CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Chattanooga organizers of Head of the Hooch say the large annual rowing regatta will remain in Chattanooga after local leaders and planners offered new commitments around riverfront construction that had raised the prospect of a move to Columbus, Georgia.
Friends of the Hooch President Kerry Brown said Chattanooga was asked to explain how design and development plans would address outstanding concerns, and that local partners showed up in full force. The downtown development nonprofit River City Co., the city of Chattanooga, Hamilton County and other local entities are advancing a riverfront redevelopment that will see Ross’s Landing close for 18 months of construction beginning in November, after this year of the regatta.
The project is intended to add amenities such as a flexible sport court, shade trees, a new playground and restaurant spaces so the park draws more regular use. With Ross Landing closed for all of 2027, Head of the Hooch and other riverfront events will take place elsewhere in the city. Brown said the 2027 regatta will cross the Tennessee River and use the North Shore as its venue.
That North Shore shift comes with its own concerns, including how athletes get on and off the water, possible reduced capacity because of limited space, and an estimated $145,000 in new costs associated with the move. Organizers plan to add a new ramp down to the water and are studying how many trailers the site can hold and how to maximize boats per trailer.
Richard Hardin, owner of Stone Cup Cafe on Frazier Avenue, has offered funds and is working to raise more to help close the shortfall. Hardin said family ties to rowing drew him in and that losing the event would hurt local businesses that see visitors linger downtown. In 2025, Head of the Hooch brought over 2,200 boats, over 6,200 athletes and over 20,000 spectators to Chattanooga, generating about $12 million in economic impact for the city.
A companion local report put the athlete draw above 6,500 and likewise cited about $12 million in annual economic impact. That report said it took them a year to decide what to do after learning the riverfront would be shut down for more than a year, and that Head of the Hooch moved to Chattanooga in 2005.
Brown said designers tweaked long-term redesign plans so participants keep better water access, and that the riverfront company took input from residents, visitors and event organizers. The Head of the Hooch is scheduled to return to Ross’s Landing November 7-8, 2026, and Brown said renovations are set to begin after that, so this year of the event should not be disrupted by the closure.
Organizers intend to return the regatta to Ross Landing after construction finishes, which is planned for 2028. Planners committed not to further develop a key parking area under the Olgiati overpass beyond a flexible sport court already in the riverfront plan, Brown said.
Northshore sits on the north bank of the Tennessee River directly across from downtown Chattanooga. City data also places Coolidge Park boat ramp, 150 River St, Chattanooga, TN 37405 (Northshore); Ross’s Landing boat ramp, 100 Riverfront Pkwy, the corridor where the temporary 2027 venue and long-term return will matter most to paddlers and spectators.
Chattanooga’s most walkable riverfront district — Frazier Avenue, Coolidge Park, and a dense grid of local restaurants and boutiques on the north bank of the Tennessee River — is the neighborhood fabric that benefits when a multi-day championship regatta stays local through construction. Organizers and city partners now have a documented path through the 2027 North Shore year and a planned 2028 return.
