Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Sevierville’s third annual Bloomin' Barbeque and Bluegrass on May 18 and 19 will offer new elements and old favorites.
New this year is a laser light show. The 20-minute show, combining lasers with music, will begin each night at approximately 10:30 after the last live bluegrass concert.
Also new is the bluegrass music tent. “Bluegrass music is such an important part of our heritage here in the Great Smoky Mountains,” said event organizer Amanda Marr.”We really wanted to provide an opportunity for kids (and kids at heart) to touch bluegrass instruments and learn to play a little.” There will be instructors and instruments on site.

There will be new children’s activities in the expanded Kid’s Zone, including a helicopter simulator, a climbing wall, inflatables, games, face painting, and more.
As before, Bloomin' Barbeque and Bluegrass will bring cook teams from all over the U.S. to Sevierville to compete for $15,000 in cash and prizes and the title of state champion in the barbeque cookoff.
The third annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition, which honors the songwriting of Sevierville’s Dolly Parton, is the only competition of its kind anywhere. The finals begin May 19 at 11:30 a.m.
Bloomin' Barbeque and Bluegrass will feature up-and-coming bluegrass musicians as well as seasoned performers. Admission and concerts are free. For more information call 453-6411 or visit www.BloominBBQ.com.

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Most of the people who donated money on eBay to take the first rides on Dollywood’s new $17 million Mystery Mine roller coaster described their adventure in one word: awesome.
“ I liked all the turns and everything, and the darkness and the mine thing,” said Cindy of Pompano Beach, FLA.
Reportedly the first ride of its kind in the country and the largest investment in Dollywood history, the two-and-a-half-minute ride features a 95-degree, 85-foot vertical drop, several high-speed twist and encounters such as shooting flames and special effects.
The ride is located in the Timber Canyon area, adjacent to the Thunderhead roller coaster and Timber Tower, which opened last year.

“It was fantastic,” said Jason Childs of Knoxville.” The 90-degree vertical rise was not what I was expecting, and there’s a big brush of fire that bursts out so you can feel the heat. At the last drop where you go upside down, I screamed a little loud like a girl. I’ve been on a lot of coasters, but it’s the first time I’ve been on a 90-degree vertical rise. It ranks in my top three.”
Brian Ross of Concord, N.C., said the ride was more than he expected.
“It was probably one of the best roller coasters I’ve ever been on,” he said. “ When you go straight up, you cant see what’s coming. You drop and you’re inverted upside down.
“ I thought the Tennessee Tornado was the best, but I think I’m going to have to ride this one three or four more times before we leave today,” Ross said. “I’m going to have to try to find my stomach now.”
It wasn’t known if Elizabeth Sussky of Olustee, Okla., had tears of joy or fright after riding Mystery Mine.
“The ride was amazing and Dolly was wonderful.” Sussky said, referring to a brief appearance by Parton at the coaster, after escorting riders to their seats. “She is just as nice in person as she is on TV.
“The ride went straight up and dropped straight down,” Sussky said. “It had flames coming at you and it had water, speed, and you had a T.V. It was more entertaining as a ride rather than a roller coaster you sit on and spin around and your done just like that.”

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Helicopter Awareness Day began six years ago as a memorial to Hal Haynes, founder of Scenic Helicopter Tours. This year’s event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 21 and 22.
As a young boy, Haynes fell ill with polio, and was treated at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville. For years he made annual personal contributions to Children's Hospital. In his later years he asked that his children not get him gifts for Christmas but to make donations in his name to the hospital.
Upon his death his son, Dan Haynes, conceived and hosted the first Helicopter Awareness Day six years ago. This event’s mission is to raise public awareness of helicopters. Scenic Helicopter Tours now has a sister company, Helicopter Whirl’d Adventures.

This years event will benefit the Children's Hospital in Knoxville and Smoky Mountain Children's Home in Sevierville.
On April 21 at Scenic Helicopter Tours Heliport on Highway 66 in Sevierville there will be helicopter rides plus aircraft on display from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, UT Life Star, Wings Air Medical and Air Evac Life Team. There will also be several privately owned aircraft for the public to look inside and opportunities to talk with pilots and people who fly and operate them. Food will be sold. April 22 activities will be held at Helicopter Whirl’d Adventures.
The Pilot Gala from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Helicopter Whirl’d Adventures in Pigeon Forge will be $65 per person/ $100 per couple. It will feature food, helicopter exhibits, and simulators.

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Isn’t it great to see the new Smokies kick off a season of baseball? This really is the new Tennessee Smokies.
Rain washed out opening night ceremonies, but everything went as planned Thursday night, and excited fans got to see a doubleheader. Two games for the price of one. The Smokies have a roster of new players, an exciting new affiliate in the Chicago Cubs, new uniforms, new coaches, and new promotions. But not everything has changed. The traditions, the look of the stadium, the games themselves, all that remains the same

Baseball is a game built on tradition.
Taking in a game at this beautiful stadium will evoke memories of youth, of going to the ballpark with dad or the family. The tickets cost a lot less than you would pay to see a major league game, and yet these are professional players, some of whom will make it to the big leagues. Don’t miss out on this experience, attend a Smokies game today!

