Believe in Bristol

Thank You!

On behalf of Believe in Bristol Board of Directors and Promotions Committee, we would like to sincerely thank our downtown participants and donors, Birthplace of Country Music staff, Believe in Bristol and BCM volunteers, and all who joined in on the fun for the 7th Annual Downtown Showcase! It was a great night for Believe in Bristol and we are very thankful for everyone involved — it will be fun to top next year!

Vote for Bristol! We're only 450 votes from #1!

Bristol has been nominated for Best Small Town Shopping in America and is currently fourth in the voting, but only about 450 votes from first place. Please visit www.bestshoppingonmain.com to vote. The winner of the competition will be featured in an episode of Small Town Big Deal. Vote today! Voting ends March 31.

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Downtown Bristol Blog

PUSH! Film Festival Regular Deadline is April 4

PUSH! spotlights films that provoke thought and spur action. We're a change agent – challenging audiences to push the boundaries of their own worldview.

We are also a filmmaker's film festival.

We believe in empowering filmmakers by giving them a platform to share thoughtful ideas through any genre.

Sure, there are awards to be won, but we also put a lot of focus on the overall festival experience.

To us, it's about community, conversation, and calls-to-action.

It's also about showcasing quality storytelling in desirable venues and providing filmmakers with a chance to network and grow through a variety of workshops, Q&A sessions, and social events.

Hosted in twin cities that know no borders, PUSH! provides the platform, you provide the perspectives.

Visit filmfreeway.com/festival/PUSHFilmFest to submit your film today.

PUSH! Film Festival
October 21-23, 2016
Bristol, TN/VA
www.pushfilmfest.com



Dolly Parton to Write Foreword for Benjamin Walls’ New Book

At a media event at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, Tri-Cities artist Benjamin Walls announced the release of his new book entitled “Beyond,” which will include a foreword written by entertainment icon Dolly Parton.

Beyond is a compilation of Walls’ best work and will feature all of his museum-exhibited pieces. It has taken Walls 12 years, one million miles of travel, and 300,000 exposures to capture the images featured in Beyond.

The book, which will begin shipping to clients in November, is available now through the Benjamin Walls Gallery and at Benjamin Walls Gallery Website at a special pre-publication price.

At the press conference, Dolly Parton toured Benjamin’s on site exhibit and expressed her interest in his work. “I paint the Smoky Mountains in words,” Parton declared, “and you do the same with your camera.” Cassius Cash, Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, expressed his enthusiasm for Walls’ work and helped him unveil a new image entitled, The Smokies, as Benjamin shared the story behind his inspiration with the crowd.

Walls, who has a great passion for conservation, announced that he will donate a portion of the proceeds from his book to Friends of the Smokies. Jim Hart, President of the Friends of the Smokies, expressed his thanks for Benjamin’s support.

Benjamin Walls has exhibited his work at the Smithsonian and the Natural History Museum of London and this summer he will be the first Tri-Cities artist to have a solo exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. His work has also found a home in the galleries of noteworthy collectors ranging from Grammy Award-winning musicians to Fortune 500 CEOs.

Contact the Benjamin Walls Gallery or visit www.BenjaminWalls.com for more information.



Downtown Bristol Events

Auditions for "The Music Man"

March 26 – April 4 | Theatre Bristol

Theatre Bristol announces March and April audition dates and details for the June production of the Broadway favorite "The Music Man" at the Paramount Center for the Arts. Veteran and novice actors are invited to audition March 26 and April 2, 3, and 4 at Theatre Bristol, 512 State Street, Bristol, TN. Roles for men, women, and children are available, as well as opportunities with the production crew.

The audition will consist of singing, reading, and dancing. No preparation is necessary but prepared material will be welcome. For important details on preparation and auditions for children and adults, please visit www.theatrebristol.org/audition.

