The Celebration

Bristol's Time Capsule Has Been Launched

The Dedicatory & Sealing Ceremony for the Bristol Sesquicentennial Time Capsule Monument was held on Saturday, June 2 at the Bristol Public Library. Those attending had the opportunity to sign the top of the metal time capsule prior to being encapsulated inside the brick and block monument that will be opened in 100 years for Bristol's 250th anniversary. In 50 years the Centennial Time Capsule will be opened for the cities Bicentennial. Those speaking at this hour-long ceremony were Vice Chairman John Gaines, Virginia

Delegate Joseph Johnson, Chairman Tim Buchanan, Bristol Public Library Librarian Jud Barry, Carolyn Williams, Bud Phillips and Special Events Chairperson Vicie Dotson. To ensure maintenance and general oversight over the years the monument and capsule were formally ceded to the Bristol Public Library. Bristol's 150th Time Capsule is registered with the International Time Capsule Society in Atlanta Georgia.

Bristol’s Premier Event

An Evening of Elegance, A Night to Remember . . . 

 

The Twin Cities To Celebrate at the Sesquicentennial Ball, Nov. 4

 

Bristol's Sesquicentennial Ball - a grand birthday ball - will be held Saturday, Nov. 4 at The Country Club of Bristol, 6045 Old Jonesboro Road, Bristol, Tennessee, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. This festive gala is being planned by the Bristol Sesquicentennial Steering Committee and Arts Alliance Mountain Empire, with corporate sponsorship provided by King Pharmaceuticals.  The ball is anticipated to be one of the highlights of the Sesquicentennial celebration. Attire is black-tie optional.

 

          Party-goers will be greeted at the door by a footman and ushered inside to celebrate the Sesquicentennial in style. Three distinct areas will depict the multi-faceted personality of the Twin Cities, forged over the past century and a half.  The foyer will recreate the outdoors with a fountain and mountain scenes, plants and flowers, all representing the natural beauty of our region.  Other areas will feature history murals and representations of classic Bristol trademarks while a bluegrass quartet pays homage to the music born in this region. The ballroom will evoke modern-day Bristol with a display of black and white photographs illustrating the diverse population and architecture of Bristol. The Charles Goodwin Orchestra will provide music for ballroom dancing.

 

If you need to brush up on your dance steps, lessons will be offered at The Country Club on October 20.  For more information or to make reservations for the dance class, call 423-956-3292.

 

Ball tickets will be sold between Oct. 6 and Oct. 25, or until sell-out, at the Paramount Center Box Office.  Prices are $15 per ticket or $25 per couple.

 

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Bristol's 6th Annual

Rhythm and Roots Reunion

 

Friday - Sunday

September 15 - 17, 2006

Bristol's Historic State Street

 

Introducing The Year's Next Event Button

Available Friday September 15th, 2006

 

Locations:

The Rhythm & Roots Reunion Merchandise Trailer - In Front of The Cameo Theater

Fandango Gift Shop - 511 State Street, Bristol Virginia - 276-669-4448

Shang Hai Chinese Restaurant - 711 State Street, Bristol Virginia - 276-669-9000

(Site of the Bristol 150 Stage)

 

RETRO-BRISTOL SESQUICENTENNIAL BUTTONS

#1  Opening Ceremonies  (quantity 1500)

#2  Grand Opening, Bristol Public Library  (quantity 400)

#3  Star-Spangled Bristol  (quantity 2500)

#4  Food City Race Night  (quantity 500)

Featuring

#5  Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival  (quantity 500)

 

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Come join us at the Bristol 150th Shang Hai Restaurant Stage

711 State Street, Bristol Virginia - Across from H & R Block

Event Schedule:

 

FRIDAY, September 15

                                                    7:00pm                        Shapeless Steel

                                                    8:00pm                        Gary Hensley

                                                    9:00pm                        Valley Street

 

SATURDAY, September 16

                                                    12:00pm                      Highway 11

                                                    1:00pm                        Jan Smith

                                                    2:00pm                        Timberland

                                                    3:00pm                        Lightnin' Charlie

                                                    4:30pm                        Roger Rasnake

                                                    6:00pm                        Celtic Aire

                                                    7:00pm                        Jerry Castle

                                                    8:00pm                        Matt Lindahl

 

See the entire schedule of Rhythm & Roots Reunion's 15 stages throughout Downtown Bristol

www.bristolrhythm.com

276-591-4898

 

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Hendrika Schuster To Portray Mrs. A.D. Reynolds

& Provide Encore Performance of Mrs. Joseph Anderson

 

Relive Bristol history through the historic portrayals of two of Bristol’s most predominant families.  Hendrika Schuster has long portrayed dozens of Virginia’s most famous women, like Martha Washington, Mrs. Robert E. Lee & Mrs. JEB Stuart.  Mrs. Schuster will bring to life the family of A.D. & R.J. Reynolds through the eyes of Mrs. Seneh Reynolds, wife of Major A.D. Reynolds.  The A.D. Reynolds family was one of Bristol's most prominent families and was instrumental in the industrial development of the region.  Founding the A.D. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Bristol Tennessee, Major Reynolds was involved in practically every aspect of Bristol's modernization, including Bristol's Street Car Line, paving of the city streets, the building of Bristol's resort Hotel - the Hotel Fairmount, electric lighting & the development of the Bristol Telephone Company.

