“Our World Journey Begins on Main”

Battle Banzai: Our World Journey Begins on Main is the third annual fall festival presented by Battle Academy. Battle is a public school located on the Southside of Chattanooga at the corner of Main and Market Streets. Now in its tenth year, Battle has a student body of 440 students in grades PreK-5. It’s a zoned magnet with about 1/3 of students living near the school in downtown Chattanooga. The rest come through parental choice.

Photo courtesy Patty Streip.

Battle Banzai is on the school’s campus on Saturday, November 5 from 10am-3pm. This signature event raises funds to support field studies for students who cannot afford the costs, a wide variety of arts programs, and general instructional needs. Attended by hundreds of students and their families, community members, and other Battle friends, the festival is a much anticipated family fun day featuring live performances, a variety of games and activities for kids, local artist vending their wares, and fabulous food from local restaurants. This year’s theme, “Our World Journey Begins on Main”, refers to the belief that students at Main and Market have the world at their fingertips. Each grade level has chosen one continent as its focus – for instance, Kindergarten and PreK will offer games or crafts featuring Antarctica, while 4^th grade will concentrate on Europe.

A premier piece of the day is a silent auction. This year’s donors include Rock City, Urban Stack, Chattanooga Folk School, Southern Star, Planet Altered, St. Elmo Fire Hall (offering a one-day rental of this fabulous event center valued at $600), A Better You Day Spa, Rachael Roes of Studio La Vie, and many, many more.  Unique theme baskets from each grade level will be offered along with handcrafted arts from local artists including Cessna Decosimo.

Battle Banzai offers something for everyone! Admission is free, with tickets available for activities and food.