A Taste of Southern

Enjoy a fresh taste of the Southern experience at every year’s gala. Table sponsors include area businesses owned by alumni and employers of student interns and graduates. Plan now to attend the 2025 Taste of Southern gala in downtown Chattanooga on October 2, 2025. Proceeds raised from the evening benefit first-generation college student scholarships.

The third A Taste of Southern event was held at The Signal in downtown Chattanooga on October 3, 2024. Hundreds of local business and organization professionals attended to catch a glimpse of what students experience every day on the Collegedale campus. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres made from Southern’s Vegetarian Culinary Arts program while browsing the auction and listening to Southern’s Jazz Ensemble. State Representative Greg Vital offered the invocation, President Ken Shaw shared university updates during dinner, and entertainment was provided by Dove award-winner Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. More than $222,000 was raised with proceeds funding the university’s endowment scholarship for first-generation college students. Visit the endowment scholarship page to see the stories of students benefiting from this scholarship.