Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

The country music legend Merle Haggard, known for his unique voice and for bringing the electric guitar into the country music scene, will perform this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Country Tonite Theatre in Pigeon Forge.

Credited with such classic hits as, "My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers", "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can", "Someday We'll Look Back", "Carolyn", "If We Make It Through December", "That's The Way Love Goes", and many more, Haggard's show is bound to be a blissful reunion of old favorites and recent creations. Look forward to new renditions from The Hag's recent album "Chicago Wind".

Tickets cost $42 plus tax. Reserve your seat to experience "The Hag" live in concert by calling 865-453-2003 or by logging on to www.countrytonitepf.com.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the second season, the "Music of the Mountains" concert series will be hosted at Sugarlands Visitor Center at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Various scheduled performers will give a concert the next two Fridays, March 31st and April 7th beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting approximately two hours.

Read more about the performing artists below:

March 31: David Holt, a four-time Grammy Award winning musician and storyteller. David Holt is also from Asheville, NC and is considered an authority on the traditional southern Appalachian music.

April 7: The Kruger Brothers, originally from Switzerland, perform a soothing blend of folk and bluegrass. They moved to the US to study American traditional music and have been professionally performing since 1973.

The concerts are free, though reservations are required due to the 160-person limit in the Sugarlands Visitor Center auditorium. Call 865-436-1291 to secure your seat today!

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming May 19th to Pigeon Forge is the Adam Knight Music Group Showcase! One of our readers asked for more details on the showcase.

More details will be announced as they are finalized. The showcase was originally scheduled for April 1st and 2nd in Nashville, Tennessee, to coincide with the annual Dove Awards during Gospel Music Week. However, now the show will be coming to none other than Pigeon Forge in May. The Adam Knight Music Group plans to rent out an entire resort to showcase various radio personalities, A&R Directors, concert promoters and the like. Some artists the group has featured include:

George Jones
Marty Stuart
Wynonna
Gaither Vocal Band
The Perry Sisters
The McKameys
Jake Hess
The Greenes
Elvis Costello
Weezer
Mariah Carey
Scott Stapp
Creed

Adam Knight Music Group promotes artists in Country, Southern Gospel, Contemporary Christian, R&B/Soul and Pop music genres. For more info contact Adam Knight Music Group at 423-292-4651 or visit www.adamknightmusic.com.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has posted the 2006 Spring Schedule; many facilities are now open to enjoy! The Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg is now open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Cades Cove Visitor Center near Townsend is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. LeConte Lodge, which is accessible only by trail, is now open as well. Lodge reservations can be made by calling 865-429-5704, faxing 865-774-0045, or emailing reservations@lecontelodge.com.

Many roads which have been closed for the winter are now in operation. Little Greenbrier, Rich Mountain and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail are now open to traffic. Clingmans Dome Road will open on April 1st and the Heintooga Ridge Road will open May 12th. A few roads will remain closed, including Balsam Mountain Road and Parson Branch Road. Both are undergoing construction to repair damages.

The national park has opened various family campgrounds as well. Group camping is available at seven different developed campgrounds, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby, Deep Creek, Elkmont, Cades Cove and Smokemont. Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont offer generator free campsites. On April 1st, the horse camps at Anthony Creek, Big Creek, Catalooche and Towstring will open to the public. The Round Bottom camp will remain closed until construction on Straight Fork/Balsam Mountain Road is completed.

Ten first-come, first-served picnic areas are available in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Currently, Big Creek, Cades Cove, Chimney Tops, Cosby, Greenbrier, Deep Creek, Metcalf Bottoms, and Collins Creek are open for your picnic pleasure. Heintooga and Look Rock will open May 12th. Due to construction, Twin Creeks picnic pavilion will open May 1st, only on Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. Reservations are required at Twin Creeks. The picnic areas of Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Metcalf Bottoms and Greenbrier offer spacious pavilions as well.

Four park concessions offer leisurely horseback rides. Smokemont will open April 1st; Smoky Mountain, Sugarlands, and Cades Cove riding stables are now open. Cades Cove also provides buggy rides, hayrides and educational ranger-led hayrides.

Reservations for all park services and facilities may be secured up to five months prior to your trip by calling 1-800-365-226.

