Guests who visit the Food City Speedway In Lights powered by TVA at Bristol Motor Speedway this year for the famed 5.35-mile light show’s 29th season, will be entertained by a brand-new collection of lights, all of the timeless classics, a power slide and plenty of the amazing fun that can be had in the Appalachian-themed Christmas Village.
If you haven’t been out to the Food City Speedway In Lights, here are 5 big reasons why you need to schedule a trip sooner than later.
No. 1 – Hang 10 at Santa’s Beach Party
It’s definitely cold out there but you can warm up your holiday experience by checking out the amazing light display called Santa’s Beach Party. It will transport you to a palm-beach oasis full of surf boards, with Santa having fun on the sand dunes with his fleet of hard-working Reindeer. You will find yourself warming up to the holiday season by driving through the half-mile set of 40-plus displays depicting Santa and his crew from their time off visiting a North Pole Beach earlier this summer. Santa’s Beach Party is one of the highlights of the second half of your tour through the Food City Speedway In Lights, just after you visit the Home Shopping Network (HSN) Christmas Village.
In addition to the new Santa’s Beach Party collection of displays, the route will continue to offer many of its longtime favorites, including The Twelve Days of Christmas, TruShine Car Wash, Ripley’s Sea of Illumination, NASCAR Pit Stop, Dinosaur Land, the majestical Candelabra, Drag Cars, Victorian Village, Snowman Maker, the Nativity Scene presented by Visit My Smokies and Toy Land.
No. 2 – Take a ride on a Power Slide
Back by popular demand is the Eastman Credit Union Mega Slide. Standing tall along the frontstretch near Turn 1, the side-by-side red, white and blue power slides allow friends and family members to enjoy a downhill race. The tubes that participants use to ride down the slide allow guests to spin as they descend down the slope.
Just head to the HSN Christmas Village to access the Eastman Credit Union Mega Slide. There are other amusement rides available too, including the beautiful Giant Carousel, Scooters Bumper Cars, Pepper Patch, the Pirate Ship and the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. Individual ride tickets are sold separately inside the HSN Christmas Village.
No. 3 – Something for everyone in the Christmas Village
The popular Appalachian country-themed HSN Christmas Village has more than just amusement rides for the kids. The area is stocked with holiday-themed photo opportunities with several special displays, there are also open fire pits for roasting marshmallows, you can shop with a variety of local vendors, enjoy some fun food options and the very best hot chocolate, as well as check out some great arts and crafts.
While you are there, the popular Hardee’s Restaurants Symphony in Lights will be harmonizing at the south end of the track. Located in the Darrell Waltrip Grandstand, the Hardee’s Restaurants Symphony in Lights showcases more than 300,000 lights all coordinated to flicker and flash to the tunes of festive holiday tunes.
And how can we forget? As you drive your car into the Christmas Village, you will be driving on NASCAR hallowed ground, as you take a victory lap around Bristol Motor Speedway, the half-mile bullring where so much racing action has happened over the years. Enjoy that epic ride as you check out the ultra-tall concrete banking up close.
No. 4 – Shave some Ice with Family and Friends
No trip to Food City Speedway In Lights can be complete without heading over to the north side of the campus and lacing up your blades of fury (that’s ice skates in common lingo). Located at BMS Entrance No. 1, the Tri-Cities Airport Ice Rink presented by Stateline Services brings joy to all ice-skating enthusiasts. The Ice Rink is open most nights until Sunday, Jan. 11.
At the Tri-Cities Airport Ice Rink you can skate for $12 Mon.-Thurs. and for $15 on Friday-Sunday. The admission price also covers your rental skates. The Ice Rink will be closed on the next two Mondays, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15. Hours of operation vary from day to day, so please review the schedule on the BMS website in advance.
No. 5 – Got to check-in with that Jolly old Elf
As Christmas Eve quickly approaches, you can bet that the jolly old elf from the North Pole – Santa Claus – is going to be busier than ever meeting with families inside the HSN Christmas Village at the Food City Speedway In Lights.
Santa Claus, who has been an important fixture at the signature fundraiser for the Bristol Motor Speedway chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities for nearly three decades, has once again been set up to visit with thousands of children in his wonderfully-decorated Barter Theatre Santa Hut, located in the Goodyear Building between turns 1 and 2. Parents will want to get an official photo of their child’s visit via the GFL Environmental Santa Photo Card.
Children are able to visit with Santa Claus in the Barter Theatre Santa Hut from 6-10 p.m. each night of the Food City Speedway In Lights. Santa will continue to be present at the popular holiday light show each night until Christmas Eve (Wednesday, Dec. 24), when the Barter Theater Santa Hut will close for the season at 9 p.m. Of course, Santa will continue working, just at other locations around the world.
The Food City Speedway In Lights powered by TVA dazzling holiday light display showcases more than 4 million lights spread across 300 displays in a five-mile route that winds through the property alongside historic Bristol Dragway and is highlighted by a festive lap around the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway. The popular light show operates from 6-10 p.m. each night, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The six-week holiday extravaganza is the biggest fundraiser for the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities and since its inception in 1997 has helped SCC-Bristol raise more than $22 million for more than 90 local children’s-based organizations throughout the 18-county region surrounding BMS in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Several Food City Speedway In Lights partners also have custom light displays, including ETSU, Ballad Health, Hardee’s Restaurants, Barter Theatre, BTES, Beech Mountain Resort, which is sponsoring the Snowman Maker, TruShine Car Wash, State Water Heaters and Wendy’s.
The Food City Speedway in Lights will once again feature dynamic pricing for 2025-26, where depending on the night of the week and time of the visit, prices for cars will range between $25-35. Guests are encouraged to check the Food City Speedway In Lights webpage for specific pricing for each night. Visitors should also be on the lookout for several coupons and discounts available Sunday-Thursdays. For larger groups, vans are $60 and buses are $150. Visitors can take advantage of The Fast Lane presented by Tele-Optics, Inc., a speedy $75 option which provides a shorter wait time on select nights when traffic lines get long.
Guests should monitor Food City Speedway In Lights social media channels to be on the lookout for a variety of discount opportunities available through special partners on the following nights: Food City (Sunday); WCYB TV and Wendy’s (Monday); College Night (Tuesday); Southeast Industrial Construction (Wednesday); and Goodwill Industries of Tenneva (Thursday).
The Food City Speedway In Lights is supported by these outstanding media partners: Holston Valley Broadcasting (WTFM Radio 98.5 FM); WCYB TV 5 (NBC); Bristol Herald-Courier newspaper; and Bristol Broadcasting (WAEZ Radio Electric 94.9 FM).
The Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization committed to raising funds for distribution to children-based nonprofit organizations, was established in 1997. Since its inception, the chapter has raised more than $22 million, awarding grants to hundreds of qualified organizations in the 18-county area surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway. The board of trustees for the Bristol Chapter consists of 18 members, a diverse group of individuals from across the region with wide-ranging backgrounds. The trustees, two staff members and more than 300 volunteers are responsible for hosting numerous events at Bristol Motor Speedway and throughout the Bristol (Tennessee/Virginia) community. For more information about the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, visit speedwaycharities.org/bristol.
