Gatlinburg Rings In the New Year With a Unique Style

Gatlinburg will welcome the arrival of 2010 in unique style with its 22nd Annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show at the Space Needle late Thursday night, December 31.

At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2010, the Space Needle area will shine with a red glow from the surrounding rooftops at the beginning of a music program which includes selected songs followed by a choreographed fireworks show produced by Pyro-Shows of LaFollette, Tennessee.

Leading up to midnight, live entertainment and music delivered by local favorite Kevin McGuire will be headquartered on the balcony of the Gatlinburg Convention Center at the Historic Nature Trail/Airport Road entrance. Performers will entertain the crowd prior to midnight at the free public event, with party favors provided by Mr. Tablecloth available near the base of the Space Needle.

“It has become a tradition for families from across America to come back to celebrate the New Year here in Gatlinburg,” said George Hawkins, Special Events Manager. “We expect to have another big crowd to help us usher in 2010 with their family and friends.”

The highlight of the evening is the ball drop from the Space Needle, signifying the old year is over and a new one has begun. Then music encouraging crowd participation and the fireworks show off the 342-foot structure will welcome the New Year in dazzling style.

The entire city of Gatlinburg celebrates New Year’s Eve in a big way with many restaurants and attractions offering special celebrations.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies offers a “Dance With the Sharks” party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. A ticket includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, champagne toast, fireworks viewing from Aquarium Plaza, and two dance floors, one with an 8-piece band, the other with a DJ. Kids arrangements and programs are also available.

Popular hotspots like Blaine’s Restaurant, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere. Lineberger’s Seafood Company and T.G.I. Friday’s are right in the middle of the fireworks area below the Space Needle and offer varying packages which may include music, buffets and a champagne toast.

For information on other New Year’s parties and activities as well as lodging and dining options, please call the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce at 800/568-4748, or visit their website.

Flipping the “Green” Switch on Winterfest

During the winter months, Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains area sparkle with millions of twinkling lights during Smoky Mountain Winterfest (Nov. 3 – Feb. 28). Best of all a full 75% of the lights are LED lights meaning brighter colors, more variety and lower energy usage.

Now celebrating its 20th year, Smoky Mountain Winterfest has become a holiday tradition for many visitors who return year after year to enjoy the lights, shopping, shows,  luxury lodging and attractions. Viewing Smoky Mountain Winterfest lights with friends and family is a great way to get in the holiday spirit.

For added fun while viewing the lights, visitors are encouraged to make a quick stop on their way into town at the Sevierville Visitor Center on Hwy 66 (1.5 miles from I-40 Exit 407). There they can pick up a free pair of Winterfest in 3D glasses while supplies last. The glasses shift each point of light into a snowflake, adding even more interest to the intricate light displays. Winterfest lights are a huge draw, but once visitors arrive in Sevierville they also find incredible shopping, shows and attractions.

Sevierville features nearly 150 name brand outlet stores where shoppers can find everything from fine China and clothing to tools and furniture. Specialty retail shops featuring items like fine art, antiques and collectibles and outdoor items are also popular. Visitors can even take a piece of Winterfest home by visiting stores like Country Christmas and Christmas Done Bright where Winterfest style lighting displays are for sale and custom displays are built to order.

The fun continues through February with holiday shows and year-round attractions. For more information about visiting Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains during Winterfest, contact the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. 1-888-SEVIERVILLE (738-4378) or (865) 453-6411

Christmas Wonderland of Lights at Smokies Stadium

CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND AT SMOKIES STADIUM Presented by Shadrack Shadrack Watersports and RV brings Christmas Wonderland to Smokies Stadium in Sevierville, Tennessee during the 2009-10 Winterfest Celebration.

The lighting spectacular, which kicks off November 6, 2009, is one of America’s largest drive-through, fully computerized LED light shows. Hundreds of thousands of lights are included in this perfectly synchronized show filled with holiday tunes. The entire drive-through spectacular is nearly one mile in length and lasts approximately 20 minutes.

“Christmas Wonderland at Smokies Stadium presented by Shadrack will be a great addition to Sevierville’s Winterfest Celebration this year,” says Sevierville Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director Amanda Marr. “There are already millions of people who come to our area during Winterfest but having a new attraction like Christmas Wonderland will give those visitors something new and exciting for this year as well.”

Christmas Wonderland at Smokies Stadium presented by Shadrack will continue through January 2, 2010. Hours of operation are 6pm-10pm daily.

Admission:
$10 per car Monday-Thursday
$15 per car Friday-Sunday
$20 per Activity Van
$30 per Limo and $65 per bus
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve are weekend rates.

Proceeds will benefit area food ministries. For more information, call (423) 652-0120. Located at the Smokies Stadium – 3540 Line Drive – Kodak, TN 37764.

The Duggar Family Will Turn On The Millions of Winterfest Lights in Pigeon Forge

Twenty special guests will help Pigeon Forge kick off the 20th celebration of Pigeon Forge Winterfest. Collectively, they are the Duggar family from TLC’s “18 Kids and Counting” reality show.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 18 natural-born children—plus one on the way—will flip the switch to illuminate millions of lights and start the four-month winter event that runs through Feb. 28, 2010.

The grand illumination will conclude an opening event at the city’s Patriot Park on Nov. 5 (Thursday) at 5:30 p.m.

Pigeon Forge Winterfest, which transformed winter from a quiet season to one of the city’s busiest, is a Top 100 Event in North America, according to the American Bus Association

Expansive and elaborate Winterfest light displays are located throughout the city. More than five million lights are used, and several displays—including the celebration’s signature snowflakes along the Parkway—have been fitted with energy-saving LED bulbs.

Dollywood enhances the first two months of Pigeon Forge Winterfest with Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas, a two-time winner of the Golden Ticket Award for the nation’s best theme park Christmas event. Dates are Nov. 7-Jan. 2, 2010.

Dollywood adds to Winterfest’s light displays with more than four million lights of its own and the nightly Lighted Christmas Parade. It’s musical entertainment lineup includes “Dollywood’s Babes in Toyland,” “Christmas in the Smokies” and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” plus the Polar Express 4-D Experience, a multi-sensory cinematic experience based on the beloved Caldecott Medal-winning children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg.

Pigeon Forge has more than a dozen theaters, and most of them offer special Christmas show segments during November and December. While some do take a post-New Year’s break, several offer their signature shows in January and February.