“Saddle Up!” Festival Brings Cowboy Poetry, Western Music and Chuckwagon Grub

Cowboy poets, western singers and chuckwagon cooks are just over the horizon from Pigeon Forge, Tenn., preparing for the 10th celebration of Saddle Up!, a perhaps unexpected celebration of cowboy ways east of the Mississippi River.

Saddle Up!, Feb. 25-28, 2010, is the last major component of Pigeon Forge Winterfest, a four-month season of activities that started in November. The entire Winterfest celebration is on the American Bus Association’s list of the Top 100 Events in North America.

Like stars over a clear prairie sky, the entertainment lineup sparkles with Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, R.W. Hampton, Dave Stamey, Ray Doyle and Jeff Gore. Two western swing dances will get guests showing off their best two-stepping techniques.

The pop culture side of the cowboy life will be featured through appearances by James Drury and other stars of “The Virginian,” the 1962-1971 hit TV Western. “The Virginian,” the first 90-minute Western, told the story of the fictional Shiloh Ranch near Medicine Bow, Wyo.

Autograph sessions and question-and-answer opportunities are planned with Drury, Roberta Shore, Gary Clarke and Randy Boone. Drury appeared throughout the series.

A competitive chuckwagon cookoff is another Saddle Up! highlight. Teams of chuckwagon cooks will prepare an authentic trail hand lunch for guests’ enjoyment—and the critical evaluation of judges.

The closing event is Cowboy Church, a non-denominational service preceded by strong coffee and a chuckwagon breakfast.

Admission information: Concert day passes are $20 per day and $50 for the weekend (free through age 17). The chuckwagon cookoff lunch, chuckwagon breakfast and western swing dance are $5. Admission to “The Virginian” event is free.

African Black Footed Penguins Will Have New Home At Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies has announced the opening of “Ripley’s Penguin Playhouse,” a new indoor/outdoor multi-million dollar habitat featuring a colony of African Black Footed Penguins. The exhibit is scheduled to open in March of 2010.

The 4,000-square-foot exhibit features a habitat that closely models the home of African Black Footed Penguins, also known as Jackass Penguins for the distinctive braying sounds they make. Naturalistic rockwork and plantings surrounded by more than 30,000 gallons of temperature-controlled saltwater depict the coastal island rookeries along the coast of South Africa.

“We are really happy and proud that we are able to debut this amazing exhibit during our 10th anniversary. We feel our “Penguin Playhouse” will soon become another iconic exhibit within the aquarium and will be at the top of must-see lists for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains,” said Ryan DeSear, manager of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

Aquarium guests will be able to view the penguins from both above and below water level. Visitors will also be able to crawl through clear underwater acrylic tunnels and pop up on the penguins’ private beach to view the birds nose to beak. At the same time, as visitors crawl through the tunnels, penguins swimming above and below them will be able to get a good close-up of the human species.

The highly interactive habitat will have two wave machines and multiple spa jets that will create continual water movements, which in turn will create an inviting watery playground for the birds.

Ripley’s Vice President of Husbandry, Joe Choromanski, who helped create the exhibit, notes that “we have studied penguin exhibits from zoos and aquariums around the world, as well as their natural habitat, and we are building what we believe to be the most realistic, interactive and fun exhibit in existence.”

The penguins that will be calling Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies home have all been bred at other zoos and aquariums and are a part of the Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. When these young birds reach breeding age, they too will contribute to the survival of this species in the wild.

The exhibit is the largest and costliest expansion ever at the aquarium, now celebrating its 10th year in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. More than 14 million visitors have visited the aquarium since its opening in December 2000.

The Aquarium of the Smokies is the second most attended attraction in Tennessee. For more information about the exhibit and the aquarium, you can check out the Aquarium’s website.

October is Full of Crafts in Pigeon Forge

Scores of talented artists and craftsmen seem to take a cue from Mother Nature when the leaves start changing colors in the Great Smoky Mountains and appear in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for two major autumn festivals.

Basket makers, carvers, painters and others are on hand for the Pigeon Forge Rotary Club Craft Festival and Dollywood’s National Gospel & Harvest Celebration.

