The Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival opens this year with a stellar lineup of talent playing in several venues around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The 4-day festival takes place Thursday through Sunday, August 19-22, 2021.
The festival features a myriad of hit songwriters performing tunes you know, and also explaining the intricacies of songwriting in workshops throughout the event.
Image courtesy of GSF
Here are some of the best Italian restaurants and pizzas in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area. With hundreds of great restaurants in the area there are lots of great pizzas too. But whether you want a tasty slice to keep you going through the day’s adventures, or an Italian dining experience with specialty dishes, here are some of the notable places to keep on your radar.
As the gateway town to the country’s most popular national park, Gatlinburg is a great place to start exploring the area in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The ancient Smoky Mountains are endlessly rolling and captivating to the gaze, and whether you’re looking for some beautiful creations of nature or some human-made entertainment, you’ll find some of the best scenic attractions in the area listed here to help you get started in finding some great sights.
Image courtesy of the Gatlinburg SkyLift
When it comes to family-friendly attractions and entertainment, the neighboring East Tennessee towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have plenty of options available for active families. With Great Smoky Mountains National Park right next to the two towns, deciding which of these attractions are the best can be difficult, based on your personal tastes and interests, but we’ve come up with a list of five top-rated attractions in the area to help you plan your next vacation.
Here is a brief guide to several distinct areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, useful for the new visitor to get oriented to some of the special places and scenic natural features. Visitors to the Smoky Mountains return year after year, and discover their favorite places, gradually learning many of the countless things to do and to see in the Gatlinburg area. Here are some of the more notable.
The magic of Elkmont
Celebrating its forty-sixth year in Gatlinburg, the annual Spring Craftsmen’s Fair happens July 9-18. 2021, in the Convention Center at traffic light #8.
For these 10 days, the Fair is open 10 am to 5 pm each day, with one ticket price of $10 that can extend through all the days if you want – and kids 17 and younger get in FREE with an adult.
A tiny slice of the creativity at the Craftsmen’s Fair
Gatlinburg is back in 2021 with the nation’s first Independence Day celebration, starting one minute after midnight of the 3rd, for the 46th Annual Fourth of July Midnight Parade. This mile-long stream of parade entrants will work its way along Parkway this year led by the most perfect Grand Marshal, Gatlinburg’s favorite singer and musician, Miss Emi Sunshine.
Images courtesy of Gatlinburg and Anakeesta
As summer temperatures heat up, this is a great time to look for ways to stay cool. Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area provide plenty of opportunities to go swimming for fun, relaxation and an escape from the heat. When you visit the park, keep in mind that there are more than 2,000 miles of streams, as well as creeks near hiking trails, picnic areas and scenic drives.
It’s a good idea to bring dry socks, towels and plastic bags for wet clothes when you go hiking in the park. You’ll also find waterfalls with swimming holes in the park, but you should always check for warning signs first to make sure they’re safe. Avoid swimming in any areas where warning signs are posted.
If you love fishing, Great Smoky Mountains National Park should be on your list for a fishing trip. The park has over 2,000 miles of streams and rivers, and more than 800 miles of these contain fish, so it’s easy enough to find your own favorite spots practically anywhere in the park.
Since the park is easy to access and is open year-round, any time of the year is good to visit – with the spring being a prime fishing time. This is America’s most popular national park, and also one of the best freshwater fishing destinations in the US.
Dollywood continues its vibrant summer season for 2021 with the Summer Celebration festival, running from June 25 through July 31. The ever innovative theme park brings us several festival themes during the course of the year, and this one is more spectacular than ever.
If you thought the multitude of umbrellas overhead were something special, wait until you see the hundreds of drones in the night sky, choreographing musical extravaganzas, along with fireworks. It’s a light show in three dimensions filling the sky, each evening through the festival. To warm the crowd up there’s a 30-minute dance party beforehand to get you on your feet.
image courtesy of Dollywood
We are the one of largest cabin rental agencies in the Smoky Mountains and have been recognized by Southern Living as the Best Family Resort in the Smokies. We manage over 340 cabins in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville Tennessee areas. Visit us today and get over $700 of free attraction tickets with your cabin rental.
