AuthorMelissa Sanders

There are a lot of exciting events coming to the Carriage house!

KINGSPORT, Tenn., May 1, 2017 – See the Bible lift off of its pages and onto the LampLight stage in David: The Shepherd King, the epic Biblical story of a shepherd boy, called by God to be the King over His chosen flock, the nation of Israel. This month, LampLight Theatre will present an iconic, brand new production of Biblical proportions! With just a sling and a harp, David was ushered onto a throne, but not without being tried and tested. David, the worshipful warrior, had to overcome the giant hatred of his sometimes monstrous enemies and the failings of his own flesh.

Meet the prophets, the women, the warriors, and the worshippers who shift David’s balance as he grapples to maintain his throne. This dramatic portrayal unveils David’s struggle during his most vulnerable moments, the people who blessed and tested him, and the battles we can all win by surrendering to God’s will. David’s story is powerful and convicting, as it exposes the impact of sin and the holiness of God on the heart of a man.

Join us for Lamplight Theatre’s premier of David: The Shepherd King, an intimate look into the life of a man after God’s own heart. Performances will be held May 12 – 14, 19 – 21 and 26 – 28. Show times are 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with additional matinee performances on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Doors will open one hour prior to performances. This show is rated PG-13, due to the content of David’s life story.

Treat your date, family, or church group to Dinner before the performance! A delicious catered meal will be offered May 13th beginning at 5:30 p.m, and May 20th & 27th beginning at 12:30 p.m. Meals will be served at The Emporium Banquet Hall (Next door to theatre). The cost is $30 per Adult / $17 per Student (ages 4-12) / Children FREE (3 & Under). Advanced reservations are required for dinner. (Prices include ticket to the show.)

Show Only: Admission is a suggested donation of $10 Adults, $5 Students, and FREE for children 5 and under. Doors will open one hour prior. For reservations and more information, please contact the LampLight box office at 423-343-1766, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit   www.LampLightTheatre.com.

We are so looking forward to live music, great hors d’oeuvres, and amazing Box Wine selections for our Wine Tasting at this Thursdays Sip and Stroll! Of course we will have Bellafina Chocolates and Little Cake mini cupcakes! Our new Artist Petina Wynn will be here for her Opening Exhibition of Oils and Acrylics, influenced by her time in Santorini, one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. Be sure to stroll by and visit us for her first exhibition in the Tri Cities! We also have new additions to the Gallery so don’t miss out! We will be open until 8pm. Festivities begin at 5pm! We can’t wait to see you!

The monthly Sip and Stroll is back this Thursday! Stroll through Downtown Kingsport on the First Thursday of each month and enjoy unique shopping, delicious foods, wine bars, a beer brewery & moon shine. Some of the places that will be participating are Art in the Heart Gallery  , Artiques  , and Cindy Saadeh Fine Art  for all your artistic wants and needs. For all you ladies out there that like to shop while you sip The Wooden Hanger Boutique , Turquoise Boutique , and Variety Gifts  will be open and ready for you to stop in! We enjoy this time of the month and appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit the shops. Hope to see you all out there!

An Original Prodigal Tale Comes to the Stage at LampLight

“Across: A Prodigal Story” written by a Local High School Senior

KINGSPORT, Tenn., April 20, 2017 – In an original production written by a high school senior from Volunteer High School, LampLight Theatre proudly brings Across: A Prodigal Story to the stage at the end of this month. Having risen from the ashes of a divided nation, two leaders, aptly named Phoenixes, have each led their people for many years to follow either their own heart or the heart of “The Anointed One”. One leader governs a people that think only of themselves and their possessions. Another leader governs a people that follow “The Anointed One” by putting others before themselves. A selfless and a selfish generation continue to grow together, never seeing eye to eye.