♦ The Pigeon Forge Rotary Club Crafts Festival (Oct. 1-30) is one of the region’s biggest crafts events, attracting almost 50 craftsmen, artists and exhibitors from more than a dozen states. It takes place under a giant red and white tent at Patriot Park. Rotarians volunteer their time to run the festival, and proceeds benefit many charities.

♦ Dollywood’s National Gospel & Harvest Festival (Oct. 2-31) complements the theme park’s regular operation with an array of traditional and contemporary craftsmen and adds scores of free gospel music concerts to the entertainment lineup. Among the featured crafts are spinning, weaving, sorghum making, fiddle making, rug hooking and woodworking.

Both events take place against the backdrop of Pigeon Forge’s Harvestfest season, which continues through Oct. 31.

During Harvestfest, businesses throughout the city erect fanciful fall displays of hay bales, scarecrows, cornstalks, pumpkins, gourds, sunflowers, mums and other symbols of the season.

The Pigeon Forge Travel Planner and information about all aspects of the city are available online at MyPigeonForge.com or by calling toll-free to 1-800-251-9100. The travel planner includes the Pigeon Forge Value Card, which offers more than $300 worth of discounts.

The Fall is Full Activities in Sevierville

Around Sevierville fall brings more than rich golden and red leaves to the Great Smoky Mountains – it also brings the annual Harvest Fest celebration.

Sevierville, a gateway town to the Great Smoky Mountains located right next door to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN, is celebrating fall with six weeks of events, harvest decorations and fun things to do during Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival (Sept. 18-Oct. 31). Many Harvest Festival events celebrate the season as well as popular and mountain culture.

Events like Great Smoky Mountain Auto Fest (Sept. 24-26) highlight classic cars while Robert Tino’s Smoky Mountain Homecoming (Oct. 3-4) focuses on the craftsman heritage of these mountains.

The Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival (Sept. 17-19) brings out some of the brightest entertainers to be inspired by these mountains.

Nearby Dollywood is also a Harvest Festival must-see with thrill rides, mountain music, craftsmen and harvest foods like pumpkin bread and hot apple cider.

And don’t forget the shopping! Sevierville is famous for its shopping – from high end outlets to treasure filled flea markets and everything in between. Check out Sevierville for a fall Girlfriends Getaway and enjoy shopping, spas and great dining. Of course, while you’re shopping you can still enjoy the beauty of Harvest Festival, since even storefronts are filled with harvest decorations. Businesses throughout Sevierville put out giant scarecrows, overflowing pumpkin displays and colorful floral arrangements…providing plenty of opportunities for fun photos with family and friends.

For even more fun, visit the attractions in Sevierville. From discovering adventure in the great outdoors at attractions like Wahoo Zipline and NASCAR SpeedPark to shopping till you drop at Tanger Five Oaks Factory Outlet Center and even enjoying a delicious harvest meal at great restaurants like The Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant, there is something unique to see around every corner in Sevierville. To experience the events, fun and discovery of Harvest Festival in the Great Smoky Mountains, go to www.VisitSevierville.com or call 1-888-SEVIERVILLE (738-4378).

Gatlinburg to Offer Public Preview of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea Documentary

Film maker Ken Burn’s latest documentary, National Parks – America’s Best Idea is set to air on PBS starting September 27^th, but visitors to Gatlinburg will have an opportunity to see a complimentary preview of the film is summer.

The Gatlinburg Office of Special Events and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies will be host the preview of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea in celebration of the 75^th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The previews will be shown in the Aquarium’s lobby during it’s normal hours of operation from now until the series’ national debut September.

Filmed over the run of six years, the 12-hour series will be broadcast over six nights. The film is slated to air nationwide on PBS beginning Sunday, September 27, and the 26-minute preview is being shown in select cities across the country as a preview to the first televised episode.