Doors will open 30 minutes before first audition. All auditions are at Theatre Bristol, 512 State Street, 2nd floor rehearsal hall. The audition schedule is:

  • Saturday, March 26: 6:30 Children and 7:30 Adults
  • Saturday, April 2: 9:30 Children and 10:30 Adults
  • Sunday, April 3: 2:00 Children and 3:00 Adults
  • Monday, April 4: 6:30 Children and 7:30 Adults

Anyone interested in being a part of the production crew may contact Theatre Bristol at info@theatrebristol.org. For more information, visit the Theatre Bristol website.

Voter Registration Fair

March 31 | YWCA

March 31 from 2-7pm, bring a valid form of photo I.D. to the YWCA and register to vote! Those already registered can come by to obtain unbiased information about the candidates.

Perfect Pair Wine Dinner

March 31 | Studio Brew

Join Studio Brew to wine and dine for their first Wine Pairing Dinner. Relax and enjoy the unique atmosphere upstairs in the Studio, all while partaking in a unique experience you won't find anywhere else in town. Aulikki Brandt, Studio Brew's Wine Expert, will walk you through each wine offered, while Chef Ryan will provide the perfectly paired courses to take your palette on one exciting ride. Fantastic company and stunning views of downtown Bristol are included.

Meet and Greet
Ziegenwald Mulberry Goat Cheese. Spent Grain Crostini. Local Micros.
Saint Hilaire Blanc de Blancs Brut 2013

Appetizer
Antelope Bratwurst. Jalapeno Raisin Chow Chow. Farm House Cheddar Foam.
Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz 2011

Main Course I
Lump Crab Cake. Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Pesto-Cream. Lemon-Garlic Greens.
L’Ecole No 41 Semillon 2014

Main course II
Crispy Duck. MoleĢ. Dark Cherry Spanish Rice. Tortilla Crisps.
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2014

Dessert
Spiced Peaches. Lemon-Thyme Marmalade. Brown Sugar Crumble.
Annalisa Moscato NV

Click here to purchase tickets.

King University Symphonic Band Spring Concert

March 31 | Paramount Center for the Arts

The 250 Jazz Ensemble will perform selections by Oliver Nelson, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane. In addition to works by John Mackey and Frank Ticheli, the Symphonic Band will be performing a new work premiered by the U.S. Navy Band in Dec. 2014 at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic entitled “Equilibrium”.

The King University Bands are under the direction of Lonny Finley. “We are delighted to perform once again on the stage of the Paramount,” says Finley. “We hope the community will come out to enjoy and support our students during their first concert of the season.”

The Band J4 CD Release Party

April 1 | Blackbird Bakery

The Band J4 is excited to launch their CD in their hometown, and invites you to join them for their CD release party, Friday, April 1 at Blackbird Bakery. The bankd will play two sets at 7 pm and 8:30pm so they can visit with everyone between sets.

Comedian James Gregory

April 1 | Paramount Center for the Arts

Tickets are selling fast! Click here to buy yours online.

For over two decades, the unforgettable caricature of veteran comedian James Gregory (funniestman.com) has stood grinning: his shirt untucked, his arms outstretched, a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious comedy experience. It’s storytelling at its best. The trademark caricature is the essence of humorist James Gregory’s comedy: rib-tickling reflections on life from the front porch.

James is constantly touring. He’s on the road about three days a week, forty six weeks a year. He continues to entertain sold-out crowds in theaters and comedy clubs and remains in demand for corporate events. James has been the featured entertainer for over 200 corporations, including the Coca Cola Company, Kimberly Clark Corporation, Hewlett Packard and Kroger. James has also been the featured speaker for events sponsored by various civic and church groups.

James is heard weekly on syndicated radio shows such as Rick and Bubba, John Boy and Billy and Bob and Tom. Combined, these shows are broadcast to people in over 220 cities nationwide. As a result, he now has a grass-roots following that numbers in the millions.

James was born in a rural area about twenty five miles east of Atlanta, GA. He got his first job at the age of twelve at a small country grocery store. By the time he was fifteen, he was working thirty-seven hours a week, as well as going to school. As an adult, James has worked for the U.S. Postal Service, the Department of Defense, and spent almost ten years as a salesman before discovering the wonderful world of stand-up comedy.

