The Balladeer Children’s Program have been enjoying a busy fall season, with all kinds of fun events — and the holiday season is coming up, meaning more great activities are on the schedule!
The Balladeer program, a free benefit for Ballad Health employees, is intended to strengthen family bonds and relationships among our Ballad Health family. Activities include visits to area attractions, picnics in local parks, holiday celebrations and activities, sports activities, discount tickets for attractions or events, treats, take-home projects and much more.
Here’s a roundup of the activities the Balladeer Children’s Program enjoyed during September and October:
September events
- Corn mazes – The Balladeers had three corn maze events (Fender’s Farm, The Stickley Farm and The Davidson Farm). Balladeer children received free admission and families were able to bring additional guests to join them for a Balladeer exclusive first look at the farms this year. Families got to enjoy the corn mazes, petting zoos, pumpkin patches, hay rides and more! Almost 500 Balladeers and guests attended. NOTE: Due to recent weather events, the event at The Davidson Farm was canceled, but those who registered received passes to attend another day during the 2024 season.
- BMS Truck Race – Balladeer families received tickets to attend the BMS Truck Race on Sept. 19, with many visiting Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time!
October events
- Bays Mountain Park – Balladeer families were given the opportunity to visit Bays Mountain Park during the week of Oct. 7-14 with free admission! They were able to enjoy free barge rides, planetarium visits and other special events.
- Spooky Shindig – Balladeer families got to enjoy the second annual Spooky Shindig at the Historic Post Office Venue in Bristol, Virginia, with 175 people attending. Amenities and activities include a magic show by Dave Vaught; taco/nacho bar by Taylored Events and Venue; free ice cream from Creamy Cup; and a fun photobooth set up inside an old bank vault for families take photos together, provided by Tumbleweed Photobooths. Children also were able to get balloon animals made by Starr the Clown and Troupe, and each child got to make their own treat bag with lots of spooky fun items to take home.
- Balladeer ornaments – Our Balladeers have been hard at work creating ornaments! Local artist Spenser Brenner designed five Balladeer-exclusive coloring pages that Balladeer children could color and then be turned into an ornament. These ornaments will be on display at the public Christmas tree displays in Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol this holiday season! Over 115 children created ornaments, and we hope people will visit the Ballad Health Christmas trees this season to see their amazing work!
Event photos
Bays Mountain Park
Corn mazes and BMS Truck Race
Spooky Shindig
Upcoming events
November
- Nov. 15 – Just Jump Night, Johnson City, 7-9 p.m. (This event is full.)
- Nov. 15 – Just Jump Night, Bristol, 8-10 p.m. (This event is full.)
- Nov. 23 – Christmas caroling event, Bristol Regional Medical Center, 3-5 p.m. (Event registration is closed.)
- Nov. 24 – Cookie-decorating event, Holston Valley Medical Center, 1-3 p.m. (Enter to win spots for this event – deadline to enter is Nov. 15)
December
- Dec. 7 – Jingle and Mingle Event, MeadowView Convention Center, Kingsport, 3-5 p.m. (Registration is open.)
Reminders
- We will send out several surveys to help us plan for upcoming events. Please take a few minutes to fill those out so we can make our events the best they can be!
- If you have recently moved, changed phone numbers or would like to change your email address on file, please visit our Balladeer homepage and click on “Enrollment Form,” then click the link and fill out the form in order to update those.
About the Balladeer Children’s Program
While enrolling in the Balladeer Children’s Program is free, there is a cost associated with some of the activities.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Balladeer Children’s Program is for Ballad Health direct hires who have children between the ages 3-18 years old living in their household. They MUST live with you to qualify for the program.
- Here’s an FAQ about eligibility for the Balladeer Children’s Program, posted to the Balladeer site on the Ballad Health intranet.
- Click here to access the program enrollment form.
- Check out the updated Balladeer Children’s Program site on the Ballad Health intranet.
Once you’re enrolled, please remember that you must register for any Balladeer event you wish to attend. Registration and information are sent via email at least two weeks prior to an event. If you aren’t receiving Balladeer emails, please reach out to Shawna DeHart at shawna.gragg@balladhealth.org.