On April 1st, the Cades Cove Campground Store will open. Elkmont is already in operation as well as Smokemont Stables, which sells firewood, ice and soft drinks.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For all music enthusiasts, or citizens searching for live entertainment in the Pigeon Forge and Smoky Mountain area, this information is golden! Each week various Smoky Mountain venues offer stellar live musical performances for your listening pleasure.

Here's the weekly music beat:

Monday ~~ Gary Wayne plays his 12-string guitar at Alf's on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge at 8 p.m. every Monday. You can also dance to various guest bands at the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Brewery, or sing karaoke at the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Brewery each Monday evening. Monday nights are karaoke nights at Skiddy's Place on Birds Creek Road in Gatlinburg as well.

Tuesday ~~ Tuesday means more dancing to various guest performances at the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Brewery locations. Skiddy's Place in Gatlinburg dishes out another round of karaoke tunes.

Wednesday ~~ Various guest bands perform Wednesday evenings at the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Brewery, and local sensation, The Griffins, perform every Wednesday at the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Brewery. Wednesday is Ladies' Night at Skiddy's Place with $0.35 cent wings.

Thursday ~~ Thursday is open mike night at the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Brewery; The Griffins perform at the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Brewery.

Friday ~~ The Griffins are back at the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Brewery, with various guest artists playing at the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Brewery. Michael Hicks, a gifted keyboardist and vocalist, performs each Friday at the Gondolier Restaurant in Gatlinburg. A lively bluegrass jam, courtesy of the Greenbrier Bluegrass Band, happens from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Bear Camp Grill on 3275 Wears Valley Road. Yet another bluegrass favorite, True Blue performs from 9-11:30 each Friday evening at Applebee's Restaurant in Gatlinburg.

Saturday ~~ The Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Brewery once again welcomes The Griffins Saturday nights, and the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Brewery hosts various guest bands. You can catch another bluegrass jam session from 1-5 p.m. at the Chamber Information Center on Highway 66 near Exit 407. Pickers are welcome to join in the jam! The Greenbrier Bluegrass Band will jam once again at the Bear Camp Grill on Wears Valley Road from 6:30-9:30 p.m.; and the bluegrass group, Smoky Mountain Travelers perform each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg.

Sunday ~~ Every Sunday you can enjoy open mike night at the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Brewery, and karaoke night at the Pigeon Forge location.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The city of Gatlinburg will sparkle after the scheduled clean up March 20th-31st. "Sparkle Days '06" will be the 27th annual spring cleaning time when Gatlinburg residents and business owners tidy up the town!

The sanitation department will pick up items that they usually would not collect, including scrap metal, old appliances, brush, junk vehicles, and almost any other discarded materials placed next to a city street. This only happens once a year during Sparkle Days. Commercial collection occurs the first week, March 20-24 and residential collection happens the following week, March 27-31. A few items that will not be collected are remodeling and demolition debris, old paint, and tires.

Interested volunteers may join the Recreation Department in group pick-up efforts. Volunteers will be supplied with large garbage bags and a smile! For more information on how to volunteer, call 865-436-4990. More Sparkle Day details are available at 865-436-5959.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Tuesday, March 7th, the Sevierville trolley service resumed. The Sevierville trolley serves as an extension of the Pigeon Forge trolley system, with two routes operating from 8:30 a.m. to midnight, every day of the week. Trolley fare is $0.50 cents per person, and trolleys are scheduled at 30-minute intervals. Trolley stops are marked with a sign. Routes are as follows:

The North Parkway Route: Begins in Pigeon Forge and travels into Governor's Crossing in Sevierville, stopping at Wal-Mart, Oak Tree Lodge, Apple Barn, McDonald's on the Parkway, Tanger Five Oaks, Nascar Speedpark, Books-A-Million, BB&T Bank on Collier Drive, Fairfield Resorts, and Governor's Palace.

The Courthouse Route: Begins in Pigeon Forge and extends to the Sevier County Courthouse, stopping northbound at Tanger Five Oaks, Wal-Mart, River Place Shopping Center, and the courthouse. The trolley stops southbound at Kmart Shopping Center, Landmark Inn/Riverview Inn, River Place Shopping Center, Wal-Mart, and Tanger Five Oaks.

For more information on the Sevierville trolley service, visit www.seviervilletn.org.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With spring in the air, Sevier County is a buzz with fun events to attend! Read on to discover some "must visit" activities going on this weekend in Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountain area.