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The sixth Annual Ribfest And Wings festival will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. April 19th, in its new downtown location. The event will feature live entertainment, children’s activities and a hot-wing-eating contest.
This year’s festival will be on the Parkway parking lot surrounding the Harley Davidson store across from Hard Rock Café near Traffic Light #3.
Free Entertainment will be provided by the Marshall Tucker Band, southern rockers who play everything from country to blues and have recorded hits like “Heard It in a Love Song,” “Fire On the Mountain,” “Can’t You See,” and “Take The Highway.” Also, The Beat Daddy’s return playing their soulful rock ‘n’ roll blues.

Awards will be presented to the best ribs or wings in six categories. All vendors will be vying for the People’s Choice Award selected by popular vote.
Some of this year’s participants include Crawdaddy’s, the Gatlinburg Police and Fire Departments, Westgate Resort, Corky’s BBQ, TGI Friday’s, Gatlinburg Elk’s Lodge, Eight Gables Inn, Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Lineberger’s Seafood and Bushido Security. To enter a recipe as a vendor and compete for awards, call 436-0506.
An armband for Ribfest & Wings may be purchased for $10 that allows unlimited sampling of the food, or items can be purchased separately for $1.
Hot-wing-eating contests will take place at 5 and 6 p.m. Children’s activities include face painting and balloon artist.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Gatlinburg Lodging & Hotel Association's educational scholarship fund.
You don’t want to miss all the excitement. For more information visit www.gatlinburg.com or call 436-4178.

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Dolly Parton is the favorite daughter of the Smoky Mountain Area. Her life is a true rags-to-riches account. One of her top songs, "Coat of Many Colors" was inspired by her own childhood that saw hardships such that the clothes she wore were patched together from already worn out scraps of clothing. Dolly wrote practically all of her own songs, timeless for their heartfelt accounts of hardship, heartache, and love. Known throughout the world for her music, films, and most of all, her voice, Dolly Parton is an American Icon.

To her credit, Parton has 25 songs that reached number one on the Billboard country charts, with 110 charted singles and 41 Top 10 albums during her career. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Star on the Nashville Star Walk. For her contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States, the U.S. Library of Congress awarded Dolly the Living Legend Medal in 2004. She earned the nation's highest honor for excellence in the arts when she was presented with the National Medal of Arts in 2005. To top it all off, Dolly even has a bronze statue in her likeness on the courthouse lawn in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee. Recently, Parton captured the Best Original Song nomination for an Academy Award.

The city of Pigeon Forge will host its 22nd Annual Dolly Parade on Friday, April 13th.
With the theme “Celebrate Ireland,” this year’s parade will carry the luck of the Irish, and grand marshal Dolly Parton is prepared to shamrock and roll as the parade travels the Pigeon Forge Parkway.
Parade entries will include local entertainers, marching bands and a number of floats courtesy of local and area businesses and civic groups. A number of high school marching bands, competing in the Pigeon Forge Music Festival, will be judged on there parade performance. Traditionally, more than 60,000 people view the parade each year, and many travelers make the event an annual spring tradition.
The Dolly Parade will get underway at 6.p.m., starting near traffic light #7 and traveling North along the parkway to Traffic Light #3. For more information please call 1-865-429-7350 or visit www.pigeonforge.com

Don’t miss Dollywood's Grand Opening Day on April 14th; Pigeon Forge invites visitors to the famous theme park!

Springfest is still in full swing! It lasts until June, so there is plenty of time for you and your loved ones to head this way to experience new attractions, new restaurants and new theaters.

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As the star of the Country Tonite Theatre's morning “Grand Illusion Show” for the past 10 years, Terry Evanswood wanted to take his magic even further.
It took the closing of a beloved theatre in Pigeon Forge to create what the heads of the Fee / Hedrick Family Entertainment Group hope will be an even more popular attraction in "Magic Beyond Belief." Co- owners David Fee and Jim Hedrick purchased the former 400-seat Ole Smoky Hoedown Theatre and converted it into their newest venture, scheduled to open Wednesday. The show will feature illusions, close-up magic, and sleight-of-hand tricks. Two large video screens will complement the show, as well as lights, music, new sets and costumes, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. There will be eight people in the cast and crew.

Evanswood, a magician for 25 years, has appeared in live stage shows and on national television programs across the country.
“When I first came to town, my first hope was that within a year or two we would be able to put together an opportunity for an evening show,” Evanswood said. “Good things don’t happen overnight- Good things take time to create, and it’s been a 10 year process to build the show that I have.”
Evanswood said that to prepare for his new show, he went through 20 years of videotapes, critiquing his own performances. He says that those who come to attend his show can expect to get their money’s worth.
“What better way to get away from everything than come to a magic show while you’re here?” Evanswood said. “You’re not only getting away from your problems, but getting away from reality. You’re in a world of complete imagination and illusion where anything is possible.”

Show times are Monday-Saturday at 8 p.m., with additional 2 p.m. shows on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. For tickets and information call (865) 428-5600 or visit www.pigeonforgemagic.com

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