Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

The Townsend Spring Festival and Old Timers Day will be held this weekend, April 28th and 29th, and next weekend on May 5th and 6th on the grounds of the Townsend Visitors Center on 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. The celebratory weekends have been designed to help keep the rich Smoky Mountain culture, historic traditions, and Appalachian arts alive in the region.

The two weekends will be packed with authentic entertainment, including over 30 bluegrass bands, Appalachian demonstrations, craft displays, games for children, local author showcases, antique tractor and car shows, guided hikes, and Southern delicacies to eat!

Immerse your senses in old-time Appalachia with demonstrations that include a bee hive observation, lye soap making, heirloom spinning, homespun toy making, chair canning, cornmeal creating, mountain berry basket weaving, poetry reading, and a Civil War re-enactment from the 29th Tennessee Regiment-Volunteer Infantry, CSA. They will even have a real moonshine still on display!

Over 30 arts and crafts booths will be located in the exhibit room of the Townsend Visitors Center. You can learn about quilting, woodcarving, herb and wildflower cultivating, corn shuck doll making, rug hooking, as well as intricate pencil artistry.

Throughout the festival, children can frolic and play games, take pony rides, participate in cake walks and a bake sale, and listen to local storytellers spin wild tales.

For all who appreciate the outdoors, guided wildflower walks and hikes are scheduled; space is limited, however. Call the visitors center at 865-448-6134 to reserve your spot on a hike or stroll through the Smokies.

On Saturday, April 29th you can watch an antique tractor and engine show. Then on May 5th and 6th, come out to see antique cars on display.

On May 5th and 6th, six teams will battle it out for the winning barbecue title! Delicious barbecue will be on hand both weekends along with other traditional Southern treats to satisfy your appetite.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On Monday, April 24th, a wondrous Wildflower Pilgrimage began in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! The wildflower fest continues through Sunday, April 30th. You can travel to the Smokies to find beauty, adventure, enlightenment, and vibrant colors at every turn! Feed your creative nature and ease your restless spirit at the 56th Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, headquartered in the newly renovated W. L. Mills Auditorium in Gatlinburg.

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is an annual week-long event in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that offers a plethora of wildflowers, interesting fauna, and natural history walks. Motorcades, photographic tours, art classes, and indoor seminars are also offered.

The majority of wildflower programs will be held in the outdoor splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On-site registration and indoor seminars will be held in the W. L. Mills Auditorium in Gatlinburg; the trolley shuttle service will depart from W. L. Mills as well.

Registration fees for adults cost $20 for one day and $35 for two or more days. Admission for students costs $10 for one or more days, and children under 12 are free when accompanied by a registered adult! For more information, visit www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org.

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

This weekend, April 20th-23rd, Pigeon Forge will host the annual Spring Grand Rod Run at the Grand Resort Hotel and Convention Center. The Spring Grand Rod Run is the first official kick-off event to a new season of car shows!
Thousands of classic car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts make the pilgrimage to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and the Great Smoky Mountains each year.

Visitors can enjoy vendors from all over the country with interactive displays. Workshop sessions are available to answer technical questions throughout the event weekend. Come out and spend the day looking over the amazing amounts of cars, trucks, new products, and swap meet items. For more details, call 1-800-251-4444.

Continued below is the schedule for more car shows to come!

May 19-21: Chevy Classics at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center.

June 14-16: Smoky Mountain Pontiacs at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center.

June 16-17: Southern Nationals Association Camaro/Chevelle/Nova Nationals at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center.

July 7-9: Southern Nationals Association at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center.

September 8-9: Shades of the Past Rod Run Show XXIV at the National Parks Resort and Smoky River Ranch.

September 15-17: Fall Grand Rod Run at the Grand Resort and Convention Center.

September 25-28: Smoky Mountain Model-A Club Rally at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gatlinburg’s 5th Annual Ribfest & Wings Street Festival will be held this Thursday, April 20th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza and River Road in downtown Gatlinburg.

Look forward to engaging live entertainment, creative children's activities, and raging hot wing eating contests throughout the evening! Carib Sounds Steel Drum Band, "Hurricane Bob" and the Devastators, and Sevier County's own Kevin McGuire will keep the night rocking with great tunes. Children can frolic in an inflated dog trampoline, have festive art painted on their faces, and receive unique balloon characters created by expert artists.

