South Pittsburg's November 7 Runs on Three Closing Times and One Parking Spot

Market in the Burg packs up at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. The Glenn Miller Orchestra takes the stage at The Princess Theatre at 7 p.m. Everything you'd want to do between those two times sits on a few blocks of Cedar Avenue and 3rd Street. The day comes down to timing, since the walk between stops takes a few minutes at most.

Here's the address list for the whole day. The market is at 207 Cedar Ave. The Princess is at 215 S Cedar Ave. Chencho's Cocina & Cantina is at 226 S Cedar Ave, and Stevarino's Italian Eatery & Pub is at 238 S Cedar Ave. Big Bad Breakfast is at 220 Third Street. The Lodge Museum of Cast Iron and factory store list 220 East 3rd St. Spill Coffee Co. is at 108 3rd Street. You can park once in the morning and leave the car there until after the encore.

So the real plan is about three times on the clock, plus a fourth that the evening hangs on.

The Clock That Runs the Day

1. 2:00 p.m. Market in the Burg closes. It opens at 9 a.m.
2. 2:30 p.m. Big Bad Breakfast stops serving. Its posted hours are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., seven days a week.
3. 6:00 p.m. The Lodge Museum of Cast Iron closes. It's open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central.
4. 7:00 p.m. Curtain for the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Princess.

The first two closings fall half an hour apart, so the morning needs a little thought. The other two leave a long, easy stretch from mid-afternoon to dinner.

Morning: The Market and Breakfast Close Half an Hour Apart

SValleyNow has described Market in the Burg as South Pittsburg's monthly farmers' and crafters' market. In that description, it runs the first Saturday of each month in season, spring through early winter, on Cedar Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets near Tower Community Stage. November 7 is the first Saturday of the month, and Marion County's calendar lists it as a seasonal market date at 207 Cedar Ave, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That article calls the season "spring through early winter," so this market falls at the late end of the season.

Big Bad Breakfast opens at 7 a.m., two hours before the market. That gives you two easy ways to run the morning:

• Breakfast first. Sit down at 7 or 8, walk over to Cedar when the market opens at 9, and you'll see the tables while they're still full.
• Market first. Browse from 9 and get to Big Bad Breakfast before 2:30. That's half an hour after the market closes, so leaving the market at 2 and then looking for a late breakfast is cutting it close.

Coffee can go anywhere in the day. Spill Coffee Co., which also goes by Spill Coffee & Creamery Co., is on 3rd Street. The Marion Vibe local guide calls it a cozy, contemporary shop with drip coffee and cold brew on the menu. One online directory shows Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Marion Vibe's listing says hours can vary, though, so call 423-240-8813 if you're counting on a cup right before the show.

Afternoon: Lodge Fills the Middle of the Day

From 2:30 to 7 is the stretch that sends people back home to Jasper or Kimball and back again. The Lodge Museum of Cast Iron, open until 6, is what keeps you downtown instead.

Lodge describes the museum as "a celebration of American-made cast iron and a can't-miss destination for folks who love cooking, history, food culture, and very large skillets." According to Lodge, it walks visitors through the history of American cooking with cast iron as the entry point, covering how the cookware is made and what it means to food culture. The factory store shares the museum's 3rd Street address and hours. If you're local, you've probably already toured the museum once. The case for going back on November 7 is the calendar. It's early in the gift-buying season, and you'll already be parked a short walk away.

Lodge's 2026 holiday piece is the Nutcracker 2026 Holiday Mini Skillet, a limited-edition seasonal design that comes in a gift box with a yellow ribbon. It's listed at $16.95 on Lodge's website. If you want to walk out with one that afternoon, call the store first to check whether it's on the shelf.

Two small things about the address. Big Bad Breakfast lists 220 Third Street, and Lodge lists 220 East 3rd St for the museum and factory store. That makes it easy to pair a morning plate with a museum visit. It also means the afternoon is a good time to walk the museum if you didn't get to it at breakfast.

Supper on Cedar, a Few Doors From the Theatre

Dinner happens on the same block as the show. Chencho's Cocina & Cantina at 226 S Cedar Ave and Stevarino's Italian Eatery & Pub at 238 S Cedar Ave are both a short walk from the Princess at 215. Chencho's asks guests to call ahead at 423-228-4050 for reservations or takeout orders, and its website links to online ordering. Stevarino's menu lists a Saturday special of shrimp and cheddar grits. Saturday dinner hours for both aren't posted anywhere easy to find, and every concertgoer in town will have the same idea. Call ahead and aim to sit down by 5 or 5:30.

Evening: An 18-Piece Band in a 1921 Room

The show is the reason the day hangs together. The Princess describes today's Glenn Miller Orchestra as an 18-member ensemble. It plays many of Miller's original arrangements from both the civilian band and the AAFB libraries, the same Swing Era music that made Miller one of the most successful dance bandleaders of the 1930s and 40s. Tickets are sold through the Princess Theatre's TicketSpice page. You can pick seats from the venue map or take best available.

The building is a big part of the appeal. According to the South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society's history of the theatre, it opened as the Imperial in 1921, became the Palace in 1924, and reopened as the Princess on a Monday night, July 2, 1934. The same history says the building later fell into severe decay. The city bought it, and a preservation effort started in 1999. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported in August 2011 that after more than a decade of work by the preservation society, donors, and the city, the renovated theatre opened to the public for the first time since the 1980s.

The orchestra plays music from the 1930s and 40s, and the Princess took its current name in 1934. On November 7 you'll hear that era's music in a room that dates from it.

The Same Walk Works for the Rest of the Season

Once you've done the Cedar Avenue routine, the Princess calendar gives you more chances to repeat it:

• Saturday, November 14, 7 to 11 p.m. Rotary on the River presents The Gig at the Princess.
• Thursday, December 10, 7 p.m. CST. Linda Davis: Country & Christmas at the Princess.

Both start in the evening, a few doors from Chencho's and Stevarino's, so supper and a show works for those nights too. The Lodge museum keeps its 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours every day of the week, so an afternoon stop can fit into the December 10 plan as well.

I love days like November 7, when the market, breakfast, Lodge, supper, and the Princess all fit within a few blocks. If you're ever wondering which corner of Marion County puts that kind of Saturday within walking distance of your front door, I'd be glad to talk it through over coffee on 3rd Street. Let's Connect with Jessica Wright.