☀️ Today’s Weather
Foggy today with a high of 89°F and a low of 66°F. 17% chance of rain.
😄 Only in Kingsport
Kingsport has a no-cost food pantry, a world-class chemical company, a wolf habitat at a city park, and is now fielding an In-N-Out Burger application. The Model City has always had an unusual range of résumé items.
🧠 Trivia Q&A
Question: What Kingsport-associated inventor is credited with Super Glue?
Answer at the bottom of today’s newsletter.
🔝 Top Stories
Hope Helps Tennessee to Host Fall Festival Hoedown — Today!
Hope Helps Tennessee, a no-cost food pantry and clothing closet serving the Kingsport community, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Fall Festival Hoedown. The event takes place September 19th from 3–7 PM at 4540 W. Stone Dr., Kingsport, and will feature food, music, games, and more. It’s a free community celebration honoring a decade of volunteer-powered service to local neighbors.
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.)
Kingsport Cultural Arts Announces Mobile Art Classes
Kingsport Cultural Arts has recently announced the launch of a new Mobile Art Classes program. The initiative is designed to bring art instruction directly into the community, expanding access to creative programming for Kingsport residents. Visit the city’s website for details on schedules, locations, and how to participate.
Tri-Cities Card Show Coming to Kingsport Today
The Tri Cities Card Show is taking place Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, TN. The event is organized by Cards On Deck Events and features sports, Pokémon, and trading card games from across East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Attendees under 15 are always admitted free.
Park After Dark Returns to Bays Mountain Park This October
Park After Dark 2026 will be a one-of-a-kind celebration taking place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 24 at Bays Mountain Park. Guests will enjoy moonlight walks, barge rides, stargazing, trick-or-treating, and a Halloween-themed laser show in the planetarium. Visitors can also trick-or-treat with animal ambassadors, paint a Halloween pumpkin to take home, and gather at the wolf habitat for wolf folklore storytelling and a group howl. Food trucks will be on-site as well.
Robotics Team Achieves Long-Awaited Win, Headed to State Championship
A local robotics team has secured a long-awaited victory and earned a berth in the state championship, marking a significant milestone for the program. The story highlights the dedication and persistence of the students involved. Visit the Times News for full details on the team and their achievement.
📅 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.
Tennessee Lit Con 2026
Date/Time: Friday–Saturday, September 25–26, 2026 | Starting 10:00 AM
Location: MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center, Kingsport
Tennessee Lit Con is back for year two as a two-day event, bringing authors, narrators, and vendors together. The event will feature 100 authors, 20 vendors, and 5 narrators. The schedule includes exclusive VIP signing hours, general admission signing hours, author panels, and after-parties. Visit the Eventbrite page for tickets and the full schedule.
Exchange Place Fall Folk Arts Festival 2026
Date/Time: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM | Sunday, September 27, 2026, 12:00–5:00 PM
Location: Exchange Place Living History Farm, Kingsport
The farmstead celebrates pioneer arts and crafts and the harvest season with its 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 including sorghum making, gourd crafting, blacksmithing, and open hearth cooking. Admission is $5, with those under 12 admitted free.
Folkfest Fall Shindig
Date/Time: Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 10:00 AM
Location: 140 Broad Street, Kingsport, TN
The Folkfest Fall Shindig is a fall folk music and community gathering in downtown Kingsport. Visit the event page for full details on performers and activities.
Park After Dark 2026 — Bays Mountain Park
Date/Time: Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport
Park After Dark 2026 features moonlight walks, barge rides, stargazing, trick-or-treating, and a Halloween-themed laser show in the planetarium. Visitors can trick-or-treat with animal ambassadors, paint a Halloween pumpkin to take home, and gather at the wolf habitat for wolf folklore and a group howl. Food trucks will be on-site. Come in costume and bring your flashlight.
🤝 Community Partners
🧠 Trivia Answer
Harry Coover, a chemist who worked at Eastman in Kingsport and accidentally discovered the adhesive properties of cyanoacrylate that became known as Super Glue.