by Lauren Burr
posted November 9, 2007
Take a step back in time into an 18th or 19th Century Christmas celebration, where you will experience candlelight storytelling over hot cider and the recreation of holiday past. Or, if speed and lights are more your taste, take a spin around the world's fastest half mile to view ten million lights and animated displays.
Whether you want lights and action or heritage and history this holiday season, Northeast Tennessee has a variety of historical Christmas events and astounding light shows that bring the holiday spirit to life.
Visitors will be transported to Christmas past at area historic sites, Rocky Mount and Tipton-Haynes Historical Sites, where the holidays will be celebrated like they were just after the American Revolution and during the Civil War. The historic Christmas festivals, Candlelight Christmas, held at Rocky Mount, and Visions of Christmas, held at Tipton-Haynes, bring the early heritage and holiday culture to life through reenactments and recreation of the holiday events.
For a modern-day thrill, visitors can test their skills and navigation on the world’s fastest half-mile at the Bristol Motor Speedway, which is transformed annually with millions of animated displays and lights to showcase their seasonal spirit at Speedway in Lights.
“The rich heritage of the area is truly brought to life during the holiday season, as visitors can experience Christmas past and relive the season as the early settlers of the area experienced it and what their true meaning of Christmas was,” said Brenda Whitson, executive director of the Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Visitors also have a truly unique opportunity to get into the Christmas spirit through thousands of lights and decorations, as well as the chance to drive on a real NASCAR track. There’s really something for everyone, of all ages.”
Candlelight Christmas
At the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, a rich history and heritage is alive at the Rocky Mount Museum and Living History Site. Rocky Mount Museum transports visitors into the 18th century to experience the daily lifestyle of frontier settlers and takes them deep into the lives of the original settlers, the Cobb family.
Each year since 1962, the Rocky Mount Museum and Living History Site hosts Candlelight Christmas, a Christmas celebration taking visitors back to 1791.
“Rocky Mount Museum truly gets visitors and the community in the Christmas spirit by rekindling this historic Christmas event every year. It reminds people what Christmas was like before the commercialization of the season and really inspires the true reason for the season,” said Ms. Whitson.
The candle-lit event begins the first weekend of December and will take place on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 and 8. Rocky Mount uses music, dancing, decorations and sacred tales to create a historic festival, and relate the story of a special Christmas that dates back more than 200 years.
“The emphasis of our Christmas Program is that Christmas at Rocky Mount in 1791 was more ‘natural’ by necessity and design. So today we have more of a ‘festival’ focused on adults rather than children, obviously it’s less ‘commercial’ and our celebration is a longer duration of festivity lasting through until Jan. 6,” said Gary Walrath, executive director of Rocky Mount Museum and Living History Site.
The Christmas program at Rocky Mount invites the visitors to step back to the year 1791 to experience the holiday season and life-ways just after the American Revolution.
“Candlelight Christmas features the main house and ancillary buildings decorated as they would have been in December 1791, awaiting the return of the territorial Governor William Blount and his family from North Carolina. Good discussion with the ‘first-person interpreters’ portraying the Cobb Family, Governor and Mrs. Blount and invited neighbors will prevail amidst the smells of good feasts and beverages of the day,” said Mr. Walrath.
Rocky Mount Museum and Living History Site annually hosts Candlelight Christmas. Rocky Mount creates interactive history through daily tours, educational programs and special events, that take visitors back to the 18th century. Candlelight Christmas tours are held from 4:30 until 8 p.m. and are $7 per person. Reservations are recommended. For information, call (888) 538-1791 or visit www.rockymountmuseum.com.
Visions of Christmas
Tipton-Haynes Historic Site, located in Johnson City, is a live exhibit of the area’s history, dating back to the colonial era. Each year, Tipton-Haynes hosts the annual Visions of Christmas celebration, taking visitors back to the 19th century, where they can join the Haynes family to commemorate a special Civil War Christmas celebration.