Patriot Festival in Pigeon Forge Set to Rock the Smokies

Pigeon Forge’s 19^th annual Patriot Festival celebrating the Fourth of July has an entertainment lineup designed to please the “Greatest Generation,” nostalgic Motown devotees, rock ‘n’ rollers and fans of country music. Fireworks booming over the adjacent Great Smoky Mountains will cap off a day of entertainment. The cast of “Swing Time,” a Pigeon Forge show that highlights the Big Band music of the 1940s, will set a patriotic tone for the day with a tribute to America’s military and a stirring rendition of the national anthem.

More mellow music will come from the Temptations Revue, Pigeon Forge’s newest show, which celebrates the Motown Records success of an act that recorded more than 50 albums. Three performance spots are reserved for country music. John Berry (“Your Love Amazes Me,” “Standing on the Edge of Goodbye” and dozens more) will fill Patriot Park with his rich voice, and festivalgoers will get to know two new artists—Sarah Darling, who just released her first album on Black River Music, and Knoxville native Homer Hart.

The pre-fireworks act is the Classic Rock All-Stars, a superstar group that includes Pete Rivera from Rare Earth, Dennis Noda from Cannibal and the Headhunters, Jerry Corbetta from Sugarloaf and Mike Pinera of Blues Image, Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper. Members of the Classic Rock All-Stars have been part of songs such as “I Just Want To Celebrate,” “Land of a Thousand Dances,” “Get Ready” and “Green-Eyed Lady.”

Other Patriot Festival entertainers include the Pigeon Forge Community Chorus (more than 40 members) and the Twirling Medallion Majorette and Drum Corps from Elkton, Va. This performing group is widely traveled and even has opened a show for Billy Ray Cyrus. Entertainment begins at 1 p.m., and the fireworks will start about 9:45 p.m. WIVK-FM will broadcast the patriotic soundtrack to the fireworks show for observers throughout the city.

Pigeon Forge’s 19^th Annual Patriot Festival Entertainment Lineup

Schedules and artists subject to change without notice
*tentative performance times

TWIRLING MEDALLION MAJORETTE AND DRUM CORP (1:00pm)*

Visiting from Virginia, Tina Hughes’s Baby Doll, Tiny Tot, Junior, & Senior Majorette Groups, and Drum Corp will be performing in Patriot Park at Patriot Festival.

PIGEON FORGE COMMUNITY CHORUS (3:45pm)*

Pigeon Forge Community Chorus consists of over 40 members from Pigeon Forge and the surrounding areas. The chorus is under the direction of Dr. Deborah Hicks, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Professional Entertainment Program from Walter State Community College. The chorus will be performing a medley of patriotic and gospel music.

HOMER HART (4:30pm)*

Homer Hart is an aspiring country artist from Knoxville, TN. A trip to the 2005 CMT Awards show provided Hart with the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in country music, a jam session with Jason Aldean’s band “The Three Kings”, and an offer to help record his first album at Big Records in Nashville.

GRAND MAJESTIC THEATER’S “SWING TIME” CAST (5:15pm)*

The “Swing Time” cast will be performing their Military Tribute to our Armed Forces and the National Anthem at this year’s Patriot Festival. “Swing Time” is the Musical Dance Production at The Grand Majestic Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. Their heart warming and fun filled story takes you through the Swingin’ Big Band sounds of the 40’s with hits of Glenn Miller, Judy Garland and the Andrew Sisters all the way to the Rock and Rollin’ years of the 50’s with the classics by none other than Elvis and Buddy Holly.

THE TEMPTATIONS REVUE (5:30pm)*

The Temptations recorded over 50 albums…with 50 pop and 51 R&B singles in the top ten! They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in1989 and in 1990, four of the original lead singers joined with Nate Evans, fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with “Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions”, to form the Temptations Revue…traveling throughout the world receiving the same recognition as they did in the group’s heyday.

Today, Nate Evans is joined with Ritchie Stanley, Greg Lee, Curtis Taylor and Reggie Reed to bring the music of the ages straight to Pigeon Forge! Enjoy Nate…The Temptations’ timeless tunes, some special guests and a few wonderful stories from the history of Motown at the all new Smoky Mountain Theater.

