16 Free Things To Do in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

In the breathtaking state of Tennessee you’ll find the picturesque Smoky Mountains. Both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are great places to visit for fantastic indoor and outdoor fun! A vacation to the Smoky Mountains is perfect too, because there are so many things to do in the Smoky Mountains. Even better, there are plenty of FREE things to do in the Smoky Mountains!

The natural outdoor allure of the Smoky Mountain destinations of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is easy to understand. With the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as their backyard, these two vacation destinations allow guests to discover what they’ve been missing…refreshing, all natural fun!

1. Cades Cove: This is a great area for a scenic drive! There is an 11 mile one way loop that winds around the valley, complete with wildlife, campgrounds, bike rentals, spectacular foliage in autumn, facilities for horseback riding and historic buildings.

2. Sugarlands Visitor Center: A free 20-minute orientation motion picture provides an in-depth look at the Smokies and the enormous diversity of plant and animal life in the Park. Natural history exhibits include mounted specimens of park animals in recreations of their habitats and reproductions of journals kept by the first park naturalists are also on display. Ranger talks and slide shows are presented daily from spring through fall. You’ll also want to visit Laurel Falls, a beautiful waterfall located off Little River Road near the Sugarlands Center.

3. Patriot Park: Located in Pigeon Forge, this park is home to a big "liberty" bell, all 50 state flags, a historic patriot missile and a picnic pavilion amongst the open fields & a veteran's memorial park. Relax with the family while enjoying the beauty of Pigeon Forge.

4. Clingman’s Dome: Clingman's Dome is a short drive from Gatlinburg through the national park. There is a steep 1/2 mile hike to the top lookout, but anyone can enjoy the views from the level parking lot area. However, the views at the top of the dome are well worth the hike.

5. Free Child Admission at Pigeon Forge Shows: Many Pigeon Forge shows offer free admission for children (with a paying adult ticket). A few of the shows that participate in free kids admission are The Comedy Barn, Smith Family Dinner Show, Country Tonite, Hoot N Holler Dinner Show, Magic Beyond Belief and The Miracle.

6. Tennessee Heritage Trails: Our Heritage Trails link attractions in three categories - History, Arts & Crafts and Music - to showcase the distinctive character and talents of Tennessee trails and to connect both well-known and obscure attractions under a common theme.

7. The Old Mill: Visit the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge to tour the shops, including the candy kitchen, where you’ll get a free sample of fudge or taffy. Guests will also want to tour the Old Mill to see how they make corn meal and other products. The tour is about 30 minutes and there is a small admission fee of $3.

8. Great Smoky Mountains Arts and Craft Community: This is the largest group of independent artisans in North America. This historic 8-mile loop has been designated a Tennessee Heritage Arts & Crafts Trail. Established in 1937, these artisans create unique and treasured pieces. It doesn’t cost a dime to explore the shops and craftsmen at work.

9. Newfound Gap Road: The 33-mile drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee North Carolina along Newfound Gap Road is the only route that completely traverses the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drive offers a unique opportunity to enjoy an abbreviated experience of everything the Park has to offer, without necessarily trekking far from your automobile.

10. Hiking: Enjoy a hike on any of the more than 800 miles of trails through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. With over fifty trails available to hike, you’ll discover a new treasure each time you explore.

11. Douglas Lake: Beautiful Douglas Lake extends its 33,000 lake acres and 513 miles of shoreline to the rolling hills of the Great Smoky Mountains, attracting nearly 2 million visitors each year. Favorite activities at Douglas Lake include fishing, boating, rafting, swimming, camping, and bird watching.

12. Little River Railroad & Lumber Company Museum: This free museum teaches visitors about the history of steam logging in the Smokies. It is both an indoor and outdoor museum, with outdoor exhibits featuring a vintage caboose and portable Frick steam engine.

13. Gatlinburg Space Needle: Towering over downtown Gatlinburg, the Space Needle rises 407 feet, offering fantastic scenic views to visitors. This is a small admission fee of $7.25 for adults & $3 for children.

14. Shopping in the Smokies: Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are a shopper’s dream and it doesn’t cost a thing to look! There are several Outlet malls, such as Belz Factory Outlet Mall, as well as hundreds of unique shops to explore.

15. Festivals: Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are a haven for festivals. Many of these, such as the Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival, have free admission and concerts!

16. Plus, at Dollywood, you can get your next day FREE if you arrive at the park after 3 pm!

With so many things to see and do in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, you and your family are sure to experience the vacation of a lifetime!

