Believe in Bristol

Believe in Bristol Two States. One State of Mind. Historic Downtown Bristol. https://linktr.ee/believeinbristol THE link in bio: https://linktr.ee/believeinbristol
(2)

It’s all happening! The plaques are back, we told you they’d would be 😉.
08/29/2026

It’s all happening! The plaques are back, we told you they’d would be 😉.

We’re building our roster, and we need YOU. 🌶️Want to be part of the action instead of watching from the sidelines? Join...
08/29/2026

We’re building our roster, and we need YOU. 🌶️

Want to be part of the action instead of watching from the sidelines? Join the PepperFest volunteer team and help us bring one of Downtown Bristol’s hottest events to life!

From welcoming guests and serving drinks to helping with the Blazin’ Blues Hot Wing Showdown and Beat the Heat Pepper Eating Challenge, there’s a spot on the team for you.

Early and late shifts are available, so grab a friend, pick a shift, and get in the game!

🌶️ Bristol PepperFest
📅 Saturday, September 5 | 2–7 p.m.
📍 Downtown Center | 810 State Street

Sign up to volunteer: www.believeinbristol.org/pepperfest

08/29/2026

Be sure to check out the Love N People Heart & Heritage Fall Vendor Marketing happening right now at 620 State Street! Vendors and products you don’t normally find on State Street make a great addition to a Saturday afternoon lunch at one of your favorite downtown spots! 😉

Great vibes and even better company are waiting — don’t miss out. Downtown Bristol! THURSDAY (8/27)"I Hear Autumn" Can...
08/27/2026

Great vibes and even better company are waiting — don’t miss out. Downtown Bristol!

THURSDAY (8/27)
"I Hear Autumn" Canvas Class @ Kil'n Time Contemporary Ceramic Studio
Adult Fused Glass Sushi Set Class @ Kil’n Time
Teen Movie Night @ Bristol Public Library
Vernon Dalhart: The First Star of Country Music @ Bristol Public Library
Live Music @ The Bristol Hotel
Kick-Axe Trivia Night @ The Axe and Ale House
DJ B Digital @ O'Mainnin's
Karaoke @ Stateline Bar & Grille
Karaoke Night @ O’Mainnin's

FRIDAY (8/28)
All Day Walk-Ins @ The Bristol Tattoo Company
"I Hear Autumn" Canvas Class @ Kil’n Time
Open Play Mahjong @ AR Workshop Bristol
Live Music on the Rooftop: Landon Camper & the Pop Ups @ The Sessions Hotel
Friday Singles Social Night @ Axe and Ale House
Landon Camper and The Pop Up's @ The Sessions Hotel
DJ B-Digital @ Stateline Bar and Grille
Zak Saltz Band Delta Blues BBQ - Bristol
Karaoke Night @ O’Mainnin’s Pub
DJ GHost @ O’Mainnin’s Pub

SATURDAY (8/29)
Love N People Heart & Heritage Vendor Market @ The Foundation Event Facility
William Hill Author Talk & Book Signing @ Bristol Public Library
Weekly Music Lessons with JAM Kids @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum
$10 Studio Fee @ Kil’n Time
Author Reading & Signing With Kristen Quon @ Dragonfly Book Bar
Chunky Knit Blankets @ AR Workshop
Dungeons & Dragons @ Bristol Public Library
An Evening With Author William Hill @ Dragonfly Book Bar
Bristol League of Gamers @ Bristol Public Library
Doormat Workshop @ AR Workshop
DJ B-Digital @ Stateline Bar & Grill
The Hired Guns @ Delta Blues
DJ GHost @ O’Mainnin’s Pub

SUNDAY (8/30)
Art Journaling with Carolyn Koesters @ Dragonfly Book Bar
Mystic Fundamentals @ Bristol Boo-tique: a Curiosities & Metaphysical shop
Bays Mountain Brewing Tap Takeover @ Stateline Bar & Grill
Sunday Funday @ O’Mainnin's

For more information on events downtown visit: https://www.believeinbristol.org/event-calendar

In honor of National Dog Day, Waylon would like to make an announcement. 🐾First Fridays: Putting Around Downtown is comi...
08/27/2026

In honor of National Dog Day, Waylon would like to make an announcement. 🐾

First Fridays: Putting Around Downtown is coming to Downtown Bristol on Friday, September 4!

Putt your way through Downtown Bristol with mini golf greens set up at participating businesses, then head to the Downtown Center for bonus holes with The Traveling Bear Indoor Mini Golf.

Grab a scorecard at any participating stop, play the course in whatever order you choose, and make a night of shopping, sipping, dining, and exploring along the way.

⛳ Friday, September 4
⛳ 5–8 p.m.
⛳ Downtown Bristol

Check out the event for a list of participating businesses! Waylon thinks you should come. Waylon also has absolutely no intention of returning that golf ball.

