April 2007 Archives

Sevierville’s third annual Bloomin' Barbeque and Bluegrass on May 18 and 19 will offer new elements and old favorites.
New this year is a laser light show. The 20-minute show, combining lasers with music, will begin each night at approximately 10:30 after the last live bluegrass concert.
Also new is the bluegrass music tent. “Bluegrass music is such an important part of our heritage here in the Great Smoky Mountains,” said event organizer Amanda Marr.”We really wanted to provide an opportunity for kids (and kids at heart) to touch bluegrass instruments and learn to play a little.” There will be instructors and instruments on site.

Most of the people who donated money on eBay to take the first rides on Dollywood’s new $17 million Mystery Mine roller coaster described their adventure in one word: awesome.
“ I liked all the turns and everything, and the darkness and the mine thing,” said Cindy of Pompano Beach, FLA.
Reportedly the first ride of its kind in the country and the largest investment in Dollywood history, the two-and-a-half-minute ride features a 95-degree, 85-foot vertical drop, several high-speed twist and encounters such as shooting flames and special effects.
The ride is located in the Timber Canyon area, adjacent to the Thunderhead roller coaster and Timber Tower, which opened last year.

Helicopter Awareness Day began six years ago as a memorial to Hal Haynes, founder of Scenic Helicopter Tours. This year’s event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 21 and 22.
As a young boy, Haynes fell ill with polio, and was treated at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville. For years he made annual personal contributions to Children's Hospital. In his later years he asked that his children not get him gifts for Christmas but to make donations in his name to the hospital.
Upon his death his son, Dan Haynes, conceived and hosted the first Helicopter Awareness Day six years ago. This event’s mission is to raise public awareness of helicopters. Scenic Helicopter Tours now has a sister company, Helicopter Whirl’d Adventures.

Isn’t it great to see the new Smokies kick off a season of baseball? This really is the new Tennessee Smokies.
Rain washed out opening night ceremonies, but everything went as planned Thursday night, and excited fans got to see a doubleheader. Two games for the price of one. The Smokies have a roster of new players, an exciting new affiliate in the Chicago Cubs, new uniforms, new coaches, and new promotions. But not everything has changed. The traditions, the look of the stadium, the games themselves, all that remains the same

The sixth Annual Ribfest And Wings festival will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. April 19th, in its new downtown location. The event will feature live entertainment, children’s activities and a hot-wing-eating contest.
This year’s festival will be on the Parkway parking lot surrounding the Harley Davidson store across from Hard Rock Café near Traffic Light #3.
Free Entertainment will be provided by the Marshall Tucker Band, southern rockers who play everything from country to blues and have recorded hits like “Heard It in a Love Song,” “Fire On the Mountain,” “Can’t You See,” and “Take The Highway.” Also, The Beat Daddy’s return playing their soulful rock ‘n’ roll blues.

Dolly Parton is the favorite daughter of the Smoky Mountain Area. Her life is a true rags-to-riches account. One of her top songs, "Coat of Many Colors" was inspired by her own childhood that saw hardships such that the clothes she wore were patched together from already worn out scraps of clothing. Dolly wrote practically all of her own songs, timeless for their heartfelt accounts of hardship, heartache, and love. Known throughout the world for her music, films, and most of all, her voice, Dolly Parton is an American Icon.

As the star of the Country Tonite Theatre's morning “Grand Illusion Show” for the past 10 years, Terry Evanswood wanted to take his magic even further.
It took the closing of a beloved theatre in Pigeon Forge to create what the heads of the Fee / Hedrick Family Entertainment Group hope will be an even more popular attraction in "Magic Beyond Belief." Co- owners David Fee and Jim Hedrick purchased the former 400-seat Ole Smoky Hoedown Theatre and converted it into their newest venture, scheduled to open Wednesday. The show will feature illusions, close-up magic, and sleight-of-hand tricks. Two large video screens will complement the show, as well as lights, music, new sets and costumes, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. There will be eight people in the cast and crew.