Category: Things to Do

In Pigeon Forge, autumn is a truly spectacular season —  the Smokies turn red, green, and gold; Dollywood transforms into a larger-than-life pumpkin patch; and Southern wineries and distilleries release limited-edition bottles. Here’s our guide to the best autumnal happenings in this Tennessee resort town.

 

Old Mill Heritage Day

Old Mill Square was built around, and named for, a 19th-century gristmill, and autumn is the season when the plaza celebrates its history. September brings Old Mill Heritage Day, where you can watch moonshine- and sorghum-making demonstrations, catch bluegrass performances, take part in old-fashioned games and square dances, make arts and crafts, and learn about Pigeon Forge pioneers.

September 28; http://oldmillheritageday.com

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnjn250nYa6/

 

Seasonal Wine-and-Spirit Tastings

Though Smith Creek Moonshine’s Pigeon Forge outpost and the Rocky Top Wine Trail organization’s wineries are popular year round, both offer enticing autumn-specific offerings that you’ll want to add to your Pigeon Forge itinerary. Smith Creek Moonshine releases a seasonal apple-pie flavor, and the Rocky Top Wineries host the “Chocolate Wine Trail” event, pairing wines with handmade desserts and wine-themed souvenirs.

October 26; https://www.rockytopwineries.com/event/chocolate-wine-trail-3/

 

Dollywood Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights

Each autumn, Dolly Parton’s famous theme park takes a cue from the singer’s flamboyant, over-the-top style by hosting its annual Harvest Festival. The event transforms Dollywood into a larger-than-life pumpkin patch, with pumpkin-picking activities, an after-hours “LumiNights” jack-o-lantern spectacular, more than 500 gospel performances, and demos by local artisans, including glass painters, Appalachian woodworkers, and even fiddle-makers.

September 27-November 2; https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Festivals/Harvest-Festival and https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Entertainment/GreatPumpkinLuminights

 

Chalkfest

The Island shopping and entertainment complex features hundreds of square feet of bare concrete (alongside its famous Ferris wheel), and this particular Pigeon Forge venue honors autumn with a celebration known as Chalkfest. For one afternoon every October, dozens of artists take to the park’s grounds, drafting larger-than-life chalk illustrations of Tony the Tiger, the Mona Lisa, and more.

October 5; https://islandinpigeonforge.com/event/chalkfest/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BocvS1rHksi/

 

Colorful Smoky Foliage

If there’s one truly iconic Pigeon Forge autumn experience, it’s a hike or drive around the surrounding Smokies themselves, a sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains. Take in sweeping views of the colorful landscape from lookouts atop Clingman’s Dome, Charlie’s Bunion, Andrew’s Bald, Cades Cove Road, or Newfound Gap Road. For something a little more exciting, visit Legacy Mountain Ziplines, where you can zoom through the trees at up to 50 miles per hour on one of seven ziplines.

Whether you’ve been to Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains dozens of times or never at all, you’re in for more fun and excitement that ever before in 2019.  From new attractions and thrill rides to peaceful hikes in the mountains, there is truly something to do for everyone.

Here is a list of some of our top suggestions for 2019:

Dollywood’s New Wildwood Grove – Opening this spring 2019, Dollywood’s biggest expansion ever top our list of one of the main things to do this year.  In addition to new restaurants, shopping, and an indoor play area, Wildwood Grove features several new and exciting rides, including The Dragonflier roller coaster, Treetop Tower, Mad Mockingbird, and Benjamin Bear.

All New Family-Fun Dinner Shows – Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains are home to some incredible live entertainment, including some of the best dinner shows in the country.  Topping our list in 2019 is the brand new Pirates Voyage Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge. Modeled after their sister show in Myrtle Beach, the show boasts to include exciting acrobatics competitions, state-of-the-art special effects, live animals, and a 15-foot-deep indoor lagoon.  Other area dinner shows that are equally as good are Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show.

Gatlinburg Skybridge – Located at the top of the Gatlinburg Sky Lift, the new Gatlinburg Skybridge will be the longest pedestrian suspension in North America and will boast breathtaking views of downtown Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  In addition, the new development also features a mountain top shopping village.

