One of the most magical family traditions in the Appalachian Highlands illuminates in its 29th season tonight, as the spectacular Food City Speedway In Lights powered by TVA continues to spread holiday cheer to children in need throughout the 18-county region in both Southwestern Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, surrounding the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway.
Long hailed as a premier holiday destination, the Food City Speedway in Lights powered by TVA is comprised of a dazzling holiday light show that sparkles with a wide variety of joyful displays that winds throughout the Speedway’s sprawling campus. The light show is open from 6-10 p.m. nightly.
Here's a look at this year’s Food City Speedway In Lights, by the numbers:
22,000,000 – Since starting the Bristol chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities in 1996 and the start of the Food City Speedway In Lights in 1997, the SCC-Bristol chapter has raised over $22 million through its variety of annual charity events, with the biggest continuing to be the Food City Speedway In Lights. The money has been distributed annually to more than 90 child-based agencies throughout the 18 counties and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia that surround the Bristol Motor Speedway.
4,000,000 – Add them all up and this is the total number of holiday lights spread across the sprawling Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway campus that illuminates the route for the Food City Speedway In Lights.
300,000 – The popular Hardee’s Restaurants Symphony in Lights, is located in the Darrell Waltrip Grandstand on the south end of the track. All the lights flicker and flash to the sounds and beats of your holiday favorite music.
35,000 – The average number of marshmallows roasted over the open fire in the popular Christmas Village per season during the Food City Speedway In Lights. The record number of marshmallows for a single year was 52,555 in 2001, and the most roasted and consumed in a single night was 2,805, also in 2001.
2,341 – The record for a single night of Food City Speedway In Lights guests, set in 2014, two nights before Christmas Eve.
1,225 – Record for a single night of Santa visits in the Barter Theatre Santa Hut during Food City Speedway In Lights, set in 2015.
300 – The tradition-rich Food City Speedway In Lights showcases an abundance of festive displays throughout the five-plus mile route. Some of the favorites include: The Twelve Days of Christmas, Ripley’s Sea of Illumination, TruShine CarWash, 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.
150 – The Food City Speedway in Lights utilizes energy-efficient LED lighting for its roadway lighting and massive displays. The total amount of wiring used to connect all of those lights is approximately 150 miles of wiring, which would stretch from Bristol Motor Speedway well past Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
60 – The total number of BMS employees who participated in two “Bulb Days” to assist with hanging the lights all around the Bristol Motor Speedway/Dragway property. During the two days all BMS employees spend the full day helping hang Christmas lights and get the facility ready for the spectacular showcase of lights. The hard-working BMS Operations Team gets the credit for hanging the majority of the lights and is a project that they begin working on in early September.
44 – From opening night on Friday, Nov. 21 until the final day, Saturday, Jan. 3, the Food City Speedway In Lights is open for a grand total of 44 nights in parts of three months, from 6-10 p.m. each night.
29 – What SCC-Bristol Executive Director Claudia Byrd called a “little light show” way back during the inaugural year in 1997, has blossomed into an amazing tradition for many families who continue to make a visit to Food City Speedway In Lights a part of their annual holiday plans year after year. This season the brilliantly illuminated wonderland of lights celebrates its 29th anniversary.
22 – Five years into the Food City Speedway In Lights the team at SCC-Bristol decided to add an ice-skating rink in 2002 that continues today to be a popular highlight of the winter events program. Located at BMS Entrance 1 by the It’s Bristol Baby monument, the Tri-Cities Airport Ice Rink at Bristol Motor Speedway presented by Stateline Services is open thru Jan. 11. The rink provides a ton of fun for the entire family and certainly brings plenty of joy to many local ice-skating enthusiasts. Hours of operation vary from day to day, and the rink is closed on a few Mondays, so please review the schedule on the BMS website in advance.
14 – There are 14 vendors set up in the Appalachian-themed Christmas Village presented by HSN that offer a wide range of arts and crafts, souvenirs and yummy goodies. Some of the top items include handmade signs, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, candles, funnel cakes, fried desserts, hamburgers, pizza, kettle corn and homemade hot chocolate.
12 – There are a dozen corporate partners of Food City Speedway In Lights that have custom displays including ETSU, Ballad Health, Hardee’s Restaurants, HSN, King University, Southeast Industrial Construction, Barter Theatre, Beech Mountain Resort, Tri Cities Airport, TruShine Car Wash, Wendy’s and the Bristol Herald-Courier.
7 – Some special upcoming dates for the Food City Speedway In Lights to circle on your calendar is when the Fast Lane presented by Tele-Optics will be available. The speedy option costs $75 per car and provides a much shorter wait time for guests on the busiest nights. Reservations are recommended for this option via the online system. Dates for the Fast Lane presented by Tele-Optics are Dec. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26 and 27. Guests are encouraged to book their Fast Lane tickets in advance on the BMS website.
6 – In addition to visiting with Santa inside the Christmas Village in the Barter Theatre Santa Hut, kids will also have the chance to enjoy some thrills on some great amusement rides. This year there are six rides available, including the Giant Carousel, Renegade Pirate Ship, Scooters Bumper Cars, Pepper Patch, Eastman Credit Union Mega Slide, and the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. Individual ride tickets are sold separately inside the Village.
5.35 – Distance in miles, the total route for the Food City Speedway In Lights around the Bristol Motor Speedway/Dragway property.
3 – There are several fun photo stations for guests to take advantage of as they visit the Christmas Village presented by HSN; A beautiful Christmas Sleigh in front of a trio of Christmas Trees is one of the centerpiece shots; the waiting room for the Barter Theatre Santa hut was designed by HSN and looks like a warmly decorated living room in a house in the countryside; and finally, the huge Giant green Christmas Tree that sits in the middle of the village is another of the preferred shots. Guests are encouraged to share their images through their social media pages and please tags #SpeedwayInLights and #ItsBristolBaby.
2 – A tour of the Food City Speedway In Lights grants you the opportunity to take your personal vehicle on two of the most storied motorsports venues in the United States, the iconic all-concrete high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway, where so much NASCAR history has been made, and on both return roads of the historic Bristol Dragway, better known as Thunder Valley, where the stars of NHRA Championship Drag Racing have made some of their most memorable performances.
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. For more information about the Food City Speedway In Lights powered by TVA, please visit the BMS website. For information about the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, visit speedwaycharities.org/bristol.
