriented outdoor entertainment.

What should first-time visitors expect?

Online listings do not capture every element of the evening, Art 120 Executive Director Kate Warren said:

“Expect stalls of handmade crafts and curious goods, International street food, live merriment, and folklore characters roaming the crowd. It has a bit of a Renaissance-faire feel, but it's rooted in winter, the seasons, and old superstitions. Instead of a stage, performances happen around the lighted sculpture in the square, with special lighting.

We are excited to have belly dancers from Jillian’s Healing Arts join our lineup this year along with local puppet troupe, The Giganti.

The biggest surprise is usually the Hunt itself: a procession of spirits and beasts moving through the square at twilight. When the night ends, some of those figures may scatter across the city, so keep your eyes open.”

The practical answer is the square itself: there is no fixed stage, and the listed program does not exhaust the night’s surprises.

Folklore in costume and workshop form

Art 120 says the cast combines familiar and unfamiliar figures. Krampus, Baba Yaga, Mari Lwyd and Belsnickel join wild animals and beastly creatures, some wearing antlers, cloaks or elaborate headpieces.

Art 120 says the evening draws on centuries-old European folklore found in Germanic, Scandinavian and Celtic storytelling. The organization also offers free workshops before the event, where participants can make and design costumes, learn the ancient stories and explore their cultural heritage through folklore and the procession.

A Chattanooga tradition in the making

Asked what the evening should leave behind and how it should develop, Art 120 Executive Director Kate Warren said:

“There's real wisdom underneath the eeriness. We want people to experience the whole blend: mystery, humor, beauty, and a little suspense. We hope people leave feeling a sense of wonder, curious about where these traditions came from, and maybe a little more connected to their own heritage.

We'd love for the Wild Hunt to become a winter tradition that Chattanooga claims as its own, one that families come back to year after year and that grows with every new character who joins the procession. We hope to see more community groups build their own characters and bring traditions from their own heritage into the Hunt.”

Warren wants visitors to leave with awe, wonder and curiosity.

The Wild Hunt and Wylde Christmas Market

• Date: Saturday, November 7
• Time: 5 p.m.–9 p.m.
• Admission: Free
• Venue: Patten Square, 818 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN
• Details: www.art120.org

Her proposal for future editions centers on community groups building their own characters and bringing traditions from their own heritage. If families and local groups return, the second-year event could develop into the long-running winter tradition Warren wants, rather than remain a single themed night.