Half-minute video with olympian and fitness expert Missy Kane.
2023 Mountain Commerce Challenge is almost finished
Knoxville — Legacy Parks Foundation will wrap up another great year of the Mountain Commerce Challenge on Saturday, December 9 with the 17th Tour de Lights bike ride and celebration. The free and family-friendly holiday bike ride is presented by Visit Knoxville and Bike Walk Knoxville. Riders will meet 4 p.m. at the Outdoor Knoxville Adventure Center to decorate their bikes before heading to Mary Costa Plaza for the festivities.
Meanwhile, spectators and costume contestants will already enjoy themselves at a more leisurely pace at Holiday Market & Expo, which opens 3:30 p.m. on Mary Costa Plaza by the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.
The glamorous 5-mile pedal parade will circle through East Knoxville neighborhoods to culminate coming down Gay Street.
![Illuminated bicycles at night]()
Courtesy of Bike Walk Knoxville
Those who bring their ‘Challenge Checklist’ showing 75 miles completed will receive a special patch to commemorate all of the great hiking, biking and paddling accomplished this year!
Everyone who registers for the Tour de Lights or the Costume Contest will receive a commemorative T-shirt and be entered for some exciting ‘door prizes.’
Mountain Commerce Challenge
The Mountain Commerce Challenge is named for Mountain Commerce Bank (MCB), which sponsored this challenge for its third year with a $15,000 donation to the Legacy Parks Foundation. The locally-owned community bank was founded 1910 in Erwin, where it acquired the former Erwin National Bank. MCB is 5-star rated by Bauer Financial and nationally ranks among the top 50 community banks.
Community banks are a cornerstone of community economic resilience because they invest customer deposits in the regional economy. That is particularly important for businesses that depend on regional natural resources and a local workforce with extensive experience and a deep understanding of local conditions.
Mountain Commerce Bank focuses on Responsive Relationship Banking with a relatively small number of branches where customers don’t have to expect frequent staff rotations and can get more personalized advice than a canned response pulled from a computer screen. Instead they will deal with an “accessible, dedicated banker, one they know on a first-name basis, who also knows them and understand their banking needs,” according to MCB President and CEO Bill Edwards.
MCB has branch offices in Knoxville (2), Johnson City (2), Erwin, Unicoi and since last year in Brentwood, Williamson County. On October 30, MCB opened a new West Knoxville Financial Center at 9950 Kingston Pike. It replaces the now closed Cedar Bluff branch. Consistent with MCB concern for community values and sustainable solutions, it did not construct a new facility but upgraded an existing building to meet the bank’s requirements. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Dec. 7.
