DINING
Bristol has a plethora of excellent restaurants in the downtown area, at The Pinnacle, and on the outskirts of downtown.
Downtown restaurants include The Angry Italian, Union 41, 620 State, Machiavelli’s, Bloom Café, Burger Bar, Quaker Steak and Lube, Blackbird Bakery, Bistro on 6th, Bristol Bagel and Bakery, the Blended Pedaler, Cootie Browns, Delta Blues, Southern Craft, The Corner, Shang Hai, State Line, Southern Churn, and Vivian’s Table.
Dining at The Pinnacle includes Outback, Aubrey’s, Drakes, La Caretta, Johnny Brusco’s, Chicken Salad Chick, Buddy’s BBQ, Five Guys, Chick-Fil-A, Chipotle, Waffle House, and many others.
Other Bristol restaurants include J Franks, Mad Greek, Blue Circle, Bristol Barbeque, Applebee’s, Logan’s, Taco Riendo, Cheddar’s, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Cracker Barrell, Red Lobster, and others.
ATTRACTIONS
Bristol is home to the world-famous Bristol Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s most popular race tracks, and it is also known as the Birthplace of Country Music.
BMS, which hosts NASCAR events each March and September, seats well over 150,000 and is one of the largest permanent-seating venues in the world. Bristol Dragway, which adjoins the property, hosts an NHRA event each year and other drag racing events throughout the year.
The track also hosts The Pinnacle Speedway In Lights, a four-mile drive-through holiday light show featuring 2 million lights and hundreds of animated displays. SIL takes place each year from mid-November until the first week of January.
There is also an Ice Skating Rink at BMS that operates at the same time as Speedway In Lights. The rink is open most days, closing only on Mondays for maintenance.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, located in Downtown Bristol, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The award-winning museum tells the story of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions and explores how those recordings helped usher country music into mainstream American music.
Bristol Caverns, one of the largest and beautiful caverns in Tennessee, is a popular spot with visitors to the area. Carved from the core of the earth 200 to 400 million years ago, Bristol Caverns features paved, lighted walkways leading to a magnificent underground river.
Bristol is also home to beautiful South Holston Lake, where boaters, water skiers, hikers, bikers, and campers enjoy one of the state’s most popular bodies of water. The lake provides incredible fishing, particularly for bass, while Holston River is considered one of the top fly fishing waters in the country.
There are also plenty of hiking and biking trails around South Holston Dam, which offers a fantastic view of the lake and surrounding area.
There are a number of parks in Bristol, including Steele Creek Park, one of the largest municipal parks in Tennessee. It features more than 25 miles of challenging trail experiences, surrounded by a 52-acre picturesque lake, as well as an impressive 5,000-square foot nature center. The park also features a nine-hole golf course, paddle boating, disc golf, splash pad, playgrounds, sports fields, lodge, rental and picnic shelters, and the always popular Steele Creek Express, a 24-gauge replica of a steam engine ride for kids.
Sugar Hollow Park features 12 miles of biking and hiking trails, which take you past wetlands and waterfalls while offering stunning views of Mount Rogers and White Top Mountain in the distance. A disc golf course is also part of the 400-acre park, along with a pool, camping, playground, soccer and softball fields, and picnic shelters.
Bristol also offers awesome golfing opportunities at some of the best courses in the region, including The Golf Club of Bristol, Steele Creek Golf Course, The Cedars Golf Course, Tri-Cities Golf Course, Clear Creek Golf Club, The Virginian Golf Club, and The Olde Farm.
For a list of other Bristol attractions, visit https://believeinbristol.org/discover-downtown/attractions
SHOPPING
There’s an array of shopping nearby in Downtown Bristol and also at The Pinnacle, the region’s largest shopping destination.
Downtown Bristol features various men’s and women’s boutiques and a variety of other shops, while The Pinnacle boasts Bass Pro and Belk as anchor stores, to go along with dozens of other stores, which include Marshall’s, Belk, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Loft, and many others. The Pinnacle also features a number of restaurants and the region’s premier theater, Pinnacle 12 – Marquee Cinemas Megaplex.
WHERE TO STAY
Bristol has a variety of hotels for visitors to enjoy.
A couple of boutique hotels are located in Downtown Bristol (The Sessions, The Bristol), just five minutes from Viking Hall. There are a several hotels near The Pinnacle, which include Fairfield Inn and Suites and The Hampton Inn. Hotels at Exit 7, right off I-81 in Bristol, Va., include Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn.
To learn more about places to stay in Bristol, visit https://explorebristol.com/lodging/