☀️ Today’s Weather
Foggy skies today with a high of 86°F and a low of 67°F. Just a 1% chance of rain — grab a light jacket for the morning fog and enjoy the warmth this afternoon.
😄 Only in Kingsport
Kingsport has a Live-Fire Training Building, a Children’s Crisis Walk-In Center, an otter habitat under construction, and In-N-Out Burger reportedly on the way. The Model City doesn’t just plan for the future — it apparently schedules it all for the same fiscal year.
🧠 Trivia Q&A
Question: What Kingsport neighborhood name is also familiar as the name of a major local road?
Answer at the bottom of today’s newsletter.
🔝 Top Stories
🏆 Kingsport’s Ken Bates Named Franchisee of the Year
Kingsport restaurant entrepreneur Ken Bates has been named Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association, with the organization citing his business success and mentorship of other owners. Bates operates several Eggs Up Grill locations throughout Tennessee and North Carolina, including spots in Bristol, Virginia, and Johnson City. Bates is already looking ahead, with plans for two additional restaurants this year and five more across North Carolina.
Know a Local Business That Should Be Here?
If you send us a business that becomes a sponsor, we’ll pay you $50 for it. No cap, no catch. Just hit reply with their name and we’ll take it from there. (We still make the final call on fit, same as any other pitch.)
📅 Upcoming Events
Event details are pulled from public listings and can change. Please confirm dates and times on the official event page before making plans.
👕 SMILE Foster Closet Fall Rummage Sale — Sept 18–19, 2026
Friday, Sept 18, 5:00–7:00 PM | Saturday, Sept 19, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
Waverly Road Presbyterian Church, 1415 Waverly Rd, Kingsport
A clothing rummage sale benefiting local foster families through SMILE Foster Closet. Clothes are $5 for a stuff-a-bag and shoes are $2 a pair, with sizes from infant to adult. Foster families shop free (check in with a volunteer first). All proceeds go to SMILE Foster Closet.
🎵 Scenic Planetarium Yoga — Saturday, September 19, 2026
Saturday, Sept 19, 10:00 AM
Bays Mountain Park, 853 Bays Mountain Park Rd, Kingsport
A yoga session held inside the Bays Mountain Park planetarium, combining a scenic setting with wellness practice.
🎤 UNSPOKEN Concert — Thursday, September 17, 2026
Thursday, Sept 17, 7:00 PM
140 Broad St, Kingsport, TN
A live concert featuring the Christian rock band UNSPOKEN at a downtown Kingsport venue.
🎶 Tennessee Lit Con 2026 — September 25–26, 2026
Friday, Sept 25, 10:00 AM – Saturday, Sept 26
MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center, Kingsport
The second annual Tennessee Lit Con is a two-day event featuring 100 authors, 20 vendors, 5 narrators, and more.
🌾 Exchange Place Fall Folk Arts Festival — September 26–27, 2026
Saturday, Sept 26, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM | Sunday, Sept 27, 12:00–5:00 PM
Exchange Place Living History Farm, Kingsport
The farmstead celebrates pioneer arts and crafts and the harvest season with its 53rd Fall Folk Arts Festival, featuring artisans demonstrating and selling traditional folk arts, vendors selling autumn plants and seasonal crafts, old-time music, food, children’s activities, and demonstrations of fall activities including sorghum making, gourd crafting, blacksmithing, and open hearth cooking. Admission is $5, with those under 12 admitted free.
More info at exchangeplacetn.org
🏓 Champions of the Court Pickleball Tournament — Starting September 14, 2026
Mondays, 6:00 PM–8:00 PM beginning September 14, 2026
Kingsport Parks and Recreation
Kingsport Parks and Recreation is accepting registrations for its Champions of the Court pickleball tournament, a four-week event taking place on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning September 14.
🤝 Community Partners
🧠 Trivia Answer
Lynn Garden, a Kingsport neighborhood whose name is also carried by a well-known road running through that part of the city.