SARAH DARLING (6:15pm)*

Sara is an up and coming country music artist, originally from Iowa. She’s a farm girl in florals, a riverbank girl with a poet’s soul, a deeply introspective writer with a childlike curiosity, not to mention a sophistication and maturity in her songs far beyond her 25 years.

In 2003, Sarah auditioned for an E Network reality show called “The Entertainer,” hosted by veteran Vegas showman Wayne Newton. She finished in the top three. Sarah also did modeling and appeared in a number of country music videos, with Kellie Pickler, Joe Nichols, David Ball, and Big & Rich.

Sarah was discovered by Black River Records through her MySpace page with her song “Stop the Bleeding.”

JOHN BERRY (7:00pm)*

John Berry has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in country music. He has a stunningly rich, majestic tenor that he uses to its full effect. With multiple gold and platinum albums and nominations from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, and the Grammy’s, Berry has clearly forged an appreciation from the music industry and fans alike.

Berry has charted nineteen songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the Number One single “Your Love Amazes Me” from 1994 and six additional Top Ten hits: “What’s In It for Me”, “You and Only You”, “Standing on the Edge of Goodbye”, “I Think About It All the Time”, “Change My Mind, and “She’s Taken a Shine”.

CLASSIC ROCK ALL STARS (8:15pm)*

The Classic Rock All-Stars is a supergroup composed of hitmaking artists in the 1960s and 1970s. Its lineup:

Pete Rivera: Original drummer and lead singer for Rare Earth

Dennis Noda: Bass guitarist for Cannibal and the Headhunters

Jerry Corbetta: Keyboardist for Sugarloaf

Mike Pinera: Lead singer of Blues Image and guitarist for Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper

Collectively, these musicians have been a part of hits such as “Green-Eyed Lady”, “School’s Out”, “Poison” “The Garden” (w/ Guns N’ Roses), “I Just Want to Celebrate”, “Get Ready”, and “Land of a Thousand Dances”. The Classic Rock All Stars will have an outstanding lineup of high-energy classic rock hits everyone is sure to remember.

FIREWORKS! (9:45pm)*

For more information on this FREE event, visiting the Pigeon Forge website or call the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events at (865) 429-7350.

Schedule and artists subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Map to Patriot Festival at Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Co-sponsored by:
AT&T The Real Yellow Pages • Old Mill Square • WonderWorks
Accommodations by Sunset Cottage • Smoky Mountain Jubilee Theater
Papa John’s Pizza • Food City of Pigeon Forge

Give Your Wallet a Vacation with Ten Free Thing To Do Around Gatlinburg

Everyone is cutting corner on vacations these days, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut back on adventure. The folks at the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism have put together ten ideas to help get the most out of your visit to Gatlinburg and Smoky Mountains that doesn’t cost a dime. These ten suggestions can keep you busy, entertained and mesmerized for your entire stay and give your wallet a vacation in the process.

Find Adventure Along The Parkway

Put on your walking shoes, get out of the car, and join in the great family tradition of the downtown Parkway stroll also known as the center of excitement to those who visit Gatlinburg frequently. Explore every nook and cranny where you’ll find more than 200 unique shops, dozens of restaurants, and attractions for all ages. As you stroll, be on the look-out for homemade mountain taffy pulling, mouthwatering caramel apples being dipped or delectable fudge being prepared. You might just choose to play miniature golf, experience the world’s largest underwater aquarium tunnel, ride America’s largest aerial tram, take an elevator of chair lift to the top of the town, visit the unique museums or take a turn on live-action rides along the way. You can even people-watch!

Stroll River Road By The Little Pigeon River

If you need an “away from it all” moment, take a leisurely stroll along the Riverwalk that runs along the Little Pigeon River one block off the downtown Gatlinburg Parkway. Feed the ducks, watch as fishermen cast their flies in hopes of landing a mountain trout, or relax along the riverbank as you listen to the swift river flow before you. Admire beautiful arrays of flowers and dip your feet in the brisk mountain river. Find the perfect photo spot and help assure that your moments in Gatlinburg are never forgotten.

