Celebrate The New Year in the Smokies!

After a wild year in the Smokies where we saw a lot of ups and downs, we're happy to report Christmas has been a great success here for all who were able to enjoy it! The weather has given us a break from the cold while not diminishing the holiday atmosphere and it's been a nice balance of ambiance to enjoy as we spend time with our loved ones and exchange gifts.

Now we look forward to New Years coming in less than a week. 2017 has much to offer and in the Smoky Mountains we close out the previous year and begin the new one with a bang! In Pigeon Forge, our New Years celebrations take place at The Island just off the parkway downtown. The party begins at 8:00PM and includes live entertainment, lights from the fountain and ferris wheel and more fun coming from the various restaurants and stores located on the premises - and then as it closes in to midnight, the ball begins to drop to mark the moment it transitions from year to year and then, literally, BOOM! The fireworks go off and a brand new year with brand new opportunities is born!

At the same time in Gatlinburg, the New Years party for that city runs traditional as it has for decades begins. Throughout the day, the knowledge of the impending countdown sits overhead and excitement builds. At 10:00PM, there will be entertainment near Stoplight #8 (Bubba Gump Shrimp) which will build more excitement for the evening and then, yes, as it nears midnight, a ball will begin to drop from the Space Needle at the center of downtown Gatlinburg and once it transitions from 2016 to 2017, fireworks again explode into the night sky for almost 20 minutes straight.

There is no better way to celebrate the New Year in the Smokies!

See more on these events at www.islandinpigeonforge.com and www.gatlinburg.com.

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Status of Smokies: Wildfire Updates

As most of you reading this probably know by now, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee became under conflagration with wildfires that spread out from several areas of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley on Monday, November 28th. As of writing, 13 people were pronounced dead, 80 were injured, more than 1,000 structures (including well-known businesses and iconic buildings) were destroyed and more than 15,000 acres of mountains.

To say the event was a historic emergency in East Tennessee underscores the reality of what happened. However, in the midst of this nearly unprecedented darkness in the Smokies, we have seen a flood of light come in to help repair the damage and support those in need. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have come in from all over the country to support those who lost their homes, jobs and/or loved ones in the wildfires and we still get people asking us what they can do to help.

Truth is, the best thing you can do to help us is to come back to the Smokies and vacation with us. For better or worse, tourism is the literal lifeblood of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley and Sevierville. We need visitors to come back, stay with us, eat with us, shop with us and continue to smile, laugh and enjoy themselves the same as they always did. All of our Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Wears Valley attractions are currently open and Gatlinburg is expected to fully open back up this coming Wednesday.

Visit www.wbir.com for the latest news regarding the wildfires and any openings or closing related to them. Thank you and we hope to see you again here in the coming holidays!

www.allthesmokies.com

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Winterfest Kickoff Events For 2016

With the Harvest Festival season done for the year, now we look forward to gearing up for the big holiday festivities to last until the start of 2017. We do this with a series of Winterfest Kickoffs in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville where we party, have some entertainment groups play on stage, build some fun sets for the kids, shoot off fireworks (in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg), cook up some chili (in Gatlinburg) and throw on the Winterfest lights for trolley tours and driving visitors.

Some years have at least a couple of these events going on at the same time, but this year each Winterfest Kickoff is on different days - one after another. Sevierville has their Winterfest on November 7th from 3:00PM to 8:00PM, Pigeon Forge (which is what we'll focus on here) has their Kickoff on November 8th from 4:00PM to 6:00PM and Gatlinburg has their Kickoff on November 9th from 5:00PM to 8:00PM.

Things are a little bit different with the Pigeon Forge Winterfest kickoff this year. There won't be a parade to start the event, but it will begin all the same at 4:00PM at Patriot Park. There will be a kids' play area, presentations from the Mayor and City Manager of Pigeon Forge, fireworks, a stage with music entertainment and, of course, the big switch for the Winterfest lights coming on followed by FREE trolley tours of the Winterfest lights.

The schedule as posted by Mypigeonforge.com includes:

"4:00 PM: Kids Area opens up Days Gone By Old Time Games

5:00 PM: Activities start from stage National Anthem presenting of colors: Mayor and City Manager to speak recognize Volunteer of the Year Grace Stottlemeyer

5:15 PM: Count down to lights being turned on *in Patriot Park only immediately followed by 3-4 minutes of fireworks

5:30 PM: Entertainment starts from stage: Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier, Pistol Creek Catch of the Day & the Pigeon Forge Community Chorus: Note some members of Pistol Creek will be strolling through park earlier entertaining

6:00 PM: FREE Trolley Tour of Lights rides will start

Local Girl Scouts will be selling hot drinks and cookies and we will have Winterfest shirt sales also."

See more on Pigeon Forge's Winterfest Kickoff at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/winterfest/

We'll have more Winterfest events coming up for you soon, be sure to come back and check on us! www.allthesmokies.com.

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Free Lunch For Veterans on November 11th.

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Smoky Mountain Fall Color Forecast Part 2

Our color forecast as it stands today. The colors are coming out more and more! Photography provided by Brainstorm Cafe and Friendly Falls (Squadron 4). www.brainstormcafe.com - www.friendlyfalls.com

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Smoky Mountain Fall Color Forecast For 2016

Part of our Smoky Mountain color forecast we're starting to do for October. Photography provided by Brainstorm Cafe and Friendly Falls (Squadron 4) in Wears Valley.

We'll likely be posting more here as they become available and continue to change colors. Check back with us soon! www.allthesmokies.com.

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Harvest Festival Events For 2016

As promised, here are some upcoming events to look forward to for the start of Harvest Festival in the Smokies.

* Fall Harvest at The Island *
Now - October 31st
http://islandinpigeonforge.com/

* Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg *
Now - October 30th
http://obergatlinburg.com/

* National Quartet Convention *
Now - October 1st
http://www.natqc.com/

* Dollywood National Southern Gospel & Harvest Celebration *
September 30th - October 29th
http://www.dollywood.com/

* 39th Annual Pigeon Forge Rotary Club Craft Fair *
October 1st - October 29th
http://portal.clubrunner.ca/7015

* Gatlinburg Craftsmens Fair *
October 6th - October 23rd
http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=10

And we'll have some more info on Harvest Festival and the autumn colors in the Smokies later in October. Happy Fall, y'all!

www.allthesmokies.com

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