Victory as Sweet as Our Tea

Take a vibrant, inviting Southern town like Columbia, TN, paired with top-notch venues like Ridley Park Sports Complex and Chickasaw Trace Park, and you’ve got THE premier tournament destination for softball, soccer, lacrosse, football, mountain biking, and running.

Experience a true Main-Street America when you visit Columbia, Tennessee, just 45 miles south of Nashville. The heart of Columbia is the vibrant, historic town square and Main Street with great shopping, inviting restaurants, a live music scene, monthly “First Fridays” and the new Columbia Arts District just blocks from downtown that will captivate you with its local, funky, creative artists and makers.

Known as “Muletown” by many, Columbia has a long-standing tradition called Mule Day, an annual celebration that happens the first weekend in April every year, highlighted by the Mule Day Parade.

Ridley Park Sports Complex
After the recent completion of an impressive $7 million dollar expansion, Ridley Park Sports Complex is a modern, multi-purpose sports facility featuring 10 softball fields and nine rectangular fields perfect for tournament play: soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby, softball and baseball. Most notable among the events happening at Ridley is the annual Midstate Classic Softball Tournament that takes place in the spring. Some 3,000 spectators make their way to Ridley for an opportunity to see this collegiate softball doubleheader hosted each year by the City of Columbia and the host softball team University of Tennessee Lady Vols.

Specs for Ridley Park Sports Complex include:

• 10 softball fields - - includes one Championship field
• Nine rectangular fields for soccer, football, lacrosse and rugby (60 yards x 120 yards); includes one championship field with built-in bleachers, a press box, combination goal/goalpost and an underdrain irrigation system to reduce the effects of inclement weather.
• Four concession stands
• Parking for over 1,000 vehicles
• All-LED lighted complex
• Tifway 419 Bermuda grass on softball fields
• Latitude 36 Bermuda grass on soccer fields

Chickasaw Trace County Park
The beautiful Chickasaw Trace County Park sits northwest of Columbia with roughly nine miles of mountain biking trails within this 300-acre park. The trails were designed by mountain bikers and include hills and difficult sections that make it challenging for cyclists. However, hikers and runners share the trail in large numbers. 5K to 15K running competitions are conducted on the trails as well as mountain bike races. There are four miles that are considered easy to moderate, and five miles for those who like a more challenging terrain. There are a number of entry and exit points on the trail, so that you can customize your ride or easily bow out if the incline gets to be too much. Notable events such as the Jail Break Triathlon and the Chickasaw Trace Classic Mountain Bike Race take place annually at the park.

In addition to a Tennessee state series, the Chickasaw Trace Classic Mountain Bike Race has achieved national series status by USA Cycling, which brings participants from around the country. The Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League conducts a race at Chickasaw that brings more than 300 middle school and high school racers. Chickasaw Trace County Park is located along TN-7, about a ten minute drive to the northwest from downtown Columbia.

So come on over, you’re welcome here. We hope you’ll be enchanted by our city and feel connected to the stories, experiences and people of Columbia, a classic Southern town with a kick! For more information on hosting your next tournament in Columbia, Tennessee, visit us online at www.VisitColumbiaTn.com/Sports.