Drive The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Need to rest your feet? Jump in your car and explore a collection of historical sites on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail including the preservation of a homestead owned by the Noah “Bud” Ogle family who lived in Gatlinburg after the Civil War. See log cabins, Roaring Fork Cemetery, and the remains of a village that supported some two dozen families more than 150 years ago. The motor nature trail is accessible to automobiles via the eight-mile one-way paved road. Many stops along the way allow you to get out, take a deep breath of mountain air, step back in time as you visit the sites and enjoy the aura of the mountains.

Absorb Sugarlands Visitor Center

Located at Great Smoky Mountain National Park’s main northern entrance two miles south of Gatlinburg along Newfound Gap Road, (U.S. 441) Sugarlands is a visitor center you should visit. A free 20-minute orientation motion picture provides an in-depth look at the Smokies and the enormous diversity of plant and animal life in the Park. Natural history exhibits include mounted specimens of park animals in recreations of their habitats and reproductions of journals kept by the first park naturalists. Ranger talks and slide shows are presented daily from spring through fall.

Explore The Greenbrier

Just a few miles outside of Gatlinburg and is a hidden jewel known as Greenbrier. A plethora of daytime fun and free outdoor activities can be enjoyed at this area of the National Park, located just east of Gatlinburg. Tube, swim, picnic, hike, sunbathe, or mountain bike. Ramsey Cascades Trail Head is also located here.

Discover Cades Cove

Historical cabins, farmhouses and churches are maintained in Cades Cove, a western valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First settled by Europeans in 1819, today, the National Park Service maintains a historical and cultural preserve of log cabins, churches and other structures. The 11-mile one-way road passes by 19 numbered tour stops as identified in the pamphlet available at the entrance. Be sure to bring your camera in hopes of spotting wildlife such as deer, bear, turkey, owl and fox. If you prefer, you can also experience the loop on horseback or bicycle!

Take In The Gatlinburg Overlook

See Gatlinburg from a bird’s eye view from the two overlooks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s the perfect souvenir photo spot and one of the most popular places to watch the sun rise. So grab your cameras and head up to Gatlinburg Overlook and enjoy the view!

Visit Arrowmont School Of Arts & Crafts

Indulge in a little culture as you browse the galleries of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Arrowmont has developed into a leader of contemporary arts and crafts education. Founded in 1945, the school has developed into a leader in arts and crafts education, with an annual enrollment of more than 2,000 students from the United States and abroad. Stop by and tour select collections of the art galleries, the resource center and the book and supply store.

Investigate Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community/The Glades

Take a trolley ride or take a leisurely drive to visit the eight-mile loop of Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community and see craftsmanship at its best, as artisans using simple tools and skillful hands whittle, carve, cast, sew, weave and transform raw elements into works of art and function. Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is recognized internationally as the largest group of independent artisans in North America with nearly 100 shops, studios, galleries, cafes and lodging options.

Enjoy Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales

All summer long visitors can meet characters, hear mountain music and learn about life in the Smokies on the streets of Gatlinburg. In conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, enjoy storytellers, musicians and cloggers performing along the Parkway every evening during this fourth annual event!

Midnight Parade, River Regatta and Fireworks: The 4th of July Gatlinburg Style

For the 34^th consecutive year, Gatlinburg kicks off America’s Independence Day celebration with the nation’s first parade, which leads off at 12 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, to the cheers of close to 100,000 spectators and features a special tribute to our four branches of military service among the many highlights.

In recognition of the 75^th Anniversary of the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as the birthday of our Country on July 4, the City of Gatlinburg will recreate the September 2, 1940, Presidential Motorcade of Franklin D. Roosevelt as it traveled through Gatlinburg on its way to Newfound Gap. There, perched high above a throng of onlookers, FDR officially dedicated the Park while standing with one foot in North Carolina and one foot in Tennessee.

