TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL) – Fall has officially begun, and with it comes a number of festivals throughout the region.
The first weekend of Fall seems particularly jam-packed with festivities happening from Elizabethton to Bristol.
While the Fall is a popular time to host events and festivals, the fact that five major events all fell on the same weekend is pure coincidence.
Two major events in our region, ‘Racks by the Tracks‘ in Kingsport and ‘Covered Bridge Days‘ in Elizabethton usually take place earlier in the year but were rescheduled to late September for a number of reasons.
Covered Bridge Days, which usually happens in early Summer was moved due to ongoing Downtown construction, according to Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Director, Mike Mains.
Mains said it’s nice to have the event at a cooler time of the year and is excited that the weather will be cooperating as well. “Our Downtown is going to be fully open, we have wonderful businesses there and then when you look at this park, coming here and sitting beside this river, listening to music and then watching the fireworks show is a special time for families and we just encourage everyone to come out,” he said.
The three-day festival had to be canceled last year due to COVID, so this year they’re hoping for a large crowd ready to gather safely once again.
“It’s something that we hope will draw a lot of individuals from our region to Elizabethton to showcase our town and the beauty of The Doe River and our Downtown area,” said Mains.
He said the big night will be Saturday, which will cap off with a beautiful fireworks display at the end of the night.
Racks by the tracks will also kick off this weekend with a temporary Fall date.
“We didn’t want to go two years without having the festival, obviously that’s kind of important because you don’t want to miss too much of the action but it just worked out and we’ll do it again in May so it’ll be two close events back to back but we definitely wanted to have it when everyone felt safer about gathering,” said Senior Associate Exec. Director at Visit Kingsport, Frank Lett.
Lett said while they don’t anticipate a crowd comparable to the year’s past, they do expect a good turnout. He said it’s a great event to support all of Kingsport and encourages people to either enjoy the Farmers Market before gates open or enjoy local shops and restaurants following the close of the event.
On-site, there will be 16 food vendors consisting of mainly BBQ and plenty of taps to try. Tickets can be purchased here or at the gate.
In Johnson City, The Hoppy Possum Brewer’s Cup returns for its second year following a COVID hiatus and will feature 65 home brewers from 12 different states.
The event kicks off at 1 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 2 p.m. for general admission at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
“You’re going to find beer here that you can’t find anywhere else. These are the best of the best amateur homebrewers from around the country and they’re competing for $10,000 in cash so they’re pulling out all the stops,” said Hoppy Possum Organizer, Gavin Andrews.