The Florida Boys bring Gospel to Smoky Mountain Showplace Theatre

There is nothing quite like the sound of tradition, the excitement of hearing music that has touched people's hearts for decades, and the thrill of sharing the musical experience that defines Southern gospel — The Florida Boys.

Continuing a 60-year legacy that has touched millions through record, television and radio, lead singer Charlie Waller is bringing the Florida Boys to the Smoky Mountain Showplace Theatre, 140 Showplace Blvd. in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. six nights a week.

"We are so excited to be able to bring our show to Pigeon Forge on a regular basis," Waller said. "This is a tremendous opportunity for a quartet to get a chance to entertain for the receptive audiences that visit the Smokies."

Waller said the performance will be an innovative, entertaining mix that all will enjoy also featuring the talents of baritone singer: Buddy Burton, bass singer Chip Cooper, and tenor singer Dustin Bearden.

While the original members of the seasoned group retired from the road last year, a new chapter was born under Waller's leadership and the name and classic songs continue.

When asked how he landed such a prime opportunity for the quartet he said,"We are not just sleeping on our laurels here," he said. "We are going to bring folks a little bit of everything, hand clappers, tear jerkers, and songs that will leave a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts. How else can you leave them when you are singing about Jesus?"

Waller credits Ron Blackwood as being instrumental in helping him to strike a deal with theater owners Bob Deason and Sherry Bowman.

The group's latest release is entitled "I Give You....." which features a variety of Florida Boys songs such as "My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me," "After All," "The Master Locksmith," and "I Must Tell Jesus" and the show will include some of the greatest songs that Southern gospel music has ever known.

Waller said his love for the quartet reaches back to his earliest concert memories. For 38 years, Waller built a reputation producing and promoting shows including the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. Preserving the industry and its legacy is a top priority for Waller, he said.

He now also serves the industry as executive director of the Southern Gospel Music Association that operates the SGMA Hall of Fame and Museum at Dollywood.

Adding to Waller's colorful approach to show production is Gospel Music Hall of Fame member Burton, with 38 years in music working with acts such as the Smitty Gatlin Trio, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps...(Elvis' back-up group), Hovie Lister and the Statesmen…(Elvis' favorite quartet), the Masters V, and Charlie Waller's Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Quartet; Cooper, who brings 33-years of experience to the stage with groups like the Goodnewsmen, Pine Ridge Boys, Tar-Heel State and the Mystery Men; and Bearden, 24, who is already a seasoned professional working with Providence, New Vision Quartet, Narrow Way Quartet, and Alliance.

The debut performance was Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Shows at the theater are Monday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Information courtesy of Cybergrass - Bluegrass Newsletter

Pigeon Forge Offers Visitors Best of Both Worlds

The wooden door of the Old Mill creaks open to reveal the gloomy interior of a 177-year-old building. The air is filled with flour dust as the huge water-powered French granite stones grind grain into flour and meal.

Time seems to have stood still and the same can almost be said for a shopping mall nearby. Here a bakery, creamery, pottery and craft shop offer handicrafts and tasty gifts such as homemade cake and marmalade made to recipes handed down over the generations.

The give-away is the trendy T-shirt worn by 24-year-old miller Ryan Matthews, which shows that this old mill in Pigeon Forge on the edge of the Smoky Mountains, has entered the 21st century. Matthews has seen his home village turn into a magnet for visitors.

'When I was small, this was nothing but cornfields,' he said, pointing into the distance where the Smoky Mountains touch the sky. They are part of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which boasts 9 million visitors a year or more than any other such park in the United States.
The highest summit is Clingman's Dome, which stands at 2,025 metres. Pigeon Forge is the gateway to this natural habitat, an elongated community strung out along a six-lane highway route called the Parkway. All the attractions are here, ranging from restaurants to shopping centers and amusement arcades.

The valley used to rely on agriculture for its income and the surrounding mountains were relentlessly exploited for their reserves of coal and lumber.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the peaks were almost completely devoid of trees. Erosion triggered landslides and it was not until 1920 that the battle began to save these idyllic surroundings from disaster.

When there was nothing left to chop down, the lumberjacks moved on and the state began buying up the land owned by the mountain crofters. In 1934, the area along the border with North Carolina was proclaimed a US National Park and Pigeon Forge began its ascendancy.
Neighbouring Knoxville hosted the Expo or World Fair in 1982 and triggered a big influx of tourists in the process. It was a blessing for this impoverished region and attracted many investors.

An estimated 11 million visitors pour along the Parkway every year, says Leon Downey who is in charge of tourism. The hotels are affordable and the unspoilt landscape of the Smokies is just around the corner.

