The Food City Speedway In Lights powered by TVA will open for its 29th season of spreading holiday cheer across the Appalachian Highlands Region on Friday, Nov. 21, and will run until Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.
The 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.
Opening night is always a blast and guests who have never experienced the first night are encouraged to attend. The Food City Speedway In Lights will be officially launched by SCC-Bristol executive director Claudia Byrd with assistance from Food City executives and WCYB TV 5 news anchor Casey Goetz. Once Byrd waves the green flag at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, an incredible fireworks show presented by Ruby Falls will follow while members of a local marching band perform holiday tunes. Santa Claus will also be on hand to ride in the Food City Speedway In Lights-wrapped BMS Pace Car as the official first car to tour the route.
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 $21 million for the nearly 80 local children’s-based organizations throughout the 18-county region surrounding BMS in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
The Food City Speedway In Lights will be headlined this season by the brand-new Santa’s Beach Party themed displays.
Food City, entering its second year as entitlement partner for Speedway In Lights, has been a prolific partner with BMS for more than three decades and their association is anchored by their 35-year racing entitlements, the Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, April 12, 2026, and the Food City 300 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, Sept. 18, 2026.
Longtime SCC-Bristol executive director Byrd continues to be energized by hundreds of dedicated staff and countless volunteers who make the Food City Speedway In Lights come alive each year. She also continues to be humbled by the primary mission of the event.
“The most wonderful thing about the Food City Speedway In Lights is the opportunities it creates for families and friends to get together and enjoy a night out during each holiday season to create some amazing memories,” Byrd said. “And also watching a child’s face light up as they look with wonderment at the beautiful lights or have a special visit with Santa Claus.”
In addition to the new Santa’s Beach Party displays, the route will continue to offer many of its longtime favorites, including The Twelve Days of Christmas, Ripley’s Sea of Illumination, NASCAR Pit Stop, Dinosaur Land, the beautiful Candelabra, Drag Cars, Victorian Village, Snowman Maker, the Nativity Scene presented by Visit My Smokies and Toy Land.
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.
About mid-way through the route, guests will have the opportunity to stop in the BMS oval infield and visit the popular Home Shopping Network (HSN) Appalachian country-themed Christmas Village, to take advantage of photo opportunities in front of several special holiday displays, roast marshmallows over an open fire, shop with a variety of local vendors and check out some great arts and crafts. Several family-friendly midway rides will be available, including back by popular demand is the Eastman Credit Union Mega Slide. Standing tall along the frontstretch, the side-by-side slides will 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.
While you are in the HSN Christmas Village, you will be entertained by the popular Hardee’s Restaurants presents the Symphony in Lights, located in the Darrell Waltrip Grandstands. The popular attraction returns to showcase more than 300,000 lights all coordinated to flicker and flash to the tunes of festive holiday music.
Another major attraction in the HSN Christmas Village is the Barter Theatre Santa Hut. Children will be able to visit with Santa and have that very important talk about Christmas gifts. Parents will want to get an official photo of that conversation via the GFL Environmental Santa Photo Card.
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.
After touring the Food City Speedway in Lights presented by TVA, guests are encouraged to visit the Tri-Cities Airport Ice Rink at Bristol Motor Speedway presented by Stateline Services. Located at BMS Entrance No. 1, the Tri-Cities Airport Ice Rink at Bristol Motor Speedway presented by Stateline Services returns to bring joy to local ice-skating enthusiasts. The Ice Rink will open on Thursday, Nov. 20 and run until Sunday, Jan. 11. Hours of operation vary from day to day, so please review the schedule on the BMS website in advance.
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 holiday festivities will officially kick off at BMS with the 15th annual Mycroft Signs Speedway in Lights 5K presented by Fleet Feet on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. All participants who pre-register will receive an event t-shirt and there will be pizza provided by Dominos and drinks for those who cross the HomeTrust Bank Finish Line. To register, please visit the SCC-Bristol website.
About Food City
Having served their friends and neighbors for over 100 years, Food City is proud to be locally owned and operated. Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, the company currently operates 164 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. Food City is proud to be Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest running sponsor and the second-longest in NASCAR. Food City is the official supermarket of Bristol Motor Speedway and the University of Tennessee Athletics. The company also serves as the Corporate Champion for the University of Tennessee Athletics with the naming rights of the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center and is a major corporate partner for several other local athletic programs, including East Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For more information, visit their website at www.foodcity.com.
About Speedway Children’s Charities Bristol Chapter
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 $21 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.
