Lee Greenwood is Back in The Smokies

The intimate Smith Family Theater is set to host Lee Greenwood.

Greenwood is back in Pigeon Forge for about 30 shows this summer. Greenwood is happy to be back to see family and sing his hits to fans.

Always a crowd-pleaser in this area, the Lee Greenwood Theater closed down, but Greenwood decided to come back on his off-time to stay and play.

He loves going down to Cades Cove with his family. He says the hiking and biking trails in the Smokies are the "perfect place."

Greenwood, who lives in West Tennessee with his family, is not touring right now, although he just returned from a USO tour a few weeks ago. Greenwood has many hits but one he is known for, "God Bless The U.S.A" has become a bit of an unofficial Anthem in this country.

Here are his tour dates for The Smith Family Theater:

May 9, 2008
May 18, 2008
May 23, 2008
June 20, 2008
July 10-11, 2008
July 18, 2008
July 24, 2008
August 1, 2008
August 8, 2008
August 15, 2008
August 22, 2008
August 30-31, 2008
September 5, 2008
September 11-12, 2008
September 21, 2008
September 27, 2008
October 3, 2008
October 9-10, 2008
October 19, 2008
October 24, 2008
October 30-31, 2008
November 5, 2008
November 14 and 16, 2008
November 21, 2008
November 28, 2008
December 3, 2008
December 12, 2008
December 29, 2008

While visiting Pigeon Forge and enjoying the Lee Greenwood Show, you'll need a place to rest and relax. Thankfully, there is discount Pigeon Forge hotels available making every piece of your visit easy and budget friendly. Make your reservations early!

Information courtesy of WBIR-TV

Play and Stay in Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge is a vacation destination encompassing great outdoor fun and exciting indoor fun the whole family can enjoy. I got to see how much fun Pigeon Forge really offers when I recently ventured there. The Parkway running through Pigeon Forge is lined with entertainment, including everything from live shows to thrilling attractions. Plus, there are plenty of unique Pigeon Forge restaurants to try along the way.

The great thing about Pigeon Forge is how it manages to maintain its small town atmosphere while also offering big time fun. Both Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country are conveniently located just minutes from the parkway, and both maintain the natural beauty of the area throughout their locations. One of the best things about Splash Country is the way the water attractions blended with the earth, to create a true paradise of fun. Even Dollywood, with its outrageous roller coasters and new-fangled shops, wraps itself around the scenic allure of Pigeon Forge.

Visiting Splash Country and Dollywood is good old-fashioned fun, and something I believe everyone can enjoy. They both cater to families, with the Safe-T-Kid systems, which allow families to monitor the exact location of their child. Splash Country even has retreats for rent, which are cabanas with first class service, shade and televisions which are great for visiting families. My favorite part about Dollywood was its roller coasters. They were thrilling and definitely provided the fun it promised. The absolute best was the Tennessee Tornado. It loops around, goes upside down, and is very fast!

A few of the must see shows in the area include Country Tonite, The Smith Family Show and Cirque de Chine. They’re a great way to end a day of hiking or a day at Dollywood.

While I was in the area, I also got a chance to dine in a Pigeon Forge Restaurant. Johnny Carino’s, an Italian eatery, won me and my dinner companions over! There delicious food was plentiful and unique and the service was excellent. I would recommend any Pigeon Forge guest to try it!

Lodging in Pigeon Forge is also plentiful, with cabins, hotels and condominiums to choose from. A few of the options include The Resort at Governor’s Crossing, Grand Resort Hotel and The Water Resort. Cabins in Pigeon Forge are abundant, with properties like Bear-Foot Cabin Rentals, Mill Creek Cabin Rentals and Bluff Mountain Rentals to choose from.

New Activities Spring into Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge is springing into a new season of fun. Consider these new activities the next time you visit:

After a soft opening over the winter, this is the first full season for Zorb Smoky Mountains, that peculiar humans-inside-a-giant-beachball-zooming-down-a-mountainside attraction. It’s the latest extreme sport imported from New Zealand and is the only Zorb site in North America.

