Bristol, VA Community - Events & Recreation

Residents and visitors enjoy many recreational activities such as swimming,water-skiing, boating and fishing in the sparkling waters of South Holston, Boone, Patrick Henry and Watauga lakes. Others enjoy exploring the natural wonders of the area such as Bristol Caverns, Appalachian

Caverns and the Appalachian Trail. The Country Club of Bristol, Steele Creek Golf Course, Tri-Cities Golf Club, The Virginian, The Farm, and the Clear Creek Golf Course, offer a variety of course designs for the golf lover. Visit the Clear Creek Golf Course website at www.clearcreekgolfclub.net . The Virginian Golf Course's residential development has been ranked as one of the 18 best places in America to live by the Robb Report Magazine.

In the winter, the recreational focus moves to the ski slopes. Several major ski resorts are located within an hour's drive of Bristol.

Bristol is the home of the Bristol Motor Speedway which boasts the world's fastest half-mile NASCAR track. Thousands of sports enthusiasts flock to the raceway each year to enjoy NASCAR-sanctioned races such as the Busch Grand National, the Winston Cup, the Super Truck Series and the All Pro Series. The Bristol Motor Speedway has recently completed a major rennovation that boosted its seating capacity to 118,000 for the 1997 spring race. More grandstands and other features have been added that will bring the total seating capacity to 140,000 for the Spring race in March.

The Bristol Motor Speedway houses the Bristol Sports Arena which hosts professional boxing matches sanctioned by the World Boxing Federation. The Bristol Dragway hosts championship drag racing and is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association.

Bristol is also recognized by the Country Music Association as the birthplace of country music. The first commercially and nationally successful country music stars, Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, made their first recordings in Bristol. Many organizations in the Bristol area host concerts and showcase exhibits to highlight this noteworthy aspect of the community.

In August, 1927, Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia hosted two weeks of recording sessions for the Victor Recording Company. The music recorded in those two weeks influenced generations of country, bluegrass, gospel, and rock and roll musicians. In Bristol, Victor talent scout Ralph Peer discovered Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family, and Ernest "Pop" Stoneman. These recordings, now known at "The Bristol Sessions," have been heralded by scholars as "The Big Bang of Country Music," and by musicians like Johnny Cash as "the most important event in the history of country music." Bristol is also home to Tennessee Ernie Ford and WCYB's Farm and Fun Time program which launched the careers of the Stanley Brothers and Mac Wiseman. The music of this region and the historic events of the summer of 1927 have been rediscovered in recent years, making Bristol's title as the Birthplace of Country Music a viable asset to the people, culture, and businesses of Bristol.

In October 2001, Bristol hosted the First Annual Rhythm and Roots Reunion, a weekend-long music festival celebrating Bristol's musical heritage and continuing the revitalization of Downtown Bristol. Between five and seven thousand people filled State Street, Bristol, Virginia's War Memorial Park and Bristol, Tennessee's Anderson Park to hear country, gospel, bluegrass, and roots music played live just blocks from the location of the original Bristol Sessions. Downtown restaurants, coffeeshops, and saloons provided visitors with a chance to hear music in smaller, more intimate venues. Impromptu jams on State Street gave local musicians a chance to perform some of the homemade music that made Bristol a destination for Ralph Peer in 1927. The First Annual Rhythm and Roots Reunion demonstrated the potential for success when local business, citizen volunteers, and the governments of the Twin Cities cooperate on a project.

Bristol Virginia's Cumberland Square Park, located adjacent to City Hall, was built to honor the veterans of all our nation's armed conflicts and provides a respectful and peaceful setting in the downtown area. The City of Bristol acquired a AH-1F aircraft for display in the park and it was emplaced in the park on August 2, 2002.