Yearly Archives: 2019

21st Annual Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament in April 2019

Image courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The first full weekend in April means it’s time for the 21st Annual Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament, on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, 2019. Cash and gift prizes are awarded in multiple categories, with hundreds of entrants fishing, and thousands of rainbow trout stocked in over 20 miles of local streams.

Keeping things fair, there are different divisions for children and adults as well as for locals and visitors – but wait, it’s even more fair than that, with a $500 cash prize for largest trout caught AND $500 for the smallest trout caught! A total of $10,000 is awarded in the spring and fall contests, while 10,000 trout are stocked each year in the largest trout tournament in the Smokies, acclaimed as the best.

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Synchronous Fireflies in 2019: Two Ways to View This Event

The world-famous Synchronous Fireflies natural occurrence will happen again this year, in early June 2019, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding area. Now is the time to be thinking about how to to watch this unique event that, outside of the U.S., happens only in southeast Asia.

There are two ways to get a seat at the show.

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Vacation for a Large Family in a Smoky Mountain Cabin

Shay is a mother of seven who blogs about her family life and a variety of topics at Wonderfully Chaotic, and recently she and her husband brought their family to Gatlinburg for a vacation. Shay and her family stayed in The Crown Jewel, one of our 5-bedroom luxury cabins that sleeps up to 18 people. After the trip, she shared her unique perspective about what makes our cabins such a great choice for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of traveling with a large group of friends or family.

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Family Reunion Cabin Vacation in the Smoky Mountains

This February, we were delighted to welcome writer Shelley and her extended family to our 5 Star Lodge at Gatlinburg Falls Resort. Shelley had visited Gatlinburg before, and enjoyed her stays, but this was her first time at our resort. Happily, she tells us it was also her favorite visit!

Shelley’s cabin featured 5 king bedrooms, 2 queen sleeper sofas, and 2 twin sleeper sofas — perfect for her entire family. Other amenities included a fireplace, premium cable and 7 flat screen TVs, a home theater, and a game room. Everyone in the group loved the beauty of the Smoky Mountain views right outside their windows and found the stay just what they needed for quality time together.

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The Gatlinburg Lodge 20-Bedroom Cabin

What would you do with a luxury cabin in the Smoky Mountains that had 20 bedrooms? Well, if you were a group of 60 people, you’d just move in and enjoy your stay! Welcome to the Gatlinburg Lodge, one of the largest rental cabins in the Smoky Mountains.

Weighing in at 10,000 square feet, the Gatlinburg Lodge is a perfect venue for a business retreat or a family gathering. The Lodge has 20 bedrooms with 20 full, en-suite bathrooms. Built at a cost of $2.5 million, the Lodge offers creatively designed places to come together and nooks and crannies everywhere to be separate.

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Cabin Living – the Ultimate Escape

Ondria came to stay in one of our cabins recently, and wrote about what a great experience it was. It was a family reunion with 3 generations, so space and privacy were important. With our 2-bedroom cabin, Ultimate Escape, 6 adults and 2 kids were able to spend a fun week in totally relaxed comfort – the only way to have a vacation trip.

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A Mountain Quiltfest 2019

A cozy mountain cabin and a nice warm and beautiful quilt just naturally go together, so it’s no surprise that the A Mountain Quiltfest is one of the most popular annual events in the Smoky Mountains. This year’s iteration is the 25th Annual and it’s taking place from March 19-23 in Pigeon Forge. Saturday, March 23, 2019 is the final day of the event, and it coincides with National Quilting Day which is coordinated by the Quilt Alliance and the National Quilt Museum.

Images courtesy of A Mountain Quiltfest

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Santa Family Reunion March 2019 in Gatlinburg – Santa Comes Home!

Santa and Mrs. Claus work hard all year to make children’s eye sparkle with delight and warm the hearts of friends and family. While they live in the snowy climes of the North Pole, their hearts belong in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. That’s why when you arrive for your family spring break vacation this year, you may do a double take!

Between Thursday March 14th and Monday March 18th, the Gatlinburg Convention Center will host the Santa Family Reunion. This convention brings together Santa Clauses from around the country to spend time together, share ideas and learn professional trade secrets. This is all while having good fun and filling the streets of Gatlinburg with love and laughter.

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Winter Carnival of Magic 2019

The 45th Annual Winter Carnival of Magic takes place this year on Thursday, March 7 through Saturday, March 9 at Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The three-day convention consists of two evening shows, a stage competition, a close-up competition, several lectures, and a dealer’s room.

The Carnival attracts professional magicians from throughout the United States, who perform and lecture. This event is great to see some out-of-town talent passing through, and also for those who want to learn more about the art of magic itself, and improve their own skills.

Image courtesy of the Carnival of Magic

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Gatlinburg Improv Comedy Fest 2019

The annual Gatlinburg Improv Fest takes place again this year at Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre on Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2, 2019. In its eighth year, the five-show festival features nineteen different improv troupes from Atlanta, Orlando, Cincinnati, Columbia, South Carolina, Saskatoon Canada, and all over Tennessee.

Show times are Friday at 8 PM and 10 PM, and Saturday at 6 PM, 8 PM, and 10 PM. The Gatlinburg Improv Comedy Fest has been called the Best Improv Festival in the area – and that’s by the other improv shows! Check out the complete show schedule below.

Image courtesy of Improv Comedy Fest

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