GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (April 2013) – At age 50, the Sugarlands Visitor Center at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has gotten a major facelift. The Great Smoky Mountains Association and Friends of the Smokies, two private sector organizations, funded the project. Approximately 850,000 visitors a year come through the visitor center, which is […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (March 2013) – Handmade quilts can be many things in one – a source of warmth, works of art, family heirlooms and more. Quilts in all their glory are the focus of A Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge from March 12-16. Quilters and crafters from across the U.S. gather to enjoy a […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (February 2013) – Cowboy singers, cowboy poets and chuck wagon cooks are on the trail to Pigeon Forge for the 13th annual Saddle Up, Feb. 21-24, 2013. The four-day event, a tip of the hat to the American West, features concerts, a chuck wagon cookoff and other activities designed to entertain the […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Jan. 18, 2013) – It’s likely that the fanciest ice sculptures you ever created were the fish-shaped ice cubes that came out of that plastic ice tray you bought at IKEA. To see what real ice artistry looks like, check out the third annual Titanic Pigeon Forge Professional Ice Carving Competition on […]
Visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park rose to 9,685,828 in 2012. That’s a 7.5 percent jump, making 2012 the biggest year since the 10.1 million visitors in 2000, which remains the record. Park management credited mild weather last winter and spring as a big factor. Every month in 2012 had more visitors than the […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (October 2012) – A gigantic blue and green helium balloon has people all over Pigeon Forge pointing to the sky and admiring the city’s newest attraction. It is Wonders of Flight, an addition to the science- and fun-filled WonderWorks attraction on the Parkway. The Wonders of Flight balloon is 72 feet in […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (September 2012) – Dollywood received five 2012 Golden Ticket Awards, the top honor in the theme park industry. The awards were first-time recognitions in three categories and repeats in two categories : Best Food, beating out longtime winner Knoebels Amusement Resort Friendliest park, upsetting 13-time winner Holiday World Best New Ride for […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (September 2012) – Pigeon Forge is getting a lot of love from three major broadcast networks. ABC and NBC have put Pigeon Forge, Tenn., in the spotlight in recent weeks, and CBS will keep the string alive during the upcoming television season. ABC ‘s “Good Morning America” featured Dollywood’s new-design Wild Eagle […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (August 2012) – If you liked the July 4 fireworks during Pigeon Forge’s Patriot festival, hang on until Nov. 22. That’s the date when the Titanic Museum Attraction will light up the night sky with a major fireworks show that marks the end of the centennial year of the Titanic’s sinking. Attraction […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (July 12, 2012) – Veteran stand-up comedian Bob Nelson, who has appeared on shows hosted by Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Regis Philbin and Merv Griffin, has a new performance home at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge. Nelson performs at 5 and 8 p.m. nightly except Mondays. Nelson opened for Rodney Dangerfield […]