Dave and Buster’s – If you’ve never been to a Dave and Buster’s, you’re in for a real treat.  Think super arcade with awesome food and beverages for all ages – a true family-fun experience for the whole family.  Dave and Buster’s is set to open in early spring 2019 across from Tanger Outlets Sevierville.

Hike the Smokies – Not everything in the Smokies comes with a cost, and that definitely holds true to hiking in the Smokies.  With over 800 miles of official hiking trails, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be enjoyed by all – from beginners looking for a leisurely hike to more advanced hikers looking for a real challenge with extreme difficulty.  For more information, visit http://nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

The Island in Pigeon Forge – Quickly becoming one of the must-sees in Pigeon Forge, The Island features a 23-acres destination in the heart of Pigeon Forge.  From fabulous dining to unique shopping and entertainment, The Island offers plenty of fun for everyone. You’ll definitely want to take a ride on the 200-foot-high Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and take in the sights and sounds of the dancing fountain show.

Autumn is finally here and we know what that means – gorgeous fall colors! Now that the fall equinox has passed, it is officially fall in the Great Smoky Mountains.  So, while temperatures begin to cool, there’s a few things everyone needs to know to help them plan the perfect fall getaway.

Beginning in late September, the leaves in the higher elevations begin to change and like a waterfall cascading down the mountain will continue to change to the lower valleys as the days progress through the month of October.  Typically, the middle two weeks of October are peak in the mountains, Pigeon Forge has brilliant colors typically through the end of the month.

Here are a few places that we recommend visitors go now to see the leaves before the peak of the season comes.

Newfound Gap Road

There is no questioning Newfound Gap Road’s popularity throughout the fall season, however for visitors traveling to the Smoky Mountains in mid-fall it is key to point out that you can still drive along this road and see some of the leaves changing colors at one of the many overlook stops. While driving on this Smoky Mountain driving trail, be sure to stop and see the Franklin D. Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., memorial on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line.

Clingmans Dome

Clingmans Dome is the tallest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From its observation deck, visitors can see upwards of 100 miles away on a clear day. Thanks to the high elevation that this deck has, Clingmans Dome is one of the first places guests can go to see the Smoky Mountains fall colors begin to change.

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is hands down one of the most popular areas in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. An area that is known for its beauty year round, we encourage guests to drive the loop road when the leaves are at their peak. If you want to capture the true majestic beauty of the Smoky Mountains fall colors, you will see them from Cades Cove.

Wears Valley

The peaceful mountain hideaway located between Pigeon Forge and Townsend, the Wears Valley area of the Smoky Mountains is a great place for families to go who are looking to a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle. This area is best-known for it’s rolling mountain view and quiet nature.

Millions of annual visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains and the neighboring, popular tourist destinations of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville know one thing for sure:  The Smoky Mountains offer some of the best scenic drives in the U.S.

Cades Cove Scenic Loop

At the top of our list of best scenic drives in the Smokies is Cades Cove.  Featuring a one-way, 11-mile loop around a spectacular, picturesque valley full of natural and wildlife, Cades Cove is chock full of things to see and experience unlike anywhere else on the planet.  Surrounded by mountains, Cades Cove offers rare wildlife viewing opportunities, including white-tail deer, black bear, coyotes, ground hogs, turkeys, raccoon, and more.

Along the drive through Cades Cove, sightseers will also come across some of the historical structures – log homes, churches, barns – that were left by the area’s early settlers after the National Park was formed and their homeland purchased.  Many of these structures are open to the public.

In addition to exploring the historical buildings, there are many places to pull off the side of the road or park to take in the great outdoors.  Many visitors take picnic baskets while others make a day of it and go for a hike on one of the park’s trails.  Abrams Falls is one of the best.

Traffic during the peak months of the year, including summer and fall, can make driving the loop a little slow and leisurely, so it’s best to allow at least 2-3 hours to tour the entire 11-mile loop.  There are a couple shortcut roads to shorten the trip, though, for those who want to limit their time a little.