Gearing up for a Tropical Holiday Adventure

Thanks to Chattanooga photographer David Humber for this gorgeous image of "Amy," one of the Aquarium's hyacinth macaws. These birds really stand out from the lush green setting of the Tropical Cove and their playfulness attracts a ton of attention. Many visitors will also spend some extra time enjoying the beautiful blooms of the orchids inside the Ocean Journey building. Right now the Aquarium horticulture staff is on a mission to add to this colorful display by selecting more orchid species to showcase in the Tropical Cove. The new plants will bloom at various times throughout the year, some species several times each year, ensuring guests have more vivid hues to gaze upon. So get ready to relax and enjoy "Santa" divers, special animal encounters, a daily lineup of keeper talks and special programs during the Aquarium's Tropical Holiday Adventure November 20th through January 3rd. The new orchids will help add some color to this fun-filled event. Here's a sneak peak:


According to horticulturist Charlene Nash, these plants are not as difficult to care for as most people think. So if you'd like to liven up your home with a brightly colored orchid, or give an orchid as a gift, here's a great event for you.

Tropical Holiday Adventure Orchid Preview
Thursday, Nov. 19, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Fees: $5/Member; $15/Non-Member

This special evening includes admission to Ocean Journey with an opportunity to view our new display of exotic and rare orchids in the beautiful Tropical Cove as you enjoy complimentary light appetizers and a cash bar. Aquarium horticulturist Charlene Nash will be available to provide insight about these colorful new blooms and you will have an opportunity to purchase one for your own home or as a unique holiday gift before they are made available to the general public on November 20. Proceeds will benefit the horticulture department at the Tennessee Aquarium. Click Events at http://www.tnaqua.org/ to register. No refunds will be available.

Flash Food Warning Issued for Downtown Chattanooga

Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) and Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) watch in amazement while it rains hamburgers in Sony Pictures Animation's CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS.
Photo By: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

This is going to be great. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is coming to the giant screen at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater beginning this Friday, November 6th.

Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs began life in 1978 as a children’s book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett, which now has over a million copies in print. With its charming, visually inventive style, absurdist sense of humor, and fantastic premise – a town where food falls from the sky! – it seemed a foregone conclusion that the book would be adapted into an animated movie. But no one was quite able to do it until writer-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller came along and found inspiration from a seemingly obvious source – the book itself.

“We thought, wow, that would be a great action movie,” says Lord. “All of the events in the film would be very, very silly, but the characters would take them all very, very seriously.” And you’d take it seriously, too, if a giant spaghetti tornado threatened your town, as it does to Swallow Falls. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs represents the ultimate in food fun and mayhem.

Another crowd favorite will be making a return to the IMAX 3D Theater for the holidays. Polar Express 3D pulls into downtown Chattanooga on November 20th and will run through January 7th. Many people have made seeing this film a family tradition. It is certainly a wonderful experience on the six-story IMAX screen.

Something Spooky to Share with Friends

Check out this link for a fun e-mail that has a startling ending. http://www.tnaqua.org/clowningaroundgame.aspx
With Halloween right around the corner, this might be something fiendishly fun to e-mail to a friend.

Meanwhile, here at the Tennessee Aquarium lots of staffers are gearing up for tomorrow night's "Aqua-Scarium" Party. There are plenty of new items to make this year's event bigger and more fun than ever before. (Scroll down to previous post for the monstrous details.)

So bring your little ghouls and goblins in costume and celebrate with all of the Aquarium’s creatures tomorrow night from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

Fall Color Update: Peak Approaching

The weather in Chattanooga is finally beginning to settle into a more typical fall pattern after a very wet period from September into October. While we were thankful for the rain, it's nice to have the blue sky and cool temperatures that everyone enjoys and comes to expect at this time of year. Bands of color have begun to paint the surrounding mountains with shades of gold and orange most dominant right now. There are vibrant reds also appearing right now, although they seem to be less abundant than previous years. We're still a week or so from peak color, so we may still see more bright red. Even valley locations are quite showy right now and promise more color to come in the days ahead. Anytime between now and the second week of November would be an excellent time to view the showy display from aboard the River Gorge Explorer.

http://www.tnaqua.org/RiverGorgeExplorer/RiverGorgeExplorer.aspx

Here's a peek at last fall's peak color in the Tennessee River Gorge:

If you are looking for some great fall hikes, here are a couple of ideas within a few minutes of downtown Chattanooga:
http://www.gastateparks.org/info/cloudland/

http://www.outdoorchattanooga.com/78.htm

http://www.friendsofscsra.org/aboutthepark.htm

One Week To Aqua-Scarium! Lot's of FUN ahead!!!