Across: A Prodigal Story follows two families who are members of these opposing factions, and their young pre-teen children are coming of age. On the cusp of a child’s twelfth birthday, they are given the opportunity to dabble on the “other side” and see if they enjoy what the other faction has to offer. It is then that they must choose where to spend the rest of their lives. David, from the tribe of Ofa, who follow “The Anointed One”, sets off to get what he has always wanted: more than he has. Ely, from the tribe of Pae, who follow their ever-shifting desires, finds it hard being in a materialistic family where nothing they have is ever good enough. These two children pursue life’s meaning as all of us do, really. What in this life will give us the meaning we desire? Are our desires worth finding? Will these two find what they are longing for? Can they return home after they leave their own kind? Come and seek for the truth along with the cast of Across: A Prodigal Story. Your heart will be touched in the journey for each child’s place in the world. Perhaps you will find yours as well…

Across: A Prodigal Story is produced by a LampLight Children’s Theatre program called G.L.O.W. that works with kindergarteners through eighth graders on Saturday mornings to develop their skills and interests in theatre arts and ministry. G.L.O.W. strives to develop the interests of these young students as well as offer older students a chance to direct, write, and choreograph these original productions.

Performances will be given April 28-30 and May 5-7 with show times on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00 pm, and Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm. Suggested Donation for these performances is $10 for adults, $5 for students, and Free for children age 5 and under. Doors open one hour prior to the performance. Make your visit with us over the top! Treat your children to a Hot Dog Lunch at 12:30 pm before the 2:00 pm show on April 29th or a mouth-watering Ice Cream Sundae after the 2:00 pm show on May 6th. Find pricing and information and make reservations on our website at www.LampLightTheatre.com or call our Box Office 10am – 5pm, Monday through Friday at 423-343-1766.

Dear Kingsport,

Where do I begin? Over the last four years you have given me something difficult to describe, but I’m going to try because I want you to understand what a gift it is. I want you to know what it feels like when the Kingsport Spirit grabs a hold of you, makes you apart of its family and makes you feel valued.

Four years ago, when I accepted the position as Executive Director of the Downtown Kingsport Association, I was nervous and overwhelmed. Excited but also aware of the level of responsibility I had been given. This community loves its Downtown, values it, respects it and wants to see it prosper and grow. I was determined to use my past experiences as a Downtown Development Director in Kentucky to build a game plan for the future of Downtown Kingsport. Kentucky, you ask? Yes, I moved here from Kentucky and yes I was worried I would be viewed as an outsider, but I wasn’t. You embraced me and welcomed me with open arms into this new position and into this community.

My first order of business was to enlist volunteers; stakeholders in the community. This is where I first started to experience the true spirit of Kingsport.  Everyone I talked to had a story to tell regarding their experiences while growing up here. The excitement of shopping Downtown for a new pair of shoes at Penny’s and then to the candy counter for a treat or browsing Sobel’s Department Store, Fuller & Hillmans and then ending your day with a Mountain Dew slushy and popcorn at Wallace News Stand. Cruising Broad Street in their 1950’s mustang and then catching a movie that weekend at the State Theater with their high school sweetheart. These were just some of the heart-warming stories that I heard from people who love this community and they were thrilled to volunteer their time to serve on a committee that would help us put work plans into action.

The enthusiasm of volunteers is vital to an organization like this one and they are the ones that helped us accomplish projects that we enjoy today. The park lets with red umbrellas along Broad Street, the Verdin Street Clock at New and Broad, the new Christmas Lights and banners,  the beautiful hanging baskets along Center St and the flower pots in front of all the businesses are just a few of the accomplishments from the volunteers of the Design Committee.

The Downtown Kingsport Wine Festival, First Thursday Sip N Strolls and the Busker Festival, the Holiday Loft Tours are fun and new events that were put together by volunteers of the Promotion and Organization committees.  PEAK, the Young Professionals organization, was instrumental in the building of the Downtown Dog Park.  It took numerous volunteers and selfless hours to organize this project and it continues to have volunteers maintain it each and every day.

The Economic Vitality Committee had a number of volunteers working on many projects to help strengthen existing business in the Downtown core and recruit new ones to locate Downtown. Examples of these are: taking inventory of all the Buildings and Businesses Downtown and uploading them on the DKA website. They hosted ribbon cuttings to celebrate new businesses and received an Entrepreneur grant that will encourage entrepreneurs to participate in a co-starter class and ultimately end up in a maker space.

This is by no means the end of the list of projects that I have enjoyed working on but it is a sample of some of the projects that I got to witness come to fruition while being the Executive Director of the Downtown Kingsport Association. My family and I have created our own memories here and I will always be grateful for this opportunity you have given me but most of all I am grateful for instilling in me the Kingsport Spirit.

All my best,