James does not “tip-toe” through life as if he’s walking on broken glass or egg shells. That style is evident on stage as well. He is not politically correct. Much of his humor is centered on brilliant observations of crazy relatives and people obsessed with the slightest change in weather conditions – now referred to as global warming. He delights in poking fun at modern sensitive parents and out-of-control environmentalists. Gregory has been quoted as saying, “If you want me to be concerned about endangered species, you need to convince me that we’re about out of chickens.”

The James Gregory show turns the clock back to a time when life was simpler; to a better time, before the death of common sense; a time when people sat on the front porch and actually talked to each other without a cell phone in their ear.

James’ success, like his comedy, is the direct result of the values he grew up with. And now, twenty something years later, it is this unique brand of humor that packs the crowds into his sold-out shows. The absence of vulgarity sets James apart and his stories are carefully crafted art. “I have lived long enough to know people, know life”, Gregory reflects. “My comedy is based on my life experiences. It’s real, it’s funny and the audience loves it. That’s why I’m still in business.”

Puppy Power Yoga

April 2 | Wellness Yoga of Bristol

Join us for a donation-based class that will invite strength to the body through a challenging and playful practice followed up by an extra-long cat-nap inspired savasana.

All donations will go to the Bridge Home No Kill Animal Rescue in Blountville, TN.

Class will be led by Nicole.

Samantha Gray

April 2 | Studio Brew

Studio Brew is proud to announce that Samantha Gray will be on stage upstairs at the Studio Saturday, April 2, from 9:30 — 11pm. The brewery will also debut a new IPA dubbed "The Sprinkler Riser." Better get your blues on!

Paws & Pints

April 3 | Studio Brew

Sunday, April 3rd, from 1-5pm, Studio Brew will host its first Paws & Pints Event. This event will be the brewery's first outdoor beer garden event. All pets are invited to bring their friendly humans to come out and enjoy craft beers and amazing food. Studio Brew will have a special Bourbon Barrel Release just for this event.

Paws & Pirnts is not a ticketed event, but guests are encouraged to bring pet food, etc., for a donation for our local animal shelters. Studio Brew will all donate a portion of sales from this event.

Beaver Creek Storytellers

April 3 | Bristol Public Library

Join Beaver Creek Storytellers at Bristol Public Library (use rear entrance) for a fun afternoon of entertaining stories. Admission is $5.

Guitar Styles of the Bristol Sessions with Dr. Gregory Reisch

April 6 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum

The Director of the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University, Gregory Reish, Ph.D., will offer a lecture and demonstration on the guitar styles of musicians who recorded on the 1927 Bristol Sessions. The focus of this fascinating program will be on Mother Maybelle Carter’s fingerpicking style known as the “Carter Scratch,” and Alfred G. Karnes’ technique on the harp guitar, among others. Admission is free.

Art D'Vine

April 8 | Downtown Bristol

From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., downtown will be filled with art lovers as several galleries and some local favorites join together to host another Art D’Vine event! This art walk offers patrons the chance to gain after-hours access to merchants, sample domestic and international wines, and enjoy a range of works from artists across the region.

As with the previous gallery hops, participants are invited to stroll around Historic Downtown Bristol, stopping at Benjamin Walls Gallery, A Work of Art Gallery & Gifts, Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Kil'n Time Contemporary Ceramic Studio, Blackbird Bakery, Bristol Public Library, Hatching Perspective Gallery, as well as featuring shows from two students from King University: Rachel Burrus & Tessa Klingensmith. Refreshments will be provided and participating locations will feature different varieties of wine for sampling.

The Art D’Vine galleries will be highlighting various special events, releases or artists. More details coming soon!

This event is free to the public, though there is a suggested one-time donation of $5 with the proceeds supporting the work of the Arts & Entertainment District of Historic Downtown Bristol,

Also Coming Up

More Upcoming Events »


Community Notice Board

50% off Easter Items at Phyl's

March 28 – April 1

Easter items are now on sale at Phyl's! Hop on in for a great deal. (Sale excludes Jim Shore items.)



Bristol Office Supply Weekly Specials

Through April 1

Click here to view weekly specials.