BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – Businesses on both sides of the state line are gearing up for one of their busiest months every year.

A slew of festivals and events over the next few weekends will bring thousands to the downtown area.

Rhythm and Roots Reunion kicks things off this weekend. Next week, NASCAR comes to town for the Bristol Night Race weekend.

On top of that, the Hoppy Possum Southern Brewers Cup is sure to bring a crowd on Sept. 23.

Finally, Country Thunder will bring some of country music’s biggest stars to BMS on Oct. 6 and 7.

Bristol, Tennessee and Virginia Chamber of Commerce President Beth Rhinehart said these next five weekends mean big business for the city’s shops, restaurants, and hotels.

“It’s a huge boom for businesses, not just in downtown, but all over Bristol,” Rhinehart said. “People are staying in hotels way across the region, not just here in Bristol. Not only are they here for those events, they’re shopping, they’re eating, they’re going and exploring things that are here.”

Explore Bristol Executive Director Matt Bolas said he estimates between 100,000 and 200,000 people will travel to the Twin Cities over the next month.

“It’s a very busy time in Bristol,” Bolas said. “Our businesses are excited. Our hotels are thrilled. We’re just looking forward to welcoming everyone.”

A Work of Art Gallery & Gifts, an art co-op on State Street, is one of the many businesses ready to welcome the crowds.

Gallery President Teresa Kath said local businesses like hers have the month of September marked on their calendars well in advance.

“We prepare all year for this time,” Kath said. “We’re making our art at home, and we talk about it in our monthly meetings. It’s coming. We’ve got to be prepared.”

Kath said this month provides a boom for downtown businesses that helps them keep their doors open.

“They are our top-selling times of the year,” Kath said. “They are what really keeps us going around the year.”

Rhinehart said tourists come to Bristol for the big events, but they often find there is much more to do.

“It creates a destination hub where people come here, and they’ll come and do day trips,” Rhinehart said. “Whether it’s hiking and biking and boating and those sorts of things or whether it’s just go and explore other great activities.”

Rhinehart said the quick succession of big events back-to-back allows tourists to turn their weekend trip into a week-long vacation.

With a month full of fun events about to get underway, Bolas said this time of the year cements Bristol’s place as a tourism destination.

He said it is important the region shows what it has to offer so people come back.

“The biggest benefit for all these visitors coming to town, especially September and October is they will be here, and they’ll come back,” Bolas said. “They want to see more. Because there’s so much to do, they maybe couldn’t fit it all in this weekend.”

Bolas said downtown businesses are fully stocked for the busy month ahead.