The mobile reenactment will lead the 34^th Annual 4^th of July Midnight Parade, Presented by Land O’ Lakes Half & Half, at 12:01 a.m. in front of 100,000 patriotic spectators in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 4^th, 2009. The Presidential Motorcade will be reproduced in vintage style with period automobiles and costuming as along with vintage motorcycles to escort the motorcade. Stretching more than a mile in length, over 100 units will make their way through Gatlinburg, showcasing many elaborately decorated floats, helium balloons, marching bands, equestrian entries and a large contingent of our armed services men & women.

As soon as the street is closed late on July 3, the parade route comes alive with pre-parade entertainers that begin the excitement of what is to follow. Marching bands, colorful floats and helium balloons will navigate the streets, with over 100 entries of all types scheduled to appear.

“This will be one of the most patriotic and colorful midnight parades that the City of Gatlinburg has ever produced,” according to Special Events Manager George Hawkins, who organized the first Gatlinburg 4^th of July parade in 1976 in celebration of America’s Bicentennial.

“We are very excited about the entire weekend of events, which will include a four-day festival highlighting our armed services!”

Gatlinburg’s popular River Raft Regatta takes place at noon on Saturday, July 4^th, beginning at the Christus Gardens bridge on River Road and ending at the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies bridge in downtown Gatlinburg. This unmanned river raft race will be hosted by the United States Navy and is open to anything floatable except balls and plastic eggs. In the past, families have entered boats made out of matchsticks, floating rocks, as well as little rubber ducks. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with the race beginning promptly at noon. Support for the River Raft Regatta is provided by the Gatlinburg Recreation Department.

Then, just an hour after sundown, the Fourth’s Grand Finale occurs on the streets of downtown Gatlinburg with a fireworks extravaganza visible all along the Parkway from Applebee’s to the Sky Lift starting about 10 p.m. Lasting almost 20 minutes in duration, the sights and sounds of “the rocket’s red glare” will fill the sky as a fitting tribute to this day of celebrating freedom.

New at Ober Gatlinburg for 2009: Snow Tubing!

Imagine that you’re rocketing down a 400-foot snow-covered slope, lying flat on your back in a canvas-covered tube. As you knife through the falling snow, the only thing louder than your squeals of delight are the screams of pure joy coming from your kids in the next lane. Or was that shriek from your best friend?

It’s called snow tubing, Smoky Mountains style, and it’s the newest reason to make the trek to Ober Gatlinburg for an unforgettable adventure this winter.

Located atop Mt. Harrison in the Great Smoky Mountains, Ober Gatlinburg has opened its new ten-lane snow tubing park and is drawing crowds of snow tubing enthusiasts.

Even better than you remember when you were a kid and on a much bigger hill with its own Magic Carpet lift back to the top of the hill, this $1.5 million dollar facility is one of the finest in the south, with the capacity to host several hundred visitors per session and 100 percent snowmaking coverage adding to the experience. The park is lit for nighttime fun and just one more reason to visit the Smokies this winter.

Race your family or friends down the snow tubing course which drops five stories, double up with your young adventurer, or give Mom the opportunity to push Dad down a mountain. Get ready to laugh until it hurts in this must-do experience for all ages, then ride back to the top of the trail! Please note that guests must be three years old or 42 inches tall to participate in snow tubing.

There’s even an observation area with food service and restrooms for non-tubers to snap pictures and share the fun.

The snow tubing park is one of many enhancements at Ober Gatlinburg this season.

Ober has acquired 25 new HKD snowguns. These “stick guns” are mounted on 30 foot adjustable poles which give the snow crystals (shooting from the top of the snowgun’s six nozzles) more time to freeze as they fall further to the ground. Ober staff tested several of these guns last winter and found them to be very energy-efficient as they require far less air to operate than older models of snowguns.

Ober Gatlinburg has also purchased a Bombardier BR-350 snow groomer for the slopes, a machine which offers more power and versatility to anything seen in East Tennessee before.

Also, one of Ober’s smaller Bombardier BR-250 machines has been reconfigured for grooming the tubing hill.

As for the skiing and snowboarding slopes, Ober Gatlinburg has redesigned the unloading area for the Red Lift, and has improved the entry access into both Cub Way and Castle Run as well as dramatically widened the access from Bear Run into Cub Way.

