The Parks and Recreation Department, with help from the city of Elizabethton and the Chamber of Commerce, will present the recently completed Tweetsie Trail with events inspired by the history, recreation and resources of Carter County to take place throughout the day Sept. 5 and closing with a celebration that night.
Some of the treasures to be highlighted are the Tweetsie Trail, Sycamore Shoals State Park, the Elizabethton Twins, the downtown business district and the variety of lively tourism activities.
“I hope that they can see first and foremeost the treasure of the trail, and also enjoy the chance to meet our community,” Parks and Rec Director Mike Mains said. “Hopefully we’ll have people come from all over the area to this and will see what we have to offer. This event is a way to get to know Elizabethton.”
Opening the trail will be a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Sept. 4 at the Hatcher Lane Trail Head.
Then, beginning the full day of events Saturday will be the noncompetitive Tweetsie Trail Treasure Ride, an opportunity to ride the 10 miles between Hatcher Lane and Legion Street in Johnson City, then back to Hatcher Lane. The ride is free, does not require registration and will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 11. Riders will stop at three depots setup by local bike shops and will receive a token at each, the fourth token being awarded upon return to Hatcher Lane. At the evening Celebration at Elizabethton High School, Treasure Riders with all their tokens will be receive a boarding pass to enter to win a grand prize of cash and other items valued at $500.
At 9 a.m., Elizabethton city officials will compete in a bike challenge against Johnson City officials along a section of the trail beginning at Hatcher Lane and ending at the entrance to the Elizabethton downtown district.
The Tweetsie Trail Treasure Trip is slightly different than the Treasure Ride and will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is free and open to bikers and walkers and does not require registration. Along the entire trail from Hatcher Lane to Legion Street will be stations at which participants can stop and participate in special events and prize drawings. There will be a Golden Trail section from Dixon Park (across from Sycamore Shoals State Park) to Harold McCormick Elementary in which businesses will distribute promotional items and musicians will perform and five historical depots to visit.
At each depot, participants msy complete a simple task to get stamps for their Treasure Trip passports and will be able to enter to win the Treasure Trip grand prize, valued at $500, at the celebration in the evening.
Water will be provided throughout the day along the trail.
The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. at the Elizabethton High School track and practice field with music by Lonesome Road and Railroad Angels. There will be inflatables, face painting, vendors and train rides for kids. The grand prize winners of the Treasure Ride nad Treasure Trip will be drawn, and they will receive their prizes. Closing an exciting day of activity, education and achievement will be a fireworks display around 9 p.m.
“We’re confident that its going to be a great show for the community,” Mains said.