Downtown Bristol Events
October 4 | Bristol Public Library

If you enjoy anime, make sure to join BPL Anime Club on October 4 at 5:30 p.m. for a special presentation of Outlaw Star. Each month, BPL Anime Club meets to watch movies and anime series on the big screen, discuss manga and anime, and munch on Japanese snacks.
For October, BPL Anime Club will celebrate “One Book, One Bristol” by offering a free showing of Outlaw Star, which features the misadventures of Gene Starwind and his business partner/friend, Jim Hawking. After unexpectedly acquiring a Grappler ship, which they rename The Outlaw Star, Gene and Jim—and a mysterious girl named Melfina—are poised to find fame and glory (and, of course, riches) among the stars!
No registration is necessary for BPL Anime Club. Simply drop in and enjoy a fun evening of anime, movies, and snacks. To learn more, please contact Bristol Public Library at 276-645-8780.
October 5–7 | Avoca Branch Library

Sponsored by the Friends of the Avoca Branch Library, Avoca’s fall book sale kicks off on Thursday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m. and continues through the rest of the weekend. It only happens during their hours of operation, so make sure to stop by and pick up a new book or any number of nifty little gifts and goodies, before they’re all gone!
Book sale hours:
Thursday, October 5: 10:00 – 5:00
Friday, October 6: 9:00 – 5:00
Saturday, October 7: 9:00 – 12:00
For more information, please visit the Avoca Branch Library at 1550 Volunteer Parkway in Bristol, Tennessee, or give them a call at 423-968-9663.
October 5

The 12th Annual “Dump the Pump” — Transit Day will be hosted by the City of Bristol Tennessee and the City of Bristol Virginia on Thursday, October 5, 2017. The transit systems of both cities will offer free rides and a free lunch that day. Lunch will be served from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Downtown Center located at 804 State Street. Door prizes will be offered as well.
Transit Day is set aside to encourage members of the community to ride public transportation as it drives economic development and revitalizes neighborhoods. Wes Ritchie, Public Services Manager said, “This is the one time of year we have to thank those who participate in public transportation. It gives us the opportunity to hear first-hand suggestions on how we can make things better. We know our busses offer a great transportation option for those on a fixed income, for students, and for those who don’t want the hassle of keeping an automobile.”
For more information on Transit Day contact Wes Ritchie at 423-989-5685 or email writchie@bristoltn.org.
October 5 | Bristol Public Library

As part of Bristol Public Library’s “One Book, One Bristol” community read project, the library will offer several space-themed programs for patrons, visitors, and friends. On October 5, the library welcomes Dr. Raymond Bloomer for his presentation on “Finding Earth’s Twin” at 6:00 p.m. in the J. Henry Kegley Meeting Room.
More than 3,500 planets have been discovered beyond our solar system in recent decades. In some cases, these “exoplanets” circle different stars and host a potentially habitable atmosphere. Dr. Bloomer will speak about the modern scientific methods and technologies used in finding these exoplanets, discuss these incredible discoveries, and address the ever present question of space exploration: “Are we alone in the universe?”
October 5 | Blackbird Bakery

Take a musical journey with this new quartet across time and musical boundaries.Bluegrass to folk and then some.From Norman Blake and Tony Rice to Tom Paxton, & the Carter Family with stopsalong the way to visit the Eagles, the Byrds, Sam Bush, Dan Fogelberg,Richard Thompson, Michael Martin Murphy, and even the Rolling Stones.Each of the four band member brings their own personal influences to the mixcreating an interesting and diverse listening experience.
October 6 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. In order to help educate the public about disability employment issues and to celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is hosting a National Disability Employment Recognition Day on Friday October 6.
On October 6 the museum will provide hourly accessibility tours throughout the day.
The museum will also offer Accessibility & Etiquette presentations at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; business owners, nonprofits, tourism professionals, and other organizations are invited to attend.
A number of agencies will be on hand to offer information about Disability Employment Awareness including:
- Appalachian Independence Center
- Department of Aging & Rehabilitation Services
- Virginia Department for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
- Virginia Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired
- Highlands Community Services
If you are disabled, contact one of these services and inquire how you can get a free pass to the museum with the purchase of one museum pass through the month of October.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is ADA compliant and does offer guided tours for the visually impaired. Call 423-573-1927 or email info@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org for more information.
October 6 | Paramount Center for the Arts

TICKETS. We refer to the 65 Mustang, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, the I Love Lucy Show, and Elvis’ Can’t Help Falling in Love with You as classics because each in their own way clearly defined a cultural moment. Similarly, the music of Haydn Mozart, and Beethoven defines The Classical Period, music composed between 1750 — 1820. The Paramount Chamber Players along with guest pianist, Wayne Johnson of Kingsport, TN, presents a program illustrating the pure classicism of these great composers.
Repertoire:
Piano Trio no. 9 in A Major, Hob XV: 9 by Joseph Haydn
Piano Quartet in E Flat op.16 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Clarinet Quintet in A Major K. 581 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
October 7 | Bristol Public Library

Bristol Public Library is pleased to welcome Michael Havelin, a local Asheville mystery author, to the Tri-Cities.
October 7th at 1pm, Mr. Havelin will host a special author signing and mystery writing seminar in the Jones Creativity Center. Come hear selected readings from the author’s work, discuss mystery elements with a published mystery author, and talk about November’s annual writing extravaganza, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)!
October 7 | Paramount Center for the Arts

