The state of Tennessee continues to be one of the fastest growing states in the country, consistently ranking in the top ten states for population growth. For people looking for a rural lifestyle, to be a part of a bustling city, or somewhere in between, East Tennessee has a place where everyone can feel at home. With nine offices across East Tennessee and a devotion to not only serving, but being a part of their communities, CENTURY 21 Legacy and its agents are able to guide newcomers during their transition to this beautiful state. To learn more about each city, you can read our East Tennessee Welcome Guide for information on history, dining, events, and more!
CENTURY 21 Legacy sat down with Taran Christiansen, Sports Manager at Visit Kingsport, and Madison Potter, the Marketing and Administrative Coordinator at Your Kingsport Chamber to highlight why Kingsport stands out for its community, business, and overall spirit.
Why should people visit Kingsport?
Kingsport’s location offers easy access to a variety of activities. The city is home to Bays Mountain Park, the largest city-owned park in the state of Tennessee, featuring an animal sanctuary, hiking and mountain biking trails, fishing, barge rides, and a state-of-the-art planetarium. Downtown Kingsport also offers diverse dining and shopping options, as well as frequent community events like the Twilight Alive Concert Series on Friday nights in the summer or other various festivals throughout the year.
Why should people move to Kingsport?
There are numerous things to point to as a reason to move to Kingsport. There is no state income tax in the state of Tennessee and Kingsport boasts one of the top school systems in the state, with Dobyns Bennett High School ranked 19th among public schools in the state of Tennessee. Madison Potter had this to say about the mix of everything Kingsport has to offer:
“Kingsport has 57,000 people but it still feels community built. We get all four seasons and have tons of unique small businesses that makes it such a great place to put roots down personally and professionally.”
What makes Kingsport special?
While no state income tax and one of the top school systems in the state are easy enticements to want to call Kingsport home, the people are what truly make Kingsport a great place to live. Taran Christiansen summed it up as such:
“The reason to move here is the people and the overall sense of community. I have lived in Johnson City and Bristol as well, and the people just rally differently here, you are fully immersed in the community.”
She continued by discussing the strong entrepreneurial spirit that is evident in the city too. Eastman Chemical and Domtar may dominate the headlines, but the hundreds of small businesses based in Kingsport give the city a strong business-oriented mindset and close-knit community between them, even as new generations begin to step in and take over operations.
What is something about Kingsport that you think a lot of people don’t know?
Both Potter and Christiansen pointed to the deep historical roots of Kingsport as something people are typically not aware of. There is the Allendale Mansion, Netherland Inn, the start of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail, Exchange Place, and so much more. Kingsport even claims to be the home of the original Long Island Iced Tea.
Kingsport earned the nickname “The Model City” in the early 1900’s due to the thorough planning and design that went into how the city would be laid out. Housing, commerce, industry, churches, and more were meticulously planned out and organized into sections to provide a blueprint for future city layouts. It also featured some of the earliest use of roundabouts in the United States, the most famous being Church Circle in downtown Kingsport.
What are some of the top events hosted in Kingsport?
Visit Kingsport and the Kingsport Chamber provide year-round events centered around all interests from food and drink, music, sports, animals, the arts, and more! Racks by the Tracks is a BBQ competition hosted in the fall where attendees can taste and vote on the best ribs and sauces from food trucks and restaurants in the region. It also includes a beer tasting, barbecue tasting, and a cornhole tournament. Kingsport’s Aquatic Center and athletic facilities also host all kinds of youth to collegiate sporting events, including multiple AAC Championships and the first round of the NAIA Baseball National Championships.
Santa’s Depot is set up near Christmas time with treats, live animals, and the arrival of the Santa Train. Other events include Red, White, and Boom, the yearly Independence Day concert in Downtown Kingsport, and Annual Dinner, the single-largest annual Chamber dinner event in the country, drawing over 1,700 attendees. However, the largest event Kingsport hosts is Fun Fest, which runs from mid-to-late July.
What is Fun Fest?
Fun Fest first started in 1981 as a community-building event focused on promoting the “Kingsport Spirit” and unity for people in the greater Kingsport area. It has since grown to a nine-day event, encompassing over fifty locations and more than one hundred events all across the city of Kingsport, bringing in over 80,000 people over the duration of the event.
The mid-July event begins with a parade on the first Friday and rolls into tons of events across the city like: the Crazy 8’s 8K Run, volleyball and pickleball tournaments, a medallion hunt, kid-centric activities, an evening hot air balloon glow, and so much more before concluding with three nights of concerts. The full event schedule can be found here. This year’s event kicks off Friday, July 17th with the parade and runs until Saturday, July 26th when Brothers Osborne and Leann Rimes conclude the Sunset Concert Series at J. Fred Johnson Stadium.
How would you spend the day in Kingsport if you were hosting friends?
The day would start at the Farmers Market right downtown and get a coffee from Early Bird’s Coffee Company before perusing the shops downtown. When it comes to food in Kingsport, it is hard to go wrong according to Potter:
“We have anything you crave…Thai, pizza, Italian, and a plethora of barbecue that is all good. Even our fast food is good with Pals! I love all of our small business restaurants, pretty much anything downtown is delicious.”
Despite the abundance of food options, Christiansen and Potter both agreed that the Stir Fry Cafe on Broad Street is where they would both opt to go for lunch. The afternoon could be spent at any of Kingsport’s parks or nature activities like Warriors’ Path State Park or the Greenbelt walking trails. The evening would conclude at High Voltage downtown for food and drinks and enjoy live music or whatever activities they have going on that evening.
If you are ready to make the move to Kingsport, you can call our Kingsport office on Fort Henry Drive at (423) 239-6112 or our Relocation Department at (423) 247-8107 for any real estate help you need! More information on Kingsport and other major cities across the region can be found in our East Tennessee Welcome Guide.
CENTURY 21 Legacy has nine offices across East Tennessee with service spanning from Chattanooga to Southwest Virginia. We have been consistently recognized as a Top Workplace by Knox News and are the #1 ranked CENTURY 21 in the state of Tennessee. Each office is independently owned and operated. You can find active listings, blog posts, how to join CENTURY 21 Legacy, and more on our website!
© 2024 Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license by CENTURY 21 affiliated franchise. All rights reserved. CENTURY 21®, C21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. CENTURY 21 affiliated franchisee fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. If you become an independent sales associate affiliated with a CENTURY 21 franchised office, you have a variety of resources, tools, technologies and educational opportunities available to you, including programs and materials. Use of any such materials and any related programs are not mandatory but instead are completely voluntary for you to use at your discretion if they fit your business needs. No tool or program described in herein is intended to imply or create an employment relationship with any CENTURY 21 franchisee or with Century 21 Real Estate LLC.
93 N Rufe Taylor Rd | Greeneville, TN 37745
© 2024 Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license by CENTURY 21 affiliated franchise. All rights reserved. CENTURY 21®, C21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. CENTURY 21 affiliated franchisee fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. If you become an independent sales associate affiliated with a CENTURY 21 franchised office, you have a variety of resources, tools, technologies and educational opportunities available to you, including programs and materials. Use of any such materials and any related programs are not mandatory but instead are completely voluntary for you to use at your discretion if they fit your business needs. No tool or program described in herein is intended to imply or create an employment relationship with any CENTURY 21 franchisee or with Century 21 Real Estate LLC.
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