Saddle Up!, Feb. 24-27, 2011, is part of Pigeon Forge Winterfest, a four-month season of activities that begins in November.

Some of the top performers in western music and cowboy poetry will perform during the 11th annual event. Among them are Wylie & the Wild West, the Quebe Sisters Band, Brenn Hill, Chris Isaacs, Jean & Gary Prescott, Yvonne Hollenbeck and Ray Doyle. Concerts (1 and 4 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 3 p.m. on Feb. 26) are $15 each.

“An Intimate Evening with Wylie & the Wild West,” a new dinner concert, is Thursday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. Presented by the Inn at Christmas Place, the event takes place at the Partridge & Pear restaurant and begins on a social note when ticket holders can spend time with the award-winning cowboy band. A four-course meal is followed by a concert. Tickets are $50 each, and fewer than 40 will be sold to keep the evening “intimate.”

One of the most popular components of Saddle Up! is a competitive chuckwagon cookoff, on Saturday, Feb. 26. The cookoff, sponsored by the Pigeon Forge Hospitality Association will be held at Clabough’s Campground. Chuckwagon cooks prepare a lunch for guests and evaluation by a panel of judges. Tickets are $10.

Belz Outlets hosts two activities—the new Western Marketplace, presented by Stages West (free admission), and the Western Swing Dance (tickets are $5), a perennial favorite. Sunday morning’s Cowboy Church, a non-denominational service preceded by a chuckwagon breakfast (tickets are $5), concludes Saddle Up!

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Schedule for the 11th Annual Saddle Up! is Set

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.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

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