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

The newest addition this year is Santa’s Village where guests can stay afterward to meet and have a photo made with Santa Claus while enjoying festive refreshments like hot cocoa, apple cider, funnel cakes, Christmas cookies, Kettle Corn, Frito pie, pizza