It’s Happening in the South… Smoky Mountain Winterfest
“It’s certainly a sight to see,” comments Lila Wilson, spokeswoman for Pigeon Forge (Tenn.) Department of Tourism, about millions of lights that illuminate Pigeon Forge, but also nearby Gatlinburg and Sevierville as well during the 19th annual Smoky Mountain Winterfest.
You see, in the South, there are celebrations and then there are CELEBRATIONS. This event on November 6 - February 28, 2009, falls into the latter category.
What is it…
The Smoky Mountain Winterfest is a four-month event that takes places in the towns located near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The event was the brainchild of the Smoky Mountains Tourism Development Council, as they search for ways to attract visitors to area during the winter.
“Our winter weekends were okay, but during the weekdays, the town was desolate,” recalls Walter Yedell, media liaison for Gatlinburg Department of Tourism “When the leaves fell off the trees, visitors were like, ‘well, we’ll see you in the spring’.”
A number of ideas on how to attract visitors were tossed around, but the one that garnered the most interest was about a Northeastern city’s successful light display. Wanting to learn more, the city’s chamber of commerce took a junket to the area to learn more about it. When they returned, they knew they found an event that could help improvement winter tourism.
“The first year was great,” he says. “It breathed some life into the area during this season.”
Winterfest started out rather small in the beginning (“You have to crawl, before you learn to walk,” comments Yeldell), and then each year kept adding new events.
It paid off. Not only was Winterfest a success with tourists, but in its second year, the event was recognized as a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society. And it still remains on the list today.
What goes on…
There’s the lights, of course. The lights simultaneously turned on November 6. What’s unique with the displays this year is that a number of displays are changing over to LED lights. According to Wilson, this change with continue to take place over the next few years.
Perhaps the best way to see the lights is by trolley. Gatlinburg offers guided trolley tour departing from Ripley’s Aquarium Plaza that runs through January 31, 2009, as does Pigeon Forge that departs from Patriot Park and runs through February 14, 2009. In fact, Wilson comments that the tours are quite popular and much in demand.
“The guides talk about the lights and how the displays represent of elements of the history of Pigeon Forge.”
Some of the other events include:
- Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas in Pigeon Forge on November 8 - December 3.
- Holiday Arts & Crafts Show in Gatlinburg on November 25 - December 7
- Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade in Gatlinburg on December 5.
- 46th annual Sevierville Christmas Parade on December 6.
- Wilderness Wildlife Week in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on January 10 - 17.
- Saddle Up!, a celebration of the American West in Pigeon Forge on February 19-22.
Quick Take
What: Smoky Mountain Winterfest
When: November 6 - February 28
Where: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee
Costs: Varies, depending on the event
Photo credits: (page one and top of page two) PF Winterfest, courtesy of Pigeon Forge Tourism; (page two, middle, both photos) Winterfest Lights, courtesy of Gatlinburg Department of Tourism .
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POSTED IN: Festivals, Fairs, and Events, Holidays, Southern Byways, Things to See in Tennessee
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