Bristol's 150th birthday was celebrated in style at the Sesquicentennial Ball held at The Country Club of Bristol (The Club) Nov. 4, 2006. There was great food, great music, and most of all, a great sense of pride in our city as the year-long Sesquicentennial celebration draws to a close.
The Ball was a multi-generational event which appealed to party-goers ranging in age from twenty-something to over ninety. Whether young, or young at heart, guests enthusiastically took to the dance floor to the strains of The Charles Goodwin Orchestra's wonderful selection of timeless musical favorites. To pay homage to Bristol's place in country music's history, the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass Band was also on hand to treat guests to a variety of bluegrass classics. Their rousing tunes brought some fun-loving "flat-footers" to the dance floor to everyone's delight.
The evening offered something for everyone and guests came not only from Bristol, but from all over the Tri-Cites region, to be a part of this historic event. Corporate sponsor King Pharmaceuticals, along with media sponsors WCYB and Bristol Herald Courier, helped make the Ball a memorable evening in Bristol's history.
At the request of the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee, Arts Alliance Mountain Empire worked several months to plan the Ball. "It was an honor to work together with so many volunteers to make the Sesquicentennial Ball one of the glittering highlights of Bristol's year-long birthday celebration," said Dee Sproll, AAME President. Tim Buchanan, Steering Committee Chairman, was equally pleased with the event. Tim is now concentrating on the closing ceremonies that will culminate in the dedication of a time capsule and celebration along State Street on December 30. Look in the December issue of A! Magazine for the Arts for more details.
AAME was founded in 2003 as an arts council serving artists, arts organizations, and other cultural endeavors in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. AAME is the publisher of A! Magazine for the Arts, now in its 12th year, and Our Cultural Crossroads, a visitor's guide to the Mountain Empire region. AAME worked diligently with the cities of Bristol Tennessee and Virginia in 2006 to bring Art in Public Places to downtown Bristol, and has recently formed a new committee to enhance art opportunities for youth.
