Four months after shutting down its original guitar museum and concert facility at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, Songbirds is reopening this weekend at its new location at 206 W. Main St.
Reed Caldwell, executive director for the nonprofit Songbirds Foundation that owns the guitar museum, said the first public event in the new 4,000-square-foot facility will be at 6 p.m. Saturday night. Songbirds will continue to sponsor and host a variety of musical and entertainment events and with a new commercial kitchen will be able to offer dinners with some programs in the new location, Caldwell said.
"We're going to a donation-funded model for our guitar displays, and we hope to continue to raise funds to support our guitar for kids program, which has given out more than 1,00 guitars to those needing such instruments," Caldwell said.
Children and youth in underserved communities and schools are given the opportunity to take free lessons using donated guitars at Songbirds. The guitars and the lessons are provided through fundraisers and donations.
Caldwell said workers are finalizing preparations to reopen Songbirds by the weekend after relocating the guitars, classroom facilities and musical displays from the Choo Choo where Songbirds operated for nearly eight years before it shut down that location just before Christmas. Songbirds was unable to negotiate a new lease for its second floor facility from the owners of the Choo Choo.
The Chicago-based Northpond Partners bought the terminal building of the Choo Choo in 2021.
Songbirds will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Caldwell said.
— Compiled by Dave Flessner