The Tennessee Aquarium's Aqua-Scarium Halloween Party may be one of the most fun-filled events you'll ever attend. As you can see from a few of last year's pictures, there are some really awesome costumes worn by kids of all ages. Here's an update on what's new for Aqua-Scarium '09:

Dancing ghosts, a spooktacular sound system, new animal encounters and oversized trick-or-critters are among the many new features at this year’s Aqua-Scarium Halloween Party at the Tennessee Aquarium. Little ghouls and goblins are invited to come in costume and celebrate with all of the Aquarium’s creatures from 6:30 to 9:30 pm on Friday, October 30th.

The River Journey Lobby will be transformed into a mad DJ’s rockin’ laboratory thanks to a monstrous music system provided by Sound Force. Kids of all ages will be invited to do the “Monster Mash” as colored dance lights and spider web lighting fill the makeshift dance hall.

Other new lighting effects will lead visitors on their chilling journey into the Cove Forest where a haunted hall of pumpkins awaits them. Special gobo lights will produce a dancing wall of ghosts within the central canyon of the River Journey building. As visitors walk past the Lake Nickajack and Gulf of Mexico exhibits, they will notice new shipwrecks and other underwater props as costumed divers play among the fish.

The fun continues next door in the Ocean Journey building where many of the Aquarium’s loveable mascots will be dressed in Halloween costumes. The festive outfits were designed and produced by Dan Backlund and other faculty members of the Theatre Arts Department at the University of the South.

New lighting and music will also add to the pirate theme within Ocean Journey. For anyone wishing to gaze into the future, Madame Luna will seek fortune-telling inspiration from floating jelly spirits within the Jellies: Living Art gallery.

Visitors will also find new animal encounters in both buildings along with more games and trick-or-treat stations.

Anyone wishing to dive into this evening of fun are encouraged to pre-register online by Tuesday, October 27th at http://www.tnaqua.org/Events/Events.aspx Tickets will be available for purchase at the door the night of the Aqua-Scarium Party on Friday, October 30th.


Tennessee Aquarium Aqua-Scarium Halloween Party
Friday, October 30, 2009 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.For families with young children (Children must be accompanied by an adult)Admission information:
Member: $4 per person, Adult or Child (3-12)Non-Member: $25/Adult; $19/Child (3-12)Non-member price includes Aquarium admission.

Presented by Wendy's and Girls Preparatory School

VIPs Thrill Guests

Thanks to everyone from Disney On Ice for making a memorable day for Aquarium visitors yesterday. Mickey and Minnie Mouse were big hits with everyone. Finding Nemo coloring pages were available as well as the Finding Nemo at the Aquarium activity sheets. Kids really enjoyed the craft table. Be sure to check out the wonderful show, Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, at UTC's McKenzie Arena through Sunday.
http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?searchMode=presenter&presenter=UTCA&codes=A10

Then visit the Tennessee Aquarium to meet some of the real animals featured in this classic film. http://www.tnaqua.org/VisitorInfo/nemo.asp

Meet Nemo at the Tennessee Aquarium Tomorrow

Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Meet the Characters at the Tennessee Aquarium Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 am until Noon.

Come along for an underwater adventure at the Tennessee Aquarium with Disney on Ice. Kids can enjoy an arts and crafts activity, a scavenger hunt to find the real-life animals featured in the movie and a meet and greet with Mickey, Minnie and Nemo. There will also be a chance to win tickets to the show and discount passes for everyone in attendance!
Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras for photos with the characters. (Only one photo per family, please.) This event is free with Aquarium admission and will be located in the River Journey Seahorse Gallery.


Anyone can download this activity sheet to see the real animals featured in Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo at the Tennessee Aquarium. Catch the creatures in action and learn more fun facts about these amazing animals. http://www.tnaqua.org/KidsTeachers/Images/FindNemo_card.pdf