Racks by the Tracks returns to Kingsport for its 17th year in 2025. Hosted at the Kingsport Farmers Market, the day-long festival features live music, a BBQ competition, beer tasting, carousel rides and a 5K and 10K road race. First held in 2008, Racks by the Tracks continues to grow each year. Whether you enjoy the food, the music or the outdoor vibes, Racks by the Tracks has something everyone can enjoy.
If you’re a foodie…
For those looking to enjoy great food, the BBQ Competition will give attendees an opportunity to taste the best barbecue from restaurants, food trucks and teams from across the region. Each attendee can cast their vote for People’s Choice awards. No ticket is required to access this section of the festival. Don’t dig ribs? Craft beer isn’t your thing? Don’t worry! We’ll have plenty of food and soda products on site for every taste. In addition to ribs offered by competitors, we will offer festival favorites like pulled pork and beef brisket (with sides), kettle corn, ice cream and more. Beverage options will include beer, seltzer and cider from the major breweries, along with an assortment of soda products! (Food is not included in a ticket cost and must be purchased separately.) Bring your appetite, a few bucks, a shirt that hides BBQ sauce and you’ll be in hog heaven!
If you’re a music lover…
Racks by the Tracks offers an afternoon of live music. Entertainment on the Honda Kingsport Stage will feature headliner, The Kentucky Headhunters. Music kicks-off at 12:30 p.m. with country cover band, Smokey Jones & The 3 Dollar Pistols. At 3 p.m., Music City Stones, a Rolling Stones Tribute band, will take the stage. The Kentucky Headhunters kick off their show at 6 p.m. The concert area is general admission and attendees are encouraged to bring a chair. Food and drinks can be purchased and brought in to the concert area.
Declared ‘the great American rock ‘n’ roll band’ by Billboard magazine, The Kentucky Headhunters began their professional journey in 1968, when brothers Fred and Richard Young and cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney formed the Southern blues-rock band Itchy Brother. The band morphed into The Kentucky Headhunters in 1986. Their first album, 1989’s Pickin’ On Nashville, was released by Mercury Records and surprised the world, becoming a hit and selling more than two million copies. The album won a Grammy Award, three Country Music Awards, an American Music Award and an Academy Of Country Music Award. It spawned four consecutive Top 40 Country hits. Currently, the band is made up of Richard Young, Fred Young, Greg Martin and Doug Phelps.
Music City Stones is a Rolling Stones Tribute band based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2004 by lead singer, Louis Lee Napolitano, Music City Stones prides itself on integrity of the musicianship along with Louis Lee’s spot on rendition of Mick Jagger. The band has played across Hard Rock Casinos, Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, and everything in between.
Smokey Jones & The 3 Dollar Pistols are not your average country band. They are swash buckling, bull riding, honky tonk legends in the making. The band has toured relentlessly for seven years and opened for many country music stars like Brooks and Dunn, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Dailey and Vincent and more. The Jones boys pay an honest tribute to classic country and honky tonk music. One of the few bands left with pedal steel and twangy guitars, they will take you on a ride through decades of country sounds.
If you’re a libation enthusiast…
The Racks by the Tracks Tasting Event, presented by Allandale Package Store, will feature around 100 unique craft beers, wines, seltzers and sangrias. Tickets for this year’s tasting event is all-inclusive, giving you access to sample all of the available beverages and entry to the concerts. Racks by the Tracks showcases some of the most interesting and tasty craft beers from around the world for you to sample. As we do each year, in 2025 we will have beers never featured at Racks, including some gluten-frees, sour beers, beers made exclusively for Racks and our cider selection! In addition to many wines, we will have an expanded number of seltzers this year! During the tasting, we utilize one-time use plastic cups but before you leave, attendees can pick up their exclusive souvenir glass to take home. The tasting event runs from 2-6 p.m. so you’ll have four hours to sample and listen to the concerts.
Here are some of the features to this year’s Racks by the Tracks Libation Station Tasting Event:
- Large area! We set up many of our breweries/wineries outside of the Farmers Market building, creating a huge area for walking around inside and out.
- Direct line of sight and sound to the stage! The area is large enough that you’ll be able to see the stage from the tasting area. You can listen to music and sample drinks at the same time.
- Bring friends and family in with you! Kids 10 and under are free to everything. Children 11-15 can accompany you into the beer tasting event as long as they have a concert ticket. Designated driver passes are also available that day, providing concert admission and entry into the tasting event.
If you’re an athlete…
Returning for its 12th year is the Racks by the Tracks 10K and 5K Race/Walk presented by Powell Valley National Bank. Along with the energizing environment, one of the draws of this race is that its course is considered the fastest in the region because of how consistently flat it is. This year’s race course will once again give runners the opportunity to compete on different sections of Kingsport’s Greenbelt. Runners seeking a challenge can sign-up for the Boss Hog Challenge. In this unique test of stamina, participants will run both the 10K and 5K races and receive an exclusive Boss Hog Challenger gift.
If you want to bring the whole family…
Looking to bring the family? There will be free activities throughout the day for all to enjoy. The Kingsport Carousel and Park will be open for free rides all day. The vintage, menagerie-style carousel has more than 30 animals ready to take kids of all ages on a spin. Kingsport Carousel’s dogs, cats, dragons, tiger, zebras and horses were hand-carved and hand-painted by more than 300 volunteers. There will be other activities including face painting for kids to enjoy throughout the afternoon. In addition to the bbq vendors, there are a variety of food truck options, like ice cream and hot dogs. Kids 10 and under can also receive free admittance into the concert and beer tasting area if accompanied by an adult.
Ready to plan your trip?
Tickets for Racks by the Tracks are on sale now. From March 7-10, prices are the lowest of the season. There are different types of tickets depending on your interests.
Beverage tasting & concert ticket combo (this is an all-inclusive ticket and gives access to the beer, wine and seltzer tasting tent, as well as all concerts): $35 until March 10, then will increase to $45
Concert only ticket (this ticket provides entry into the staging area for the concerts): $10 until March 10, then will increase to $15.
5K race registration (includes exclusive race shirt, swag items and entrance into the concerts): $20 until March 10, then will increase to $25
10K race registration (includes exclusive race shirt, swag items and entrance into the concerts): $30 until March 10, then will increase to $35
Boss Hog Challenge registration (includes exclusive race shirt, Boss Hog Challenger gift, swag items and entrance into the concerts): $45 until March 10, then will increase to $50
Gather your friends and family and make plans to attend Racks by the Tracks in downtown Kingsport. For more information about Racks by the Tracks or to purchase tickets, click here.
