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Sunday, July 27, 2008The rain poured during the 2008 Dolly Parade, but that didn't stop thousands of tourists and locals from coming out to see the event's leading lady, Dolly Parton.
Adkinson said in past events the parade has usually done well, but rain has always been a challenge.
The Homecoming Parade, in which legendary country music star Dolly Parton is grand marshal, has always drawn huge crowds.
However, Adkinson had no projections on what he thought attendance numbers would be like for next year's event.
"A few weeks difference is not that dramatic a change at all, hopefully this time we can avoid the rain and get a few extra hours of daylight," Adkinson said.
Instead of being held in April, the parade will now be held May 8. The parade will not only feature Dolly Parton, but 100 marching bands and participants from both local and out of state locations.
One other important change in the Pigeon Forge Events Calendar was the Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival. The festival has been moved from February to early June.
"This will allow for more family attendance and enhance to the National Youth Storytelling Showcase," Adkinson said.
Other events to be held in Pigeon Forge include:
n Jan. 10-17 - 19th Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week, the first major event marking the year-long 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
n Feb. 7 - 9th Annual Saddle Up!, a celebration of cowboy poetry and Western music that includes concerts, the Cowboy Symphony and a chuckwagon cookoff
n March 11-15 - 15th Annual, A Mountain Quiltfest, featuring quilt shows, and quilting classes
n June 4-8 - 18th Annual Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival, featuring performances by professional storytellers and seminars
n July 4 - 19th Annual Patriot Festival, featuring music, food, children's games and fireworks
n Nov. 5 - 20th Annual Pigeon Forge Winterfest, a four-month celebration of wintertime fun that includes lighting displays, narrated trolley tours, and holiday musical productions.
This list includes only a portion of what's being held in Pigeon Forge within the coming year. For more information on other events not listed visit www.mypigeonforge.com or call 1-800-251-9100. Posted By: Blog Master @ 5:07:49 AM
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Thursday, November 01, 2007Pigeon Forge Prepares for 18th Annual Winterfest Celebration
Pigeon Forge, TN – October 2007 – 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.
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More than five million Winterfest lights that are spread throughout the city are the 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.
Contacts:
Kay Powell
Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism
865-453-8574
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Friday, September 21, 2007New convention center / events center in Sevierville, TN
Sevierville's Events Center finally opens, and it looks great
It would be nice if local governments worked together on everything, but in fact in some endeavors they're very competitive. That's not always bad. In a tourist area like ours, Sevierville, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge want their share of the visitors, and if it means taking them away or steering them away from other places, then so be it. A rising tide may lift all boats, but when it comes to tax dollars and business development, the cities want all they can get.
Pardon Sevierville officials if they are strutting a little bit. Their new events center is something to behold, a 241,000-square-foot thing of beauty. It's functional, it's attractive, it's accessible and, best of all, it's open. In fact the first event was held there this week, when the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting in this new facility. It is an impressive structure. The exhibit hall must be the largest in these parts, with a loading dock that can handle whatever might be exhibited. The meeting rooms and ballroom are splendid, with just the right combination of luxury and functionality. The view of the mountains - at least when you can see the mountains - will be an attraction in itself. And the events center is in a good spot. When the adjacent hotel is built it will be an even bigger draw, to be sure.
There is a finite number of conventions and gatherings out there to go after, and when a new facility opens it likely attracts an event that is already in another place. That's going to make Gatlinburg and Knoxville competitive with Sevierville. Each will want to keep what it has and get more. Sevierville's in the mix, and Pigeon Forge has plans for its own events center in the coming years.
The Sevierville Events Center is said to be 50 percent booked for the next five years. That's terrific. But this is a costly structure, a $65 million facility that will be paid for with tax receipts. As long as business is good and the events center is a draw, it looks like the bond issue will be repaid on time and with little financial strain. But if the expectations and bookings fall short, then it could be a problem, just as Knoxville's has been. And you can expect Gatlinburg and, soon, Pigeon Forge to redouble their efforts to keep the conventions they have and go after the ones they don't have.
Competition is generally a good thing. When local governments compete, whether it's to attract an industry or a convention, it can create hard feelings. Let's hope the new Sevierville events center doesn't cause that. What benefits Sevierville indeed benefits the rest of Sevier County.
Source: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1211&dept_id=169692&newsid=18835958&PAG=461&rfi=9
Posted By: Blog Master @ 10:51:46 PMTop
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Thursday, September 20, 2007Cades Cove Gets A Face Lift
NATIONAL PARK - Anyone who has traveled the crumbling, pothole-filled 11-mile loop road through Cades Cove will be pleased to know officials of Great Smoky Mountains National Park are working toward repaving the road in 2009.
Park spokeswoman Nancy Gray confirmed this week that Park staff met with officials of the Federal Highway Administration in August to "begin design work and identify the scope of the work involved in resurfacing the one-way road."
