Spend the Thanksgiving Holiday in Pigeon Forge, TN

Thanksgiving is known as a family holiday, with traditional feasts and sale shopping synonymous with the day as much as turkey. However, certain traditions are evolving, with many families choosing to forgo the trip to Grandma’s house and instead using the four-day weekend for a mini-getaway. That’s one reason Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has become a major destination the week of Thanksgiving.

There are more than 10,000 rooms in the city of Pigeon Forge, enabling the destination to welcome many visitors, especially during holidays. Plus, the variety of lodging options, which includes condos and cabins with full kitchens for guests who want to fix a Thanksgiving meal, and hotels for guests who wish to be served a meal rather than make a meal. Cabin options include Hearthside Cabin Rentals, Bluff Mountain Rentals and Cramer’s Creekside Cabins, while condo options include Cedar Lodge Condominiums, RiverStone Resort, Cherokee Lodge and Mountain Vista Luxury Rentals. Hotel choices include Oak Tree Lodge, Bearskin Lodge on the River, Fairfield Inn & Suites Gatlinburg, and The Resort at Governor’s Crossing.

For visitors who would like to attend a dinner show on Thanksgiving day, there are several great entertainment options. Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show, Black Bear Christmas Spectacular, Smith Family Dinner Show and Hoot N Holler Dinner Show are all open on Thanksgiving and are all serving a delicious meal to accompany their show. A few of the Pigeon Forge restaurants that will be open on the holiday include Alamo Steakhouse, Bennett’s Bar-B-Que, Mama’s Farmhouse, the Old Mill Restaurant and the Pottery House Café & Grill.

The city will already be holiday themed during the Thanksgiving break, as WinterFest, Pigeon Forge’s four-month celebration started in early November, so the city is aglow in brilliant light displays.

Pigeon Forge shows will also be open on Thanksgiving day. Cirque De Chine, The Comedy Barn, Country Tonite and The Temptations Revue are just a few of the entertaining choices available.

Of course, plenty of Pigeon Forge shopping will be open for Black Friday sales, so getting a head start on your Christmas shopping will be a piece of cake, or in this case, pie.

Winterfest in Pigeon Forge Kicks Off November 5

The Pigeon Forge Winterfest Kickoff at Patriot Park is scheduled for November 5 at 4pm. This event officially begins the Christmas season in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and also kicks off the Winterfest events in Pigeon Forge that run through February.

Touring the Pigeon Forge light displays is a favorite visitor activity, and with over 5 million lights to see, there is no better way to get around town than onboard the city’s Trolley Tour of Lights. The Trolley Tour of Lights runs Monday through Friday starting at 6:30pm. The tour begins at the Pigeon Forge Funtime Trolley Station at Patriot Park and costs $5 per person. The trolley, which is climate-controlled, will offer the tour through January 29.

Several Pigeon Forge Shows get into the Christmas spirit as well. When you visit the Pigeon Forge area in the month's of November and December, enjoy these great Christmas shows:

Country Tonite Christmas Show

Dixie Stampede Christmas Show

Smith Family Christmas Dinner Show

Tennessee Christmas Shindig