It would be a shame if you lived near the Tricities (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol) and had to miss Fun Fest.  This is the single biggest event of the year for our relatively small town.  For those of you who haven’t heard of Fun Fest, let me share it with you.  It’s a 10 day party that our relatively small town puts on for FREE for the citizens. It’s amazing, with free activities for the kids, free concerts, and just lots of fun.   This year we had several youngsters staying with us during the kickoff events, and they just wanted to stay home and swim.  We did drag them out of the pool long enough to hit Mardi Gras.  The downtown area businesses pass out bead necklaces and everything is decorated in a Mardi Gras theme. There were bounce houses, concessions, and all kinds of fun stuff going on.  Now there are lots of the beads hanging around various parts of my house.  Think 6 kids, at least five necklaces each…..yep, that’s a lot of necklaces.  I found this one out by the pool.

Here’s a run down of our favorite activities going on in the next few days. If you’re looking for something fun to do around the area, be sure to check out the full calendar of events.  Most of it is free of charge although some special events do require a ticket.  It’s usually quite affordable, though.

Tuesday, 7/16 — Kid’s Central at Johnson Elementary (10AM-3PM) is a must-do every year.   They also have the Splash Dance on Wednesday at Kid’s Central. They close off the street and turn on the fire hydrant water so the kids can play!!  In this 90+ degree weather, it’s a real treat.

Free admission to Bay’s Mountain all week — it’s a great time to take a picnic lunch up to the park and enjoy the outdoors!

Wednesday 7/17 — Sandi Patty concert 7:30 PM.

Taste of the Tricities — not to be missed!!   Area restaurants set up their tents and offer their best dishes. It’s a cheap way to enjoy dinner out!   Plus there’s going to be a Family Fun Zone in Memorial Park to enjoy while you eat.  They’re showing Escape From Planet Earth on a giant screen this year at the Family Fun Zone.

Thursday 7/18 — Moonlight hike at Bays Mountain. Sounds fun!

Chris Tomlin and Big Daddy Weave concert, 7 PM.    Godspell is being performed all week at Mafair Methodist Church.

Friday 7/19 — Hot Air Balloon Glow at 8 PM.  Enjoy your Friday night with Ella Mae Bowen, The Henningsens and Hunter Hayes in concert.

Saturday 7/20 — Breakfast with the balloons at the Hot Air Balloon Rally (6-9 AM).  This is so cool to watch!!   We like to drive around Kingsport after the balloons launch and watch them as they float through the sky.  Chicago & Gavin DeGraw in concert at 6:30 PM.  Fireworks at 10 PM (they’re always great).

Does your town do something fun each year?  I’d love to hear about the different traditions in other cities.