Guests who visit the Food City Speedway In Lights at Bristol Motor Speedway this year for the famed light show’s 28th season, will be entertained by several new attractions that have been added to the tradition-rich holiday extravaganza.
First up, the show has added more than 40 new large light displays in the Santa’s Safari collection. The festive LED displays offer a tropical glance at Santa’s travels with some large colorful sets depicting elephants, giraffes, large trees and exotic birds, among other safari wildlife.
For guests who prefer thrill-seeking adventures, two new attractions in the HSN Christmas Village are sure to get the adrenaline flowing.
The Turbo Tube Slide presented by State Water Heaters will certainly energize your group during your visit. The tall, side-by-side slides will allow friends, family members and rivals alike to take on the Turbo Slide in a downhill race. In addition, the tubes on the slide allows each guest to spin as they descend down the slope.
Finally, those who are skilled at solving mysteries will love the challenge offered by the new SnowMazing presented by Healing Hydration. The 2,000-square foot inflatable maze has entrance and exit doors aligned next to each other on the front side. Once a person or group enters SnowMazing, it will be up to those individuals to have the navigation skills to work their way through the maze and ultimately locate the exit.
“We are really pleased with our new Santa Safari light display collection that offers such a beautiful array of light structures set along that theme,” said Betsy Holleman, senior manager of events and development for Bristol’s chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. “The kids who make a stop in the HSN Christmas Village this year are really enjoying their time riding on the Turbo Tube Slide presented by State Water Heaters and also trying to unlock the secrets of the new SnowMazing presented by Healing Hydration. Both attractions have proven to be perfect fits for our infield fun zone.”
In addition to those new attractions, the dazzling holiday light display showcases more than 3 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 seven-week holiday extravaganza is the major 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 100 local children’s-based organizations throughout the 18-county region surrounding BMS in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
In addition to the new displays being introduced this year, the route will continue to offer many of its longtime favorites, including The Twelve Days of Christmas, Ripley’s Sea of Illumination, Mycroft Signs Race to Space, NASCAR Pit Stop, Dinosaur Land, the beautiful Candelabra, Drag Cars, Victorian Village, Beech Mountain Resort Snowman Maker, the Nativity Scene presented by Visit My Smokies and Toy Land.
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 and the kids will also get to visit with Santa Claus in the Barter Theatre Santa Hut.
While you are in the HSN Christmas Village, you will be entertained by the popular 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.
The Food City Speedway in Lights has added new dynamic pricing for 2024, where depending on the night of the week and time of the visit, prices for cars will range between $20-35. Guests are encouraged to check the Food City Speedway In Lights webpage for specific pricing for each night. Visitors should also be aware of several coupons and discounts available Sunday-Thursdays. For larger groups, vans are $85 and buses are $150. Visitors can take advantage of The Fast Lane presented by Citi, 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 remains open until Sunday, Jan. 12. 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: WCYB and Food City (Sunday); Wendy’s (Monday); Southeast Industrial Construction (Tuesday); Hardee’s Restaurants (Wednesday); and Goodwill Industries of Tenneva (Thursday).