Along with the road, plans call for repaving any pull-outs that are currently paved, and paving some pull-outs that are now gravel, as well as paving the Cable Mill parking area. Some pull-outs will remain graveled.
"We are pleased to be able to pull this project ahead of other road projects listed under the federal lands highway program. We reprioritized to pull this project ahead of other slated projects because of its poor condition," Gray said.
With an average of 1.5 million visitors a year, Cades Cove is the most visited place in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The highway administration and Park staff will be in Cades Cove during November as they start the design phase. The preliminary timeline calls for finishing the design work by 2009 and advertising the contract for the project that summer. The contract would be awarded in the fall, and work would begin by late 2009.
Gray stressed that the Park would work to minimize any impact on visitors, but that it is too early in the planning process to know what about road closures.
Source: The Mountain Press
Posted By: Blog Master @ 12:45:29 PMTop
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Thursday, September 20, 2007Professional storytellers from across America will gather in Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge, TN – September 2007 – Professional storytellers from across America will gather in Pigeon Forgefor the 17th Annual Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival, Feb. 7-9, 2008, to share their talents on stage and in workshops.
Hailing from West Virginia, California, New York and points between, the list of performers showcases a variety of storytelling styles. Tellers scheduled to perform include Waddie Mitchell, a cowboy poet and storyteller from Nevada; and Bil Lepp, five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest.
Carmen Agra Deedy, an author and storyteller born in Havana, Cuba, shares stories steeped in the riches of both Latin American and Southern culture. Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton, an award-winning husband and wife team, are known for their work in teaching the art of storytelling.
Willy Claflin has a number of award-winning recordings and has been featured at storytelling festivals around the world.
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The festival also features the National Youth Storytelling Showcase presented in partnership with the National Storytelling Network. The Showcase will feature performers age 17 and younger from across the nation, vying for the title of Grand Torchbearer.
The popular Haunts ‘n’ Haints Tales return with evening offerings of family-friendly ghost stories.
Storytelling concerts and workshops will take place at American Jukebox Theater. Day passes for Storytelling activities (excluding Haunts ‘n’ Haints) are $10 for ages 18 and older, free to ages 17 and younger. Weekend passes are $25. Haunts ‘n’ Haints tickets are $5 per person. All tickets will be available at 1-866-430-8422.
Complete visitor information is available online at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/ or by calling toll-free 1-800-251-9100.
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Contacts:
Kay Powell
Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism
865-453-8574
Source: http://hospitality-1st.com/PressNews/PigeonForge-090607.html
Posted By: Blog Master @ 12:22:22 PMTop
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Friday, June 29, 2007Pigeon Forge Patriot Festival
July 4. 17th Annual Patriot Festival with musical concerts and fireworks. The music of the Smokies is combined with food and activities for the whole family.
Pigeon Forge Patriot Festival
Presents Starjam 2007
The 17th Annual Patriot Festival is July 4th at Patriot Park in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Festivities get started at 1:00 p.m. with a Tribute to Veterans followed by a concert featuring the Pigeon Forge Chorus. Musical performers scheduled to appear in this year's Patriot Festival include Bowling for Soup, a Rock 'n Roll group with nine #1 albums.
Also appearing this year is Kimberly Locke. She quickly rose to fame when she became the second runner-up on season two of the Fox-TV hit series "American Idol." In addition to be featured on two cast albums, landing in third would find the last girl standing taking part in the national idol concert tour. Shortly after the tour ended, Locke released her Curb Records debut album "One Love," which features the #1 Billboard Single Sales hit "8th World Wonder."
The Starjam celebration of will also include the unique musical stylings of Quietdrive. Quietdrive's roots can be traced back to Minneapolis in late 2003 after lead singer Kevin Truckenmiller posted a few MP3's on a local music site.Brandon Lanier (Drums) who had been playing with Droo Hastings (Bass) and Justin Bonhiver (Guitar) since grade school, heard the tracks and called. The group was completed when Truckenmiller brought in a former college classmate Matt Kirby (Guitar/Vocals). As Kirby tells it, he and Kevin spent the majority of their school years writing songs.With lineup in tact, the quintet spent the next year and a half sharpening their sound and playing in hole-in-the-walls that would have them. A couple gigs with The Donna's and a stint on the Warped Tour was followed by a head-turning demo and deal with Epic Records!
After the performances, the Pigeon Forge night sky will come to life with a fantastic fireworks display! The fireworks usually start at 9:30-9:45 p.m., so keep your eyes on the skies, you won't want to miss this display!
Patriot Festival activities are free and food vendors will be on site. Patriot Park is located on Old Mill Street at traffic light number 7 behind the historic Old Mill.
Posted By: Blog Master @ 12:20:38 AMTop
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