Winterfest 2009 Preview

It is currently fall. Halloween is in a couple weeks. The leaves are changing color before they drop to the Earth in fantastic floral precipitations and decorations line the streets up and down main roads.

But we'd be lying if we told you people didn't have their eyes toward the months to come at the same time.

Such is the draw of Sevier County Winterfest - easily the favorite county-wide season behind summer, Winterfest is mid-November to mid-March for a lengthy celebration of snow, holiday cheer, and the mountains at some of their most naked and honest.

The cities follow suit with Trolley Tours of Lights going across Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. In Pigeon Forge, the Trolley Tour of Lights starts at the kick off of WinterFest at Patriot Park, November 5 at 4 p.m. following a gathering, some entertainment and announcements and so forth! The kick off in Gatlinburg is November 4th at 5:00 PM following the wildly popular Chili-cookoff. Those who choose to do both will have a weekend's worth of entertainment in just a couple nights.

There some great things to see on the way to Christmas. November 24-28 is the Festival of Trees - which is a Winter Wonderland onto itself and a landmark holiday tradition in Gatlinburg. Another seasonal favorite is the Holiday Arts and Crafts Show where as many talented Artists and Crafters as the area can hold gather at the W.L. Mills Convention Center for a week-long showcase of talent, music and the culture of the mountains.

The Christmas Parade in Gatlinburg is the night of December 4. A new presentation of the Nutcracker "Sweet" plays at the W.L. Mills Convention Center November 27-28. A new Christmas version of the Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales begins November 27 until December 20.

And finally there is the Fourth of July, where Gatlinburg prepares for an onslaught of party revelers, some tens of thousands, who gather at the center of downtown at midnight for an enormous, expectation-shattering fireworks from the Space Needle.

That's just from November to January. Be sure to come back when we have indepth information on these events! You miss it and you have to wait for next year!

Festival of the Trees

Gatlinburg is home to many enchanted forests, some far out into the distance and under the canopy of green leaves and grey skies, some as close as you can reach, between things and around others.

But one enchanted forest in the area has a whole different dynamic - magically appearing in a building conveniently around Christmas time.

Welcome to the Gatlinburg Festival of Trees, as traditional a Christmas Event here in Sevier County as the 25th of December. The W.L. Mills conference center becomes a winter wonderland in every respect of the word as numerate trees are displayed and decorated for the seasons, one after the other; some in very traditional ways, others that scream creativity underneath a thin veil that conceals what its really trying to say, "Hey, look at me!"

There will also be a Gingerbread house contest, a Festival of the Tree Grace Luncheon and obviously much, much more. The Festival of the Trees is sponsored by Mountain Laurel Chalets, Food City of Gatlinburg, Tennessee State Bank, The Blalock Companies, Sevier County Bank and a long list of others.

All proceeds benefit Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries.

Holly and Shamrock

The Holly and Shamrock Parade of its debut year 2009, the most unlikely new contributor to Gatlinburg's Springfest, had a good start with scores of happy children in attendance along with parents who had as much fun as they did.

The main street of downtown Gatlinburg shut off in the mid-day to prepare the way for over 100 costumed Santa Clauses with all kinds of Mrs. Clauses and elves by their side. St. Nicholas was joined by his uncommon cousin St. Patrick and the luck of the Irish carried the parade to respectable success for its first run. The turn out was a great start and there were enough laughs and giggles and shout-outs and waves to justify an even larger crowd. Everyone was having the time of their lives. The children who attended couldn't have been happier as Santa after Santa after Leprechaun after Santa delivered candy, good wishes and surprise vists for the youngest of children who only get to see Santa during Christmas.

There was a flatbed truck carrying a 6 piece band Christmas Carol'd in 73 degree weather (absolutely perfect weather for a parade, additionally) to the delight of listeners. Others drove in silly ways, making crisp, stereo quality cartoon sounds and just had fun making the children laugh. The highlight came at the end when Santa's sleigh broke down momentarily, only to be revived as everyone cheered on, and it rose off the ground, spun a 360, and shot like a rocket to catch up to the rest of the parade! A great surprise to cap-off the event, and a great surprise Christmas memory ...on St. Patrick's Day.

All in all a brisk affair, but those who saw it were far from disappointed, and those with young children will more than likely return for even greater fun at the next Gatlinburg Springfest.

Wilderness Wildlife Week

Pigeon Forge is proud to bring back Wilderness Wildlife Week for its 19th year from January 10th-17th. This wildly popular event attracts a large number of nature lovers and fans of the Great Smoky Mountains. Experts from every corner of natural academia will be available to host nature walks, seminars, hikes, and lectures on Smoky Mountain history, animals and plants in the Smoky Mountains and programs designed for children.

Activities in the Wilderness Wildlife Week are free of charge and open to everyone of all ages. There are guided hikes for both the beginner and the advanced that range from relaxed walks up the mountains to more serious, miles-long treks. Hikers are expected to bring their own equipment and preparations must be met.

Wilderness Wildlife Week is held at Music Road Hotel and Convention Center. For a brochure, call 1-800-WINTERFEST.

Saddle Up!
February 19-22, 2009

Everyone remembers being a cowboy (or its female equivalent) to some extent, its only too bad none of us were there to enjoy the real wild west and have those fantasies come to life.



Well, Pigeon Forge offers the next best thing with Saddle Up! A celebration for those who never gave up those dreams of being a cowboy/cowgirl, Saddle Up! brings the Wild West East. Sure the change of atmosphere is noticable, but who wants to be a Cowboy in a hot, flat desert when you have the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains around you?

Entertainment is top of the line. We have a 45-piece orchestra performing with Wylie and the West Wild, we have the Quebe Sisters Band, Juni Fisher, cowboy poets and yarn spinners Kent Rollins, Jim Hawkins and Paul Zarzyski. We have the Old Mill Chuckwagon Cook-Off, a Western Swing Dance, Cowboy Church, prize competitions, the Pure Country Celebrity Breakfast and Sunday's Chuchwagon..... so much entertainment, so little weekend to do it in!


Prices:

Friday/Saturday pass, excluding the Cowboy Symphony
$50 plus tax

Individual Friday or Saturday day passes
$30 each plus tax

Thursday afternoon concert
$15 plus tax

Cowboy Symphony
$20 plus tax

Ages 17 and younger are admitted free.

AppalachiaFest
January 13, 2009.

AppalachiaFest, co-sponsored by WDVX radio is the musical cornerstone of Wilderness Wildlife Week here in Pigeon Forge. We can't ever get enough of that good, ol'timey music; and to prove it, we were able to scare up Grammy Award Winner Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus. All three were featured on the soundtrack to the major motion picture "Cold Mountain" and are guaranteed to satisfy the night's entertainment.

Also featured is our local favorite Celtic, Ol'Timey duo, Boogertown Gap, rounding out the night's
application of traditional mountain music.

Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 17 and under.

Tickets are available at 1-800-792-4308

Pigeon Forge is Illuminated for the Holidays

The Lights are up and on in Pigeon Forge! Although the overall entertainment was scaled back, the real reason everyone came out tonight - lights, lights and more lights, did not disappoint. Long lines to the trolley rides started before the sun set, and everyone who showed up got a complimentary free tour through the City on the Winterfest Trolley Tour. At the Pavilion there was a modest stage set up with a bluegrass act and a children's choir performing.

The lighting displays justified the title of "Patriot Park" by displaying Iwo Jima, The Liberty Bell, The Statue of Liberty, The American Flag and an air craft carrier. Seasonal displays shows children sledding down a hill, a Southern Mansion, a Riverboat, and a great big sign saying "Season's Greetings!"