 

The portrayal of Mrs. A.D. Reynolds will be held at Reynolds Memorial United Methodist on Sunday, August 20 at 3:00pm.  During Star-Spangled Bristol Mrs Schuster performed the founding mother of Bristol, Mrs. Malinda Anderson.  Her enthusiasm brought to life the Anderson family for Bristol's Sesquicentennial.  By acclaim, Mrs. Schuster will do a final portray of Mrs. Joseph Anderson Saturday, September 9 at the Bristol Public Library, in the conference room, at 3pm.  This performance will also be Mrs. Schuster's final performance before her retirement and moving from the region.  Mark these important dates on your calendar.

 

Portrayal of Mrs. A.D. Reynolds  - Sunday, August 20, 2006 

REYNOLDS MEMORIAL U.M. CHURCH  -  3pm 

Portrayal of Mrs. Joseph Anderson - Saturday, September 9, 2006

BRISTOL PUBLIC LIBRARY  -  3pm

 

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Bristol Welcomes Mountain Stage

 

During the weekend of July 22-23, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, with contributing support from The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and Virginia Tourism Corporation, will be hosting Mountain Stage, for a celebratory weekend acknowledging Bristol’s designation as “the Birthplace of Country Music.”  Both shows start at 7:00 PM and admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors/students, and children under 12 admitted free. 

 

Tickets may be purchased at the Paramount Center for the Arts Box Office or by calling 274-8920. 

Mountain Stage will record two radio shows and at least four public television productions. Mountain Stage, a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, is a two-hour radio show recorded before a live audience that has established a long tradition of featuring national and international acts in almost every style of music. Mountain Stage can be heard weekly on over 100 Public Radio International affiliates throughout the United States, Voice of America, and XM Satellite Radio.   The television program has been carried on over 200 PBS stations nationwide.

“The fact that Mountain Stage is coming to Bristol reinforces the incredible tourism appeal of Appalachian traditional music and culture so prevalent in southwestern Virginia,” said Alisa Bailey, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Tourism Corporation.   “Mountain Stage will showcase the region’s talented musicians on a national level and strengthen our efforts to promote to tourists The Crooked Road:  Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, an itinerary of significant sites and events that interpret old-time and bluegrass music.”    

Artists confirmed for the shows include Roni Stoneman, Darrell Scott, Rambling Jack Elliott, Ollabelle, and Reagan Boggs for Saturday night; with Ralph Stanley, Yonder Mountain String Band, Tim O’Brien, Dale Jett, Odetta, and Chris Thile performing Sunday evening.   “Our goal is to work with the local community putting together programs that reflect where country music has come from and some of the directions it is taking,” commented Larry Groce, host and artistic director.

Seventy-nine years ago, in a warehouse in downtown Bristol, Ralph Peer made the first recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.  These Bristol Sessions marked the beginnings of commercial country music, and have been called the “Big Bang of Country Music” by historians.  The influence of these recordings has been felt around the globe, including a wide variety of musical genres.  It was for these reasons that Congress declared Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia the “Birthplace of Country Music” in 1998.

 

Featuring. . . . .

 

JUNE 1 - JULY 20, 2006

FREE Thursday Movies in the Park - Cumberland Square Park/Anderson Park

Free Thursday Movies in the Park are part of Bristol's Sesquicentennial Celebration.  Bring your friends, family, blankets and lawn chairs for Thursday movies at 8:30pm.  Your favorite move popcorn, candy and soda concessions will be available for purchase.  If a movie has to be called off for bad weather July 27 at Cumberland Square Park and August 3 at Anderson Park will be set aside as rain check dates.  All movies are rated PG or G for family viewing.

           June 1st    -Cumberland Park         O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2002)
          June 8th     -Anderson Park              E.T.-The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

          June 15th   -Cumberland Park         A Shark's Tale

          June 22nd  -Anderson Park             Ghostbusters (1984)

          June 29th   -Cumberland Park         Rear Window (1954)

          July 6th       -Anderson Park             Casablanca (1942)

          July 13th    -Cumberland Park         The Good, The Bad, & Ugly (1966)

          July 20th    -Anderson Park              Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Sponsors: Alpha Natural Resources, Mobile Movies and Rhythm and Roots Reunion

Current Exhibits

BRISTOL HISTORY EXHIBIT

Former Times On The Border: Bristol of the 18th & 19th Centuries

 In conjunction with Bristol's Sesquicentennial Celebration a exhibition of rare historical artifacts and manuscripts have been opened at the historic Old Custom House, formerly the old Bristol Tennessee Post Office on Shelby Street.  The exhibit, Former Times on the Border: Bristol of the 18th & 19th Centuries presents for the first time the personal effects of the region's founders.  A comprehensive collection from the Colonel & Reverend James King families details the development of Sapling Grove & King's Meadows and provides the original documents for the establishment of the Sapling Grove Post Office, the Beaver Creek Iron Works and ordination sermon, papers & bible for Reverend James King. Also included are historic manuscripts for Bristol's founders, Joseph Anderson & Colonel Samuel Goodson and the earliest settlers dating to the eighteenth century.  Numerous items reveal artifacts from Presidents Andrew Johnson & Andrew Jackson and documents from Kentucky Governor Isaac Shelby.  This exhibit gives a glimpse of the earliest days of the Bristol area and its founders.