PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (January 2012) – Cowboy poetry, western music and chuck wagon cooking will be the order of the day when Saddle Up hits Pigeon Forge Feb. 23-26, 2012. The four-day event is a tribute to the American West and has activities for the entire family.
Saddle Up is part of Pigeon Forge Winterfest, a four-month season of activities that begins in November and continues through February.
Performers for the 2012 event include R.W. Hampton, Stephanie Davis, Cowboy Celtic, Saddle Cats, Andy Nelson, Ray Doyle, Chuck Pyle and Kent Rollins. Concerts at Tennessee Shindig Theater (3 and 7 p.m. on Feb. 24 and 6 p.m. on Feb. 25) are $15 each.
Two “Intimate Evening” dinner shows are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 23. A four-course dinner at Partridge & Pear restaurant will be followed by a performance from R.W. Hampton, the newest member of the Western Music Association Hall of Fame. Tickets are $50.
Montana singer/songwriter Stephanie Davis, a newcomer to Saddle Up, will entertain at Mama’s Farmhouse Restaurant, following a family-style meal that includes steaks prepared by the Red River Ranch chuckwagon team from Texas. Tickets are $40.
“Stories & Strings,” Feb. 24 at 11 a.m., is a concert that features some of the elite musicians attending the event. Each will talk about musical influences, demonstrate personal styles and share favorite tunes. The $15 concert at Smoky Mountain Guitar Shop will include Dutch oven-baked cinnamon rolls and beverages beginning at 10 a.m.
A competitive chuck wagon cookoff, is slated for Saturday, Feb. 25. Sponsored by the Pigeon Forge Hospitality Association, chuck wagon cooks prepare lunch for guests and evaluation by a panel of judges. Lunch tickets are $10. Beginning at 9 a.m., prior to the cookoff at Clabough’s Campground, visitors can hear cowboy entertainers and participate in cowboy-related activities free of charge.
A Cowboy Dance (tickets are $5), with music by Stephanie Davis and the Roadrunners, is Saturday night at Spirit of the Smokies Condo Lodge Ballroom. Cowboy Church, a non-denominational service at Stages West, is Sunday morning at 10 a.m. It is preceded by a chuckwagon breakfast that begins at 8:30 a.m.. Breakfast tickets are $5; Cowboy Church is free.
Saddle Up tickets are available online at www.MyPigeonForge.com/saddleup.