8th Annual Fall Festival

The Kingsport Farmers Market is hosting its 8th annual Fall Festival next week (October 18) with a variety of vendors, kids activities and a pumpkin carving and painting contest.

The festival will take place 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Kingsport Farmers Market (308 Clinchfield Street) and all events and activities are free and open to the public. The market will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with more than 50 vendors offering a variety of fall produce, baked goods, meats, fresh eggs and crafts.

·         Pumpkin Carving/Painting contest – Pumpkin check-in begins at 8 a.m. and the judging starts at 11 a.m. Entrants must pick up their pumpkins by noon. Enter to win prizes in two categories—Best Carved and Best Decorated—in 12 & under and 13 & up categories.

·         Kids mini-pumpkin painting starting at 9 a.m. (while supplies last).

·         Rotary of Kingsport – Sunrise – will be making and selling apple butter on site.

·         Kingsport Fire Department and the Kingsport Firefighters Association will be on site with their antique fire truck for pictures and will be accepting donations for MDA.

·         Healthy Kingsport will offer various health resources from local non-profit organizations, along withesources along with mobile MARSH blood donation

The market opens at 7 a.m. so come early and get in the fall spirit with the Kingsport Farmers Market. The Kingsport Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, please visit kingsportfarmersmarket.org.

Founded in 1917, the City of Kingsport (pop. 55,400) is located on the Tennessee-Virginia border at the crossroads of I-81 and I-26 near the geographic center of the eastern United States. The city is widely known as a planned community, designed by renowned city planner John Nolen and wrapping around the foot of Bays Mountain – a 3,750-acre park, nature preserve, planetarium and observatory. Kingsport is recognized as an International Safe Community by the National Safety Council, a Healthier Tennessee community, and won the 2009 Harvard Innovations in American Government Award for its higher education initiatives. While many city names are duplicated throughout the U.S., there’s only one Kingsport – a fact that invokes community pride, known locally as the “Kingsport Spirit.” For more information, please visit www.kingsporttn.gov.