NEWS RELEASE
Friday, May 22, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fun Fest Receives Multiple Honors at 2026 Northeast Tennessee Pinnacle Awards
KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Fun Fest received top honors in three award categories at the 29th Annual Pinnacle Awards. The Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association honored the tourism industry’s top professionals on Thursday, May 21 at the Johnson City Country Club. The day honored the top performers who contribute to tourist related community and economic development from Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Nominations are reviewed by a panel of unbiased judges, and exemplary projects are selected as Pinnacle Awards winners. The winners are announced at an awards luncheon during the summer each year. This year, 113 applicants entered 30 different categories.
Fun Fest received the top award for Best Festival or Event. Since 1981, Fun Fest has been a staple festival in Kingsport and throughout the region. For nine days in July, the community celebrates the Kingsport spirit with more than 100 events (24 of them were completely new in 2025) in 30+ locations around the city. From day one, the goal of Fun Fest has been “Community Unity,” and it continues to foster the belief that Kingsport is a good place to work and live by providing events that highlight entertainment, athletics, arts and history, among others. We strive to make Fun Fest a festival that becomes a tradition for families across generations and offers affordable ways to make memories that last a lifetime. In 2025, Fun Fest welcomed more than 100,000 visitors from 32 states. Throughout its nine days, Fun Fest hosts a parade, road races, sporting events, senior events, children’s events, hot air balloons, fireworks, concerts, food trucks, pet events, block parties, guided hikes and SO. MUCH. MORE. Fun Fest is made possible each year by more than 150 corporate and community sponsors who put their financial support, time and energy into making each event a success.
The Trash Barrel Paint-In event was recognized as Sustainability Leader thanks to its partnership with Keep Kingsport Beautiful. Each year thousands of people, adults and children, meet on the grounds of Allandale Mansion to design and paint the trash barrels that are used at Fun Fest and other events throughout the year. This event encourages kids of all ages to focus on keeping their community clean and refrain from littering. It also promotes creativity and uniqueness through designing and decorating the barrels. In 2025, more than 600 trash barrels were painted, setting thee record for most barrels ever. Throughout the nine-days of Fun Fest, more than 14 tons of garbage were collected.
Longtime Fun Fest champion, Bonnie Booher, was honored posthumously with the Volunteer of the Year award. Bonnie demonstrated passion, dedication and commitment to her community through her countless hours spent volunteering in the Fun Fest Merchandise Store. This past year we celebrated Miss Bonnie’s 96th Birthday as we opened the store to celebrate the festival’s 45th Anniversary. She served with us proudly all summer long – still with us every week greeting shoppers and answering questions about parking, ticket prices, shirt colors and so much more. Sadly, after a brief illness, Miss Bonnie recently passed away. Bonnie carried her spirit of giving and love for others into everything she did, and we know that spirit will continue for many years because of her impact. In addition to her time with Fun Fest, Bonnie also actively gave her time at the local hospital, coordinating volunteers for the gift shop and welcome desk. In recent years she also spent most afternoons volunteering at Girls Incorporated in Kingsport, cooking meals for hundreds of girls to have each day after school during their programming.
“We are blessed to live in a community and region that continues to support a festival of this size,” said Emily Thompson, Visit Kingsport’s Director of Fun Fest and Special Events. “We are honored to see Fun Fest, the Trash Barrel Paint-In and our dear Bonnie Booher recognized as they all truly reflect Kingsport’s community spirit.”
The awards were judged based on the description of the event, budget and profit/loss statement, estimated number of attendees, if it was environmental and/or pet friendly and community reviews/feedback. Factors of influence included attendance growth, pioneering marketing and superior promotional efforts.
About Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association
The Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association was named the state’s 2019 Destination Marketing Organization of the Year with a mission is to serve as a catalyst to enhance regional economic and community growth through the promotion and development of tourism. The organization was chartered in 1977, is a non-profit tourism promotion and agency that serves and supports Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties in Tennessee.