December 2006 Archives

The Pigeon Forge area is ringing in 2007 with some great celebrations you should know about. One of the most popular area events is in Gatlinburg, where you can join the annual street party and countdown to midnight complete with a fireworks show.

You don’t have to travel to New York City to find the festive atmosphere and anticipation of the ball-drop in Times Square. Gatlinburg has its own ball drop at midnight on top of the space needle. Live music and performances will pulse through the streets of Gatlinburg to keep revelers wide awake in the midnight hour. The free party starts at 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Look for the ball drop and fireworks show on top of the Space Needle just across the street from the Gatlinburg Convention Center. The fireworks should be spectacular, Pryrotecnico of New Castle, Pennsylvania, is in charge of the display. New Castle, PA is the “Fireworks Capitol of America,” so the show is in good hands.

Christmas in Pigeon Forge is a special time for friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The magic and spectacle of Pigeon Forge Winterfest lights are given deeper meaning on a starry Christmas Eve. Guests of the Pigeon Forge community can look forward to joining local churches for Christmas services. For the benefit of our guests, we have called several area churches for the times of Christmas services. Also, we found out what pharmacies will be open on Christmas Day should you need to fill a prescription while staying in Pigeon Forge. As a guest of Pigeon Forge, away from your own hearthstone, you may find yourself longing for a hearty Christmas Day meal. To assist our guests, we put together a list of Pigeon Forge restaurants that will welcome you on Christmas Day for meals from breakfast to dinner. Finally we know many make a Christmas tradition of spending time with the family at the movies, so we give you information for movie and music theaters open in Pigeon Forge as well.

Legendary singer Dolly Parton will contribute 1 million dollars to construction of a larger hospital in the Pigeon Forge area, a donation made possible by Dolly’s personal donation of half a million dollars as well as a rare benefit concert to be held in May that will raise the same amount. The new hospital, a $90 million dollar investment complete with a cancer center, will open in 2009 and replace an aging hospital that has become too small for the growing Pigeon Forge area immensely popular with vacationers visiting the Smoky Mountains. Dolly’s contribution to the hospital’s public fundraising campaign will be used to furnish the new hospital with additional amenities

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Club invites all visitors to participate in group hiking outings! The mountains are full of peace and rejuvenation. Take some time out of your busy pre-holiday schedule and soak up the calm and beauty of the Smoky Mountain scenery. Below are two upcoming hike options. Remember to always contact the trip leader before embarking!

Read on for hike details.

Winterfest 2006-2007 has new attractions! Now you can see new light displays adorning the Parkway. One that you must see before Christmas, the “Twelve Days of Christmas” display, includes every item mentioned in the song. The dazzling display provides a helpful reminder to those of us who have forgotten all of the lyrics. Other light displays shine brightly in the form of snowflakes, characters from nursery rhyme stories, and patriotic themes. Be sure to see the lights this year!