April 2006 Archives

The Townsend Spring Festival and Old Timers Day will be held this weekend, April 28th and 29th, and next weekend on May 5th and 6th on the grounds of the Townsend Visitors Center on 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. The celebratory weekends have been designed to help keep the rich Smoky Mountain culture, historic traditions, and Appalachian arts alive in the region.

The two weekends will be packed with authentic entertainment, including over 30 bluegrass bands, Appalachian demonstrations, craft displays, games for children, local author showcases, antique tractor and car shows, guided hikes, and Southern delicacies to eat!

On Monday, April 24th, a wondrous Wildflower Pilgrimage began in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! The wildflower fest continues through Sunday, April 30th. You can travel to the Smokies to find beauty, adventure, enlightenment, and vibrant colors at every turn! Feed your creative nature and ease your restless spirit at the 56th Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, headquartered in the newly renovated W. L. Mills Auditorium in Gatlinburg.

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is an annual week-long event in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that offers a plethora of wildflowers, interesting fauna, and natural history walks. Motorcades, photographic tours, art classes, and indoor seminars are also offered.

This weekend, April 20th-23rd, Pigeon Forge will host the annual Spring Grand Rod Run at the Grand Resort Hotel and Convention Center. The Spring Grand Rod Run is the first official kick-off event to a new season of car shows!
Thousands of classic car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts make the pilgrimage to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and the Great Smoky Mountains each year.

Visitors can enjoy vendors from all over the country with interactive displays. Workshop sessions are available to answer technical questions throughout the event weekend. Come out and spend the day looking over the amazing amounts of cars, trucks, new products, and swap meet items. For more details, call 1-800-251-4444.

Continued below is the schedule for more car shows to come!

Gatlinburg’s 5th Annual Ribfest & Wings Street Festival will be held this Thursday, April 20th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza and River Road in downtown Gatlinburg.

Look forward to engaging live entertainment, creative children's activities, and raging hot wing eating contests throughout the evening! Carib Sounds Steel Drum Band, "Hurricane Bob" and the Devastators, and Sevier County's own Kevin McGuire will keep the night rocking with great tunes. Children can frolic in an inflated dog trampoline, have festive art painted on their faces, and receive unique balloon characters created by expert artists.

Now you can watch the story of Jesus Christ's life, His love, His sacrifice, the work of His hands, live on stage in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Recently opened at 2046 Parkway, the Miracle Theater has dramatized the battle between good and evil in a rousing theatrical production.

A cast of around 150 members delivers Christ's story in a touching, powerful, and entertaining performance. Included in the show are a wide range of characters like exotic kings on camels, majestic angels, dedicated disciples of Christ, and centurion soldiers. The Miracle will astound you with dramatic effects you can feel including rushing wind and wet rain as Jesus calms the stormy sea.

Easter is upon us! For travelers visiting the Smokies during the holiday, listed below are some worship options with various churches in the area.

Our Savior Lutheran: The April 9th Palm Sunday worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. with an Easter egg hunt and outing in Christus Gardens for all children immediately following the service. Honoring Holy Week, the annual Seder Meal is April 12th at 6 p.m. The Maundy Thursday Holy Communion, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, is Thursday, April 13th at 7:45 p.m. The Good Friday service begins at 7:45 p.m. on April 14th, and festival services to celebrate Easter will be held at 8 and 10:30 a.m. at Our Savoir Lutheran Church. Additionally, Ober Gatlinburg will host an all-community Easter service at 6:30 a.m. on April 16th.

Springfest truly begins when Sevier County's favorite daughter, Dolly Parton, comes to town and heralds the celebration with her procession through the streets of Pigeon Forge. This April 7th marks the 21st Anniversary of the grand Dolly Parade.

Traditionally, over 50,000 parade watchers line the streets to admire the colorful floats, marching bands, entertainers and local celebrities marching through the streets of Pigeon Forge.

The Dolly Parade will begin April 7th at 6:00 p.m. on River Road near traffic light #7 and will travel north along the Parkway, disbanding at traffic light #3 near the Belz Factory Outlet World.

Come visit Pigeon Forge to see the grand Dolly Parade and welcome Dolly to town! You might even have the chance to introduce yourself...