You may purchase an "all-you-can-eat" armband for Ribfest & Wings or sample a smaller array at a "buck for a bone or two wings".

Be sure to come out for this annual Springfest event!

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now you can watch the story of Jesus Christ's life, His love, His sacrifice, the work of His hands, live on stage in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Recently opened at 2046 Parkway, the Miracle Theater has dramatized the battle between good and evil in a rousing theatrical production.

A cast of around 150 members delivers Christ's story in a touching, powerful, and entertaining performance. Included in the show are a wide range of characters like exotic kings on camels, majestic angels, dedicated disciples of Christ, and centurion soldiers. The Miracle will astound you with dramatic effects you can feel including rushing wind and wet rain as Jesus calms the stormy sea.

The story begins with creation in the lush garden and continues through Jesus' birth, life, death on the Cross, and glorious resurrection. The drama unfolds The Miracle of Jesus Christ as it expresses His endless love, supernatural healing and patient mercy.

Adult tickets cost $38.95 and children cost $14.95; through April 23rd you have the opportunity to purchase a $74.95 VIP season pass to enjoy unlimited admission all year. The show is open year round.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Easter is upon us! For travelers visiting the Smokies during the holiday, listed below are some worship options with various churches in the area.

Our Savior Lutheran: The April 9th Palm Sunday worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. with an Easter egg hunt and outing in Christus Gardens for all children immediately following the service. Honoring Holy Week, the annual Seder Meal is April 12th at 6 p.m. The Maundy Thursday Holy Communion, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, is Thursday, April 13th at 7:45 p.m. The Good Friday service begins at 7:45 p.m. on April 14th, and festival services to celebrate Easter will be held at 8 and 10:30 a.m. at Our Savoir Lutheran Church. Additionally, Ober Gatlinburg will host an all-community Easter service at 6:30 a.m. on April 16th.

St. Joseph the Carpenter Episcopal: St. Joseph the Carpenter Episcopal church is located on Hardin Lane; Palm Sunday services will be held at 8 and 10:30 a.m. The Maundy Thursday worship service begins at 7 the evening of April 13th, and on Good Friday at noon and 7 p.m. special Stations of the Cross services will be held. The Easter Sunday service begins at 10:30 a.m. Call 865-429-7474 for more information.

St. Mary's Catholic of Gatlinburg: Eight a.m. Mass will be held on April 10th, 11th and 12th. On Holy Thursday, April 13th, Mass will be held at 7 p.m. Good Friday, April 14th, is the only day of the year that no Mass is held; instead, there is an ecumenical service at noon and liturgy at 7 p.m. On Holy Saturday, April 15th, there will be a 7 p.m. Easter vigil liturgy. Mass resumes to celebrate Easter Sunday at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and noon.

Trinity Episcopal: The Trinity Episcopal Church on the Historic Nature Trail in Gatlinburg will offer the following services during Holy Week: Maundy Thursday Liturgy at 7 p.m. April 13th; Good Friday Liturgy at 7 p.m. April 14th; The Great Vigil of Easter choral service at 7 p.m. on Easter Eve, April 15th; the Holy Eucharist Rite I at 8 a.m. Easter Sunday; and the Holy Eucharist Rite II at 11 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 16th.

First Presbyterian: First Presbyterian of Sevierville will hold a Palm Sunday worship service at 10:45 a.m. on April 9th; a Maundy Thursday Communion service at 7 p.m. on April 13th; and an Easter Sunday Celebration of the Resurrection service beginning at 10:45 the morning of April 16th. The Reverend Terrye McAnally will officiate all services.

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Springfest truly begins when Sevier County's favorite daughter, Dolly Parton, comes to town and heralds the celebration with her procession through the streets of Pigeon Forge. This April 7th marks the 21st Anniversary of the grand Dolly Parade.

Traditionally, over 50,000 parade watchers line the streets to admire the colorful floats, marching bands, entertainers and local celebrities marching through the streets of Pigeon Forge.

The Dolly Parade will begin April 7th at 6:00 p.m. on River Road near traffic light #7 and will travel north along the Parkway, disbanding at traffic light #3 near the Belz Factory Outlet World.

Come visit Pigeon Forge to see the grand Dolly Parade and welcome Dolly to town! You might even have the chance to introduce yourself...

Posted by Jessisa Bookstaff at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)