Dolly Parton spent a lifetime showing the world what it means to remember where you came from. Today, we will fill downt...
08/26/2026

Dolly Parton spent a lifetime showing the world what it means to remember where you came from. Today, we will fill downtown with her voice. 🤍

Dolly Parton gave the world an extraordinary catalog of music, but here in East Tennessee (and our little stretch of Southwest Virginia), her legacy has always meant something so much more.

She made sure her success was not just for her, but for the mountains that raised her and the people who called them home.

Throughout her life, Dolly chose generosity over accumulation. She invested deeply in the place and people who raised her, while extending that same generosity far beyond these mountains. She created opportunities, championed education, showed up when communities needed help, and reminded the world that success means a little more when you use it to lift others with you.

She was the epitome of leadership and hope, and an extraordinary example of what it means to love your community well.

A Tennessee girl who made the whole world brighter without ever forgetting home, we will always love you. 🤍🦋

Consider this your official call-up. 🔥Registration is NOW OPEN for the 8th Annual Bristol PepperFest Eating Competitions...
08/25/2026

Consider this your official call-up. 🔥
Registration is NOW OPEN for the 8th Annual Bristol PepperFest Eating Competitions!

Think you’ve got what it takes to compete on State Street? This year, we are once again putting your spice tolerance to the test with two chances to earn PepperFest glory:
🌶️ The Ultimate Beat the Heat Pepper Eating Challenge
🍗 The Delta Blues BBQ - Bristol Blazin' Blues Hot Wing Showdown

Spots are limited, and these competitions are not for the faint of taste bud. If you’ve been waiting for your shot at PepperFest greatness, now’s the time.

Register today and start training accordingly. 😏
🔗www.believeinbristol.org/pepperfest

📍 Downtown Center | 810 State Street
📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ 2–7 p.m.

The fire returns to Downtown Bristol... 🔥🌶️Bristol PepperFest is back Saturday, September 5, bringing the heat to State ...
08/24/2026

The fire returns to Downtown Bristol... 🔥🌶️

Bristol PepperFest is back Saturday, September 5, bringing the heat to State Street with an afternoon full of fiery flavors, local vendors, live entertainment, and plenty of pepper-fueled fun.

Think you can handle the heat? You’ll get your chance to prove it. 👀

Registration for both of our PepperFest Eating Competitions opens TOMORROW!
Keep an eye on our page for your chance to claim a spot and put your spice tolerance to the ultimate test.

📍 Downtown Center | 810 State Street
📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ 2–7 p.m.

Long before anyone stepped up to a microphone in Bristol, the mountains were already full of music.For generations, Appa...
08/20/2026

Long before anyone stepped up to a microphone in Bristol, the mountains were already full of music.

For generations, Appalachian families passed songs from one voice to the next, carrying centuries-old ballads from the British Isles alongside musical traditions that took shape right here in the mountains. By the time of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, those songs had evolved through generations of new voices, new stories, and a distinctly Appalachian sound.

This Friday, Bristol Sessions Nights continues its journey toward the 2027 centennial with Night 4: Mountain Songs, an evening celebrating the songs and traditions that helped lay the foundation for country music.

Friday night's concert takes place in the Bristol Listening Room at the Historic L.C. King Building featuring:
🎵 Alex Leach
🎵 Tim White

Tickets are just $27, and quantities are limited! Grab yours in advance or join us at the door Friday night.
Good music. Good stories. A little Bristol history in the air.
Sounds like a pretty good Friday night to us. 🎶

The boats are docked, the dance floor is empty, and the Believe in Bristol Yacht Club has officially closed for the seas...
08/18/2026

The boats are docked, the dance floor is empty, and the Believe in Bristol Yacht Club has officially closed for the season.

And y’all really understood the assignment!

Thank you to everyone who set sail with us for Dancing Downtown: Yacht Rock and made our eighth Adult Prom one to remember. From the captain hats and coastal glamour to a very full dance floor, you showed up ready to party with a purpose!

It takes quite a crew to pull off an imaginary yacht club. To the Charter Members who made this event possible: our incredible volunteers and event staff (Marty, Leslie, Melanie, & of course Milton!), our vendors (Legit’s Kitchen & Hitman Photography) and event partners (Family Tradition, The Birdie Shoppe, & The Historic Bristol Virginia Post Office), and everyone who worked behind the scenes to bring all of our slightly ridiculous ideas to life, thank you. We truly couldn’t do it without you.

And to every person who bought a ticket, ordered a drink (or several) at the Marina Bar, grabbed a bite at the Quarterdeck Café, tested your luck on the Game Deck, posed for an official member portrait, voted for our Captains (congrats again Brandon & Amber!), and danced the night away - thank you for showing up for Downtown Bristol!

Because underneath the boat shoes, yacht rock puns, and any questionable decisions made between the Marina Bar and the dance floor is the reason we throw this party every year. Dancing Downtown is one of Believe in Bristol’s signature fundraisers, and your support helps us continue our work for Downtown Bristol all year long.

The yacht may have been imaginary, but your support was very, very real.

Until next year. ⚓

Address

20 6th Street
Bristol, TN
37620

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Believe in Bristol posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share