Also, last year the resort completed a multi-year project to replace and upgrade their entire ski and snowboard rental equipment, and as Ober Gatlinburg continues to take advantage of new technology, the facility has now converted 17 percent of its ski rental inventory to the BYS system for this season. Among the advantages of this setup is a quicker process to get through the rental room and onto the slopes faster, and with better fitting rental boots.

If you’ve had enough of the snow, Ober’s new nocturnal house ($5 admission) includes viewing of various species of native wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, flying squirrels, turtles, and snakes, plus there are three river otters in the aquatic exhibit. Eventually birds of prey, bobcat, fox and other native species will also have homes at this new facility.

For more information call 865-436-5423 or visit www.obergatlinburg.com.

Chuckwagon Cookoff Is Set To Roll Into Pigeon Forge

Seven of the most unusual vehicles of the year will be in Pigeon Forge Feb. 19-22. They are authentic Old West chuckwagons in town for a cookoff.

The chuckwagon cookoff is part of Saddle Up!, a festival of cowboy poetry, western music and stomach-filling cowboy grub. The four-day festival is on American Cowboy Magazine’s list of the “Top 101 Western Events.”

The chuckwagon cookoff competitors are serious about their hobby. A fully equipped and authentic chuckwagon can cost in excess of $15,000, so the cooking teams are devoted to preparing top-notch chicken-fried steak, cornbread, biscuits, fruit cobblers and other dishes. They are judged on food, the wagons and the camp set-ups.

The teams are members of the American Chuck Wagon Association’s Southeast Chapter, and they’ll mosey into Pigeon Forge from Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida. Their wagons carry names such as Broken Spoke, Grumpy’s Grub, Cow Camp, Ramblin’ Rose, Fairplay Cattle Co., Yellow Rose and Little Hard Labored Creek.

The chuckwagon cookoff is Feb. 21 (Saturday) 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Clabough’s Campground on Wears Valley Road. There’s no fee to inspect the chuckwagon camps and to observe the cooking. After the judges get their tastings, lunch will be available for $5; ticket sales begin at 11 a.m., and proceeds benefit Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.

Saddle Up! begins Feb. 19 (Thursday). Entertainers include musicians Wylie & the Wild West (the 2008 Cowboy/Western Swing Group of the Year), The Quebe Sisters Band, Juni Fisher, Andy Wilkinson and Andy Hedges, along with cowboy poets Paul Zarzyski, Kent Rollins and Jim Hawkins.

A highlight of the four-day weekend is the Cowboy Symphony, featuring Wylie & the Wild West and the Smoky Mountain Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Russell Ramsay. The Cowboy Symphony is Feb. 19 at the Country Tonite Theatre.

Other activities include concerts (both free and ticketed), a non-denominational Cowboy Church service and a western swing dance.

Concert venues are the Country Tonite Theatre (1,500 seats), the Grand Majestic Theater (1,000 seats) and the Tennessee Shindig Theater (1,150 seats). The dance will be at Music Road Convention Center, and Cowboy Church will be at Stages West.

Other chuckwagon demonstrations and lunches are offered Feb. 19 (Thursday) and Feb. 20 (Friday) at the Tennessee Shindig Theater and Feb. 22 (Sunday) at Stages West.

Admission information: The Thursday afternoon concert is $15. A Friday/Saturday pass, excluding the Cowboy Symphony, is $50. Day passes for either Friday or Saturday are $30. Tickets for Cowboy Symphony are $20. All prices are plus tax. Ages 17 and younger are admitted free.

Advance ticket sales are through the Country Tonite Theater at 1-800-792-4308; in-person purchases begin Feb. 19 at the Grand Majestic Theater. Admission to the dance is $5 per person; ages 17 and younger are admitted free. Cowboy Church is free. Proceeds from the various chuckwagon lunches and the dance benefit Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.

The complete festival schedule is online at www.MyPigeonForge.com/saddleup. Information about all aspects of visiting Pigeon Forge is at www.MyPigeonForge.com or by calling toll-free 1-800-251-9100.