New Year’s Eve festivities in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge provide two exciting locations, each offering a blend of free concerts, live and DJ music, restaurant and theater specials, lively crowds, millions of dazzling lights, and a grand fireworks display to usher in the New Year at midnight. Across the world, people gather outdoors late into… Read more »
Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland is a spectacular drive-through holiday light show located at Soaky Mountain Waterpark, on the north side of Sevierville. It’s a magical experience for the whole family, and it charges per vehicle, not person, so load up the whole crew and head over for a unique light show. The Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland show… Read more »
Festivals happen all year in the Smoky Mountains area of Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, and hundreds of thousands of people plan their visits according to particular events and seasonal activities. Here’s a calendar of seasonal festivities to help you plan your stay…Read more »
Springtime in the Smoky Mountains is a nature lover’s paradise. Two major events occur in April and May, centered around Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These are the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, based in the national park close to Gatlinburg, followed by the annual Wilderness Wildlife week, based in Pigeon Forge…Read more »
2025 INFO: A Mountain Quiltfest this year is June 9-12. Most everything is free and open to the public but many things require registration at the website (see below). Registration usually opens in early March. Every year in June, the city of Pigeon Forge plays host to a “quietly spectacular” festival that draws 20,000 visitors… Read more »
The springtime period after Easter marks the magical time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park when millions of wildflowers bloom for a brief time, one step ahead of the trees blooming, which will cover the skies above with foliage and plunge the forest floor back into deep shade. The annual Pilgrimage offers expert programs to explore this time…Read more »
The Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival is an annual street festival in the fun town of Seviervile, just up the road from Pigeon Forge. Happening in the latter part of May, it’s a very family-friendly event with kids activities,championship barbecue and world-class bluegrass music. The festival takes place in Sevierville’s historic downtown, and it’s Free… Read more »
Every spring the city of Maryville, TN plays host to one of the most unique events of the year: the Scottish Festival and Games. Held on the historic campus of Maryville College in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, this one-of-a-kind festival is a celebration of all things Scottish. It’s fun for the whole… Read more »
Every year in January or February, Pigeon Forge hosts a week of programs known as Wilderness Wildlife Week. Free and open to the public, the event offers hundreds of experts presenting workshops, seminars, children’s educational and fun activities, and guided hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a celebration of the abundant diversity of… Read more »
2024 INFO: The Park Service provides updated information here. The Lottery for a parking pass to view the Synchronous Fireflies is open April 26 – April 29 and you can register for the lottery here. Lottery results will be announced on May 7. The Firefly Viewing dates are June 3 – 10. 2024 UPDATE: If you… Read more »
Independence Day is such a special occasion that it deserves more than one day of celebration, and for over 40 years the town of Gatlinburg has been treating residents and visitors to a Fourth of July event that kicks off at the stroke of midnight on the night of the 3rd. The First Independence Day… Read more »
One of the most engaging attractions of summer in Gatlinburg is the annual street-performing Tunes & Tales event, which runs for almost two months and features musicians and performers at large on the streets of Gatlinburg, entertaining downtown Parkway strollers with bluegrass music for free every evening. Tunes & Tales usually starts in late June… Read more »
In spring and fall each year, Pigeon Forge fills up with visitors, classic cars and hot rods to enjoy the Rod Run, a gathering of car enthusiasts and owners competing for cash prizes in the the thousands of dollars, showing off paint jobs, and joining in the great American pastime of Cruising the Strip…Read more »
One of the least known festivals, with some of the best bluegrass music in the world, happens each year at the Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival at Kodak, just up the road from the bustling towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg…Read more »
Winter in the Smoky Mountains presents a vibrant celebration filled with light, music, and holiday cheer. The adjacent towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville embrace the season with their own unique winter festivals, spanning from November into February. Pigeon Forge and Sevierville call this festive celebration Winterfest, while Gatlinburg calls it Winter Magic, and… Read more »
The Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area of the Smoky Mountains puts on a fabulous light show each Christmas, with many millions of lights to see, marking the time of Winterfest and Winter Magic. From driving tours through the towns to stage shows to spectacular fireworks, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get in… Read more »