On Dec. 1, the museum will hold the annual Visions of Christmas for locals and visitors to the area.
This Christmas, Tipton-Haynes will bring the year of 1861 to life, when Landon Carter-Haynes was elected as a Confederate Senator and traveling home from Richmond. 1861 was a happy and positive Christmas for the South, as train access was still available, as well as optimism that the South would win the war.
“In 1861, members of the Haynes family were very optimistic that the South would win the war, so it would be a very merry holiday season,” said Penny McLaughlin, executive director with Tipton-Haynes historic site.
The museum provides holiday music, food and drink, as well as activities for children.
“Over the years, the site has celebrated the holiday season based on a different year during the Civil War, so the program reflects the historical events of our region during the war,” said Ms. McLaughlin. “Each Christmas we celebrate a different year. We even did one year after the fall of the Confederacy, that truly was not a merry holiday.”
Visions of Christmas will take place on Dec. 1, from 2-6 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Tipton-Haynes also provides annual special events, interactive tours, and educational programs in order to preserve the history of the Johnson City area.
For more information call (423) 926-3631 or visit www.tipton-haynes.org.
Speedway in Lights
World-renowned Bristol Motor Speedway is the featured location for NASCAR events, such as the Nextel Cup and the Busch Series, with the world’s fastest half-mile. For those looking to take a trip around the track, the Speedway in Lights celebration allows visitors to do just that, while raising money for a good cause.
At Speedway in Lights, which will run from Nov. 16 to Jan. 5, guests can drive the five-mile route, allowing drivers to circle the concrete oval, the world’s fastest half-mile oval, and the dragstrip at Bristol Dragway. The drive-through route, powered by Tennessee Valley Authority, showcases more than 1.5 million lights and 200 animated displays. The animated displays include Dinosaur Village, featuring an erupting volcano and dinosaurs; flying snowballs that construct a snowman; motorsports displays; and cannon shot.
In addition to millions of lights and animated scenes, visitors to the speedway can skate the York Ice Skating Rink and visit the Christmas Village, which features crafts, roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate for the children.
The event was established as an outlet to give back to the local community, and it benefits the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. The non-profit charity has raised more than $3 million for children’s charities in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia.
“We’ve had a tremendous last 10 years and we’ve been fortunate to be able to raise quite a bit of money, more than $3 million, for needy children’s organizations in this area. Every single person who visits Speedway In Lights is helping those children,” said Claudia Byrd, chair of the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. “Those folks, our volunteers and all of our wonderful sponsors are responsible for making Speedway In Lights such a big success.”
Cost is $10 per car on Sunday to Thursday and $12 on Friday and Saturday. Activity vans are $15 and buses are $65. Bristol Motor Speedway is located in Bristol, 25 miles from Johnson City.
For more information call (423)-989-6933 or visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
“In Jonesborough, known best for its storytelling culture, the town showcases their culture through A Storybook Christmas parade, highlighting the area’s storytelling heritage with the recreation of traditional Christmas stories, creating a festive outlet for these tales to be told,” said Ms. Whitson. “Northeast Tennessee truly welcomes visitors during the holiday season as the sprit spreads through each of the surrounding communities. Each of the cities and towns has their own unique holiday traditions that showcase their true tradition and culture.”
Johnson City is located in Northeast Tennessee and is the fourth largest metropolitan city in the state. Set in a region known as America's First Frontier, Johnson City is “Where the Pioneer Spirit Began”—a historically significant and culturally rich community surrounded by an abundance of unspoiled natural beauty. Johnson City has a history, which dates back more than 200 years, and its culture embraces individual creativity and encourages innovation through expression.
The area is world-renowned for its modern and traditional Appalachian and bluegrass music, art and cuisine, and outdoor recreation for the whole family throughout all four seasons.
For more information on Johnson City, please visit www.visitjohnsoncitytn.com or call 423 461-8000 or 800 852-3392.
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