PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee (Jan. 14, 2026)—Barry Corbin, best known for his roles in Urban Cowboy, Lonesome Dove, and Northern Exposure, headlines Pigeon Forge’s 2026 Chuck Wagon Cookoff competition with two special appearances at the three-day event which takes place March 6-8 at several locations.
An Intimate Evening Dinner Concert with Barry Corbin and Jeff Carson takes place Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. at Mama’s Farmhouse (208 Pickel Street). Tickets ($50 each) and include dinner and the show. Corbin also headlines in the big tent at Clabough’s Campground (405 Wears Valley Road) on Saturday, March 7, at 12:30 p.m. Corbin will share career stories and answer audience questions during the free event. Seating is first-come, first-served.
The Chuck Wagon Cookoff competition takes place on Saturday, March 7, at Clabough’s Campground with 10 wagons vying for cash prizes. Each wagon can submit food entries in five categories: meat, potatoes, beans, bread, and dessert. “Cookies,” as those preparing the food are called, must use only ingredients that would have been available to their predecessors on the Western prairie’s early American cattle drives. A limited number of tickets for lunch (served at noon) are available for $15.
The event concludes on Sunday, March 8, with Cowboy Church at Stages West (2765 Parkway). Breakfast (tickets are $5) is served at 8:30 a.m. followed by a morning service at 10 a.m.
Tickets for An Intimate Evening Dinner Concert with Barry Corbin and Jeff Carson, the Chuck Wagon Cookoff lunch, and breakfast at Cowboy Church go on sale on Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. (Eastern) at MyPigeonForge.com/cookoff.
Saturday’s free family-friendly activities begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m. Attendees can enjoy the Buckaroo Roundup activities with Cal Farley’s Children’s Home, an old-time Western shootout reenactment with the Dead Tree Desperados and the Shadow Riders, and tours of the Sisters on the Fly Cowgirl Caravan vintage campers. From 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. under the big tent, attendees will enjoy Western poetry and storytelling.
More information about the Pigeon Forge Chuck Wagon Cookoff competition is available at MyPigeonForge.com/cookoff or by calling (865) 453-8574.
–MyPigeonForge2026–
About Pigeon Forge: Pigeon Forge is in East Tennessee, approximately 35 miles from Knoxville and McGhee-Tyson Airport. Two-thirds of the nation’s population east of the Mississippi River live within a day’s drive, making it an easily accessible family vacation destination. The city’s neighbor is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the U.S. It also is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, Tennessee’s most-visited ticketed attraction. More information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge is available at MyPigeonForge.com or (865) 453-8574.
Media Contact: Trish McGee at [email protected] or 865-453-8574