Spin City, a high-tech roller skating center with a rink measuring 11,000 square feet, flashy lights and a booming sound system, is ready for its first tourism season. It updates the old question of “how low can you limbo on skates?” to “how low can you limbo on skates while the video camera captures your technique?”

Dollywood plans to board the first passengers on a $5 million water adventure ride called River Battle on March 21. As the willing-to-get-wet adventurers navigate a circular river, they aim powerful soaker guns at other rafts and at more than 100 targets along the way—and spectators have soaker guns, too. For the crowd that wants to stay dry, Dollywood’s special touch for spring is the annual Festival of Nations. This year, the theme is the “World of Dance,” and troupes of colorful folkdancers from Russia, Mexico, Ecuador, the Philippines, Spain and elsewhere will be in the spotlight.

Expected to draw major attention is “Rhythm of the Dance” featuring the stunning stepdancing of Ireland. Festival of Nations runs from March 21-May 5 and includes food, music, crafts and other arts as well as the colorful dancers.

Other entertainment news includes the return of Lee Greenwood, winner of multiple Country Music Association Awards, to the Smokies. He has booked 72 shows (36 dates) at the 600-seat Smith Family Theater. Dates are spread from April through December.

More new entertainers in town include a herd of powerful Texas longhorns, the centerpieces of a show’s new opening segment at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede.

A totally new show, “Swing Time,” plans to open in May. It’s a trip back in time to the Big Band era of the early 1940s in the Grand Majestic Theater (formerly the American Jukebox Theater).
“Pigeon Forge’s ever-changing choice of activities is one of its great appeals. Spring 2008 in Pigeon Forge is a fine change of pace for people who have been cooped up for the winter,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism.

For more information on Pigeon Forge businesses—hotels, theaters, campgrounds, attractions and restaurants—visit ReservePigeonForge.com.

Information courtesy of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism

Lee Greenwood Announces Concerts in Pigeon Forge

Lee Greenwood, winner of three Country Music Association Awards and writer of America’s unofficial patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA,” will perform 36 dates at the Smith Family Theater in Pigeon Forge this year.

Greenwood, who had his own theater in the Smokies for five years, starts his Pigeon Forge concert series on April 18. The final shows will be Dec. 29. Greenwood will have two shows on each appearance date for a total of 72 shows.

“We are extremely honored to host Lee Greenwood’s return to the Great Smoky Mountains. Lee has great fans, and his concerts at the Smith Family Theater are scheduled so guests can combine one of his shows with Pigeon Forge’s many other entertainment opportunities,” said Charlie Bob Smith, partner and performer at the Smith Family Theater.

The 600-seat Smith Family Theater opened in 2004 and was custom built for the act that features Charlie, Jim and Charlie Bob Smith (Charlie and Jim are brothers, and Charlie Bob is Charlie’s son). The family act has been popular in the region since the 1980s, including a long run at the Dollywood theme park.

A combo ticket for a Lee Greenwood concert and the Smith Family Show is $44.90 plus tax. Children age 12 and younger are free.

“After living and working in the Smoky Mountains for almost eight years, I discovered, just like the millions of visitors who visit the area each year, that the beauty and romance of the Smoky Mountains are unmatched,” Greenwood said.

The Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism said Greenwood’s concerts will expand the city’s entertainment mix.

“Many people visit Pigeon Forge especially for the theaters. We think Lee Greenwood will encourage new visitors to try us and entice others to stay an extra day,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the department of tourism.

In addition to “God Bless the USA,” Greenwood’s hit list includes “Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands,” “It Turns Me Inside Out,” “Somebody’s Gonna Love You,” “Dixie Road” and “I Don’t Mind the Thorns (If You’re the Rose).”

Greenwood concerts dates:

April 18 and 25

May 9, 18 and 23

June 20

July 10, 11, 18 and 24

August 1,8, 15, 22, 30 and 31

September 5, 11, 12, 21 and 27

October 3, 9, 10, 19, 24, 30 and 31

November 5, 14, 16, 21 and 28

December 3, 12 and 29.