'People love the contrast,' says Downey who points out that many who come here end up seeing most of the National Park from behind a car windshield since they try to take in all the other attractions during a short vacation.

There are big dippers on every corner in Pigeon Forge and the chain of restaurants along highway 441 stretches for five kilometres. Drivers only need to pull off the road to enjoy all the fun of the fair and all they can eat to go with it.

'The program has been specifically designed for families and to appeal to the various generations,' said Deborah Fee Newsom whose company maintains a number of stages in Pigeon Forge where shows are regularly hosted.

Her latest innovation is a magician. Terry Evanswood saws his assistant in two before pronouncing: 'God made his dream come true.' By doing so, he shows that this area belongs firmly to the so-called 'Bible Belt' where citizens are devout Christians and proud of it.
Country singer Dolly Parton appears on stage here with the star- spangled banner at her side. Parton grew up in difficult circumstances in the little town of Locust Ridge as one of a family of 14. Today the 62-year-old is a superstar and has tried hard to give her former homeland a helping hand.

In 1986, she transformed what used to be known as 'Silver Dollar City' into a theme park called 'Dollywood.' She also brought the horse stunt revue 'Dixie Stampede' to Pigeon Forge. This indoor extravaganza of beating hooves complete with four-course meal sees mounted riders re-enact scenes from the US civil war three times a day in front of an audience of 1,400 people.

Visitors who long to get away from the crowds can seek sanctuary in the wilderness of the park. A network of paths for backpackers stretches for more than 1,300 kilometres through an area which has been extensively reforested.

Signs warn visitors to be on guard against bears roaming the region. 'There are about two bears to the mile,' said John LaFevre, a local hiker. 'But the black bears tend to be shy and keep away from people just as long as they pick up their garbage behind them.'

The only visitors' lodge in the park is to be found on the peak of Mount Leconte. The accommodation is highly sought-after and those who want to stay here have to book months, if not years, in advance to secure a bed.

The ascent takes three hours via narrow paths, across small bridges and through a rock-hewn tunnel. From halfway up, the view stretches for miles across the valleys of the Smokies and suddenly Pigeon Forge seems a very long way off.

Information courtesy of Monsters & Critics

Winterfest in Pigeon Forge celebrates Christmas, Smoky Mountain Heritage

Winter, formerly the quietest time of year in the Smoky Mountains resort town of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., now is one of the most vibrant because of Pigeon Forge Winterfest. The 18th edition of the four-month celebration runs from Nov. 8-Feb. 29, 2008.

More than five million Winterfest lights that are spread throughout the city are most conspicuous element of Pigeon Forge Winterfest. Elaborate displays depicting everything from Mother Goose rhymes to patriotic themes attract visitors who view them from their own vehicles or get guided tours on the city's Fun Time Trolleys.

One of the more elaborate displays depicts the city's most significant historic site, the Old Mill. The actual mill was built in 1830 and still is in operation. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.During the first two months of Pigeon Forge Winterfest, another 3.5 million lights add a special glow to the Dollywood theme park and its special holiday season.Also during November and December, Pigeon Forge's theaters—there are more than a dozen—add special holiday segments to their productions. All theaters operate through the end of the year, and many offer shows year-round.

After the excitement of Christmas and New Year's, the city continues Pigeon Forge Winterfest with three festivals in January and February:

- Wilderness Wildlife Week, Jan. 12-19, is the first. It began the same year as Winterfest as a Saturday afternoon activity and now offers eight days of programs and activities to spotlight Great Smoky Mountains National Park. More than 100 experts on nature and outdoor life present programs on many topics, and there are daily hikes and excursions into the national park. AppalachiaFest, a musical component of Wilderness Wildlife Week on Jan. 15, is hosted by Grammy-Award winner David Holt and features bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley.

- The 17th Annual Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival is on tap Feb. 7-9 with some of America's top storytellers, who offer both performances and workshops. The 2008 schedule includes cowboy poet and storyteller Waddie Mitchell and Bil Lepp, five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest.

- Saddle Up!, a celebration of the American West, returns for the eighth year, Feb. 21-24. It brings some of the best western musicians and cowboy poets to the Smokies for a rare visit east of the Mississippi River. Featured this year are Wylie & the Wild West, Sons of the San Joaquin, Jean and Gary Prescott, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Sourdough Slim, Chris Isaacs, Kent Rollins and Jeff Gore & Silver Valley.

Info courtesy of TravelVideo.TV