March 6-13: The North American Country Music Association International Convention will be held March 6-13 at the Country Tonite Theatre. Peggy Franck can be reached at 865-992-6409 or 865-992-3438 to provide further details.

March 8-12: A Mountain Quiltfest at Smoky Mountain Convention Center and Music Road Hotel and Convention Center. Visit www.amountainquiltfest.com for more information.

March 9-11, 17-18: West Productions presents "Graceland" at Fort Sanders Senior Center on Chapman Highway in Sevierville. The play is a comedy, set at the entrance of Graceland in Memphis three days before the estate opens to the public. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Adult tickets cost $10; student tickets are $5; groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets for $8 per person. Proceeds will benefit the Fort Sanders Senior Center and Relay for Life. Call 865-429-0802 for reservations.

March 10-11: The Sevier County Genealogy Conference will be held at Pigeon Forge Community Center; tickets may be purchased at the Sevier County Library for $40 Call 865-428-7653 for more details.

March 11-12: Enter your darling child in the Cutest Baby Face Contest sponsored by Sevierville Kiwanis Club. The contest will transpire on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Beltz Factory Outlet in Pigeon Forge. On Sunday the contest will be in effect from noon to 5 p.m. at Beltz. Voting will be held March 18th and 19th; all proceeds benefit the Children's Hospital. Call 865-541-8441 for more details.

March 11: Come out for delicious barbecue and joyful fellowship from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Barbeque!

March 11: The Smoky Mountain field class, "Introduction to Orienteering" will meet in Sugarlands training room. Fee is $49 for the class. Call 865-974-0150 for more details.

March 11: The Hewitt Family and Witness will sing at Calvary Baptist Church on Wears Valley Road at 7 Saturday evening.

March 11: The Pentecostal Church of God on Allensville Road will host a performance by the Parton Family at 7 p.m. Call 865-453-2314 for more details.

March 11: The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club will lead a moonlight hike through the paved Loop Road to Hyatt Lane and back to Loop Road. The hike is moderately-easy at 8.7 miles, and very exhilarating with the "Sap Moon" lighting the night sky. Bring a flashlight and warm clothes! Leaders Debbie (865-368-7024), Keith (865-982-7368), and Robert (865-983-1985) will supply delightful homemade snacks and steamy cocoa. Call any leader for more details.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beginning at noon today and extending into late Saturday afternoon, you can attend the Third Annual Sevier County Genealogy Conference at Pigeon Forge Community Center and Library. Featured speakers include Sheila Steele Hunt of Hunt Genealogy and Associates; Carol Roberts of the Tennessee State Library & Archives; and Mark J. Lowe, an expert genealogist.

Conference programs include: "Using Excel to Manage Your Genealogy History", Document Preservation, The History of Greenbrier, Early Census Records, "Tennessee: The Road to the West", "Out on a Limb", and "Here Comes the Bride". An entertaining storytelling dinner is scheduled for Friday evening as well.

The conference costs $40 per person; call 865-428-7653 for more information.

Do you know about your family tree?

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Springfest marks the beginning of springtime in the beautiful city of Pigeon Forge,Tennessee. It is a three-month celebration packed full of home-spun fun! Some of the events included are A Mountain Quiltfest, the 3rd Annual Stringtime in the Smokies, The Dolly Parade, The Spring Grand Rod Run, and Dollywood's Festival of Nations.

Stringtime in the Smokies, which features some of the finest Appalachian crafters in the area, allows artisans to demonstrate their skills and share their knowledge with Pigeon Forge visitors. Mountain music courtesy of performers and interactive jam sessions fill the air with delightful melodies. A variety of old-fashioned games can be enjoyed by all ages, while antique farm equipment brings another taste of nostalgia to the event. Don’t forget the sick-to-your- ribs great food that can be enjoyed at outdoor picnic tables, making Stringtime in the Smokies the perfect way to spend a spring day in East Tennessee.

Springfest is also host to the very popular Dolly Parade. Dolly Parton rides atop a spectacular float as the Grand Marshal of her annual namesake parade. Join the merriment on the Parkway as festive floats, marching bands, and local celebrities pass by. Colorful flowers along the Parkway add to the refreshing spring ambiance of the parade. The 21st annual Dolly Parade is April 7th.

