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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