Joshua Moore, Author at Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine

Have you ever wanted to dress up in a wacky Christmas outfit and run a 5k through 2 million lights and finish on one of the most famous NASCAR tracks? Well, here’s your chance. Bristol Motor Speedway puts on a crazy Christmas 5k Run/Walk through its Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Each year, moms pushing strollers, grandparents, young kids, and athletes line up to make their way through more than 250 festive displays along the Bristol Dragway and inside The Last Great Colosseum, dressed up in their favorite Christmas outfits. Racers run as Santa, Christmas presents, reindeer, the Grinch, elves and even a Christmas tree. The Speedway in Lights 5k is wonderful kickoff to the holiday season and a great way to support local kids in the region. 100% of the money raised goes back into the community; in fact, they have raised nearly 14 million dollars over the years, awarding grants to hundreds of qualified organizations in the 18-county surrounding area. All of the money raised doesn’t just come from the Speedway in Lights 5k; they also have another Christmas tradition that goes on throughout the holiday season, The Pinnacle Speedway in Lights. The Speedway in Lights allows you to drive through the course that took BMS volunteers eight weeks to create. Near the end of the course, you get to drive onto The World’s Fastest Half Mile, but don’t expect to run like Dale Earnhardt; it is just a Christmas lightshow after all, but it’s fun to pretend. Once you make into the stadium, you are greeted with a symphony of lights, all synchronized to holiday music. 300,000 of them! You can also pull into the popular Christmas presented by Eastman Credit Union, enjoy Christmas carolers, Christmas baked goods, hop on some great carnival rides and take photos with your favorite characters. The Pinnacle Speedway In Lights costs $15 per car Sundays-Thursdays and $20 per car on Friday and Saturday nights. On busy nights, visitors can take advantage of Jingle Bell Lane, which provides a shorter wait time for entry. Tickets for the “fast pass” option are $45. Please remember however, that all of the money goes back into the community, 100% of it!

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