Springfest will also reunite classic cars from around the country for show and competition. The Spring Grand Rod Run kicks off the car show season with classic Fords, Chevy/GMCs and Gold Wings. These cars and trucks are exciting to see drive by, even better to sit in, and if you have the time, take a look under the hood! Thousands of visitors love walking the Parkway, admiring these amazing relics.

Springfest will begin on March 8, 2006 and continues through June 11, 2006. Make a Springfest event part of your vacation for this season! Log onto www.PigeonForge.com for all your vacation planning needs.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pigeon Forge will host the 12th Annual “A Mountain Quiltfest” March 8 – 12, 2006. This festival attracts over 20,000 visitors from around the country to the Pigeon Forge area annually. Hosted by the Piecemakers and Sevier Valley Quilters Guilds, the spring event brings quilting enthusiasts to compete in a world-renown, multi-category quilt show. The Southeast Tourism Society awarded “Festival of the Year” to Mountain Quiltfest in 2004 for events with attendance of less than 100,000. Quiltfest was recognized by the STS as a “Top 20 Event” on numerous occasions; 2004 marked the first time the event was named “Festival of the Year.”

A Mountain Quiltfest offers a unique opportunity for the viewing of creative quilts, not to mention classes and lectures taught by some of the nation's most recognizable names. For registration questions please contact Anita Bertmeyer 361-774-2306.

Instructors, vendors and sponsors will be on hand for questions and to meet your quilting needs. View a special display of the quilts in the show, and shop for unique items prior to public opening. Come to meet, greet and eat as we kick off A Mountain Quiltfest 2006! Once you register for classes or lectures you will receive an admission voucher for this fun-filled evening!

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming to Pigeon Forge this week, March 6th-12th, to the Country Tonite Theatre is the Ninth Annual Country Music Week and Hall of Fame award show! It will be a week of country, gospel and bluegrass performances by professionally established groups as well as aspiring artists.

Showcase and competition for aspiring artists will be held daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Don't miss the nostalgic Hall of Fame event at 7:30 p.m. on March 9th. Performances by inductees Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage will follow for a night of musical mayhem hosted by Jeanne Pruett.

The late Marty Robbins and the late Skeeter Davis are this year's winners of the Country Legend Award; Marty's son Ronny and Skeeter's sister Carolyn Sue will accept the awards on their relative's behalf. Additionally, Tandy Rice, president and CEO of Top Billing International will be named 2006 Talent Coordinator of the Year.

At 1:00 p.m. on March 12th you can experience the Hall of Fame Songwriters Induction Ceremony. The new inductee, Thomas Barnes, will be recognized. He penned Tim McGraw's "Indian Outlaw", Hank Williams Jr.'s "Man to Man", Lee Ann Womack's "When Did You Stop Loving Me", and George Strait's "I Know She Still Loves Me".

Admission is free between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tickets to the Hall of Fame's events and seminars vary in price from $10 to $30, depending on the event. Call 1-800-792-4308 for ticket nformation and reservations.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At 11:45 today, March 3rd, The Sevierville Trees/Trails and Beautification Board will host a celebration at the Civic Center. This year the event will include a recognition of names of those who have had trees planted in memory and in honor of. Sevierville will once again receive the Tree City USA Award from the Arbor Day Foundation, and winners of the Arbor Day National Poster Contest will be announced. Fifth-graders from Sevierville Intermediate participated in the contest; you can find their posters on display in the Civic Center lobby.

Do you know what Arbor Day is? It is an annual celebration of various communities in Tennessee that have been designated a "Tree City USA". Sevierville was honored with Tree City USA status in 1984; each year the city celebrates urban forestry and beautification efforts on Arbor Day.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dress up, search for hidden treasure, perhaps even walk the plank....you can do all of this tonight at the 3rd Annual Pirate's Ball to benefit the Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic.

At 7 p.m. you can enter Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies to find it transformed into a delightful Caribbean scene. Jimmy Bice of the Veranda Restaurant will provide delicious food and Soul Source will keep the night lively with groovy dance tunes. Complimentary beverages will be free flowing all night as well.

Tickets cost $75 per person with all proceeds going to the Mountain Hope clinic. Call Elaine at 774-7684 to reserve your tickets.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)