The Black Jacket Symphony offers a unique concert experience through recreating classic albums in a live performance setting. A selected album is performed in its entirety by a group of handpicked musicians specifically selected for each album, with no sonic detail being overlooked — the musicians do whatever it takes to musically reproduce the album.
The performance is separated into two sets. The first set features the album being recreated as a true symphonic piece. The second set, which features a selection of the album artist's "greatest hits," opens in full contrast to the first set with an incredible light display and the symphony being much more laid back. The tone is set very quickly that the show will feature the high level of musicianship of the act being covered and will also be accompanied by all the bells and whistles of a major rock and roll show.
October 7 | Bristol Station Brews & Taproom

Progressive ambient artist Mark Mahoney has been performing live for over 6 years. With collaborator Michael Peck, Mahoney has performed at such prestigious venues such as The Gathering, three times on the Stars End radio show, and four Electro-Music.com festivals. Mahoney has also soloed at the City Skies festivals in 2008 and 2009. He has performed live on several occasions on stillstream.com.
October 9–16 | Theatre Bristol

Theatre Bristol announces auditions for "Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells," October 8, 9, 15 and 16 at the Theatre Bristol ARTspace, 512 State Street, Bristol, TN. Under the direction of Dottie Havlik, Junie B. will make her debut on the Theatre Bristol stage and bring holiday cheer in her own spunky way. No preparation is required to audition and roles are available for men, women, and children. Show details, audition times, and rehearsal dates are available at www.TheatreBristol.org/audition.
Written by Allison Gregory and distributed by Playscripts, this first-grader in the title role is really excited about the upcoming holiday gift exchange at her school. Tattletale May is always ruining Junie B.'s fun, so when Junie B. draws May's name things get interesting. "Will the Christmas spirit of peace and goodwill interfere before she can give you-know-who what she deserves? A hilarious and endearing tale based on the best-selling book series by Barbara Park (Playscripts)."
Havlik is herself excited to bring this show to the stage for the holidays, most recently directing the River's Way "Three Times Three" production, "The Adventures of Madeline," and "Charlotte's Web," as well as performing and writing many plays over the years.
"June B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" opens December 1, and runs for three weekends, Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 10:30 am and 5:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:30 pm, closing on December 17. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, and available at www.Theatre Bristol.org.
For more information, visit Theatre Bristol’s website or Facebook page, contact Theatre Bristol at 423-212-3625, or email info@theatrebristol.org.
October 10 | City Hall Annex

Bristol Tennessee’s Department of Community Development is planning an event to assist citizens who are unable to make necessary repairs to their homes. The Homeowner Repair Fair is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10, 2017 in the City Hall Annex Building located at 104 8th Street, Bristol, Tennessee.
The drop-in event is free to anyone who wishes to attend. Representatives will be on hand to share information and to assist in completing an application to confirm eligibility. If a citizen is eligible, repairs could be funded through a HUD Community Development Block Grant and the Northeast Tennessee/Virginia HOME Consortium.
Recipients must meet income and ownership requirements which will be explained at the fair during the qualifying process. Household income is based on the number of occupants living in the dwelling.
Holston Habitat for Humanity, Appalachia Service Project, First Tennessee Development District, the City of Bristol, Tennessee Codes Department and CDBG/HOME Grants division representatives will be present to answer questions. “The goal of the event is to help low and moderate-income families with homeowner assistance and repairs,” said Christina Blevins, Community Development Specialist for the city.
“We look forward to meeting and assisting people who need help with home safety issues. With winter coming on, they may be having heat pump problems that we would be able to help with. The city continues to seek out ways in which we may be of assistance to our neighbors,” continued Blevins.
For more information please contact Christina Blevins at 423-989-5521 or email cblevins@bristoltn.org.
October 10 | Bristol Public Library

Halloween is drawing near, which means it’s time to carve the Jack-o’-Lanterns and decorate for fall!
In honor of the changing season, Bristol Public Library will offer a brand new Creative and Crafty project for kids and adults alike: Painting Pumpkins. Join the library on October 10 at 5:30 p.m. to get started on a fun, creative pumpkin painting project of your very own. Draw a scary face or add some glitter and felt cat ears, create and customize your pumpkin however you like!
Pumpkins and supplies will be provided for a nominal fee of $5 per person, but participants are welcome to bring their own pumpkin and art supplies if they have a design in mind and we’ll waive the fee. Registration is required for this event. To sign up, contact Bristol Public Library by phone at 276-645-8780 or email reference@bristol-library.org.
October 11 | Bristol Public Library

As part of Bristol Public Library’s community read project, “One Book, One Bristol,” the library will offer special space-themed programs to our patrons and visitors throughout October. On October 11, the library will welcome Dr. Gary Henson to Bristol for his presentation, “Astronomy from Space.”
Dr. Henson, a professor with ETSU at the Harry D. Powell Observatory, will discuss how astronomers use telescopes and satellites to better explore the universe—and how these technologies have changed the ways humankind investigate the solar system. It starts at 6:00 p.m. in the J. Henry Kegley Meeting Room, so make sure to join the library for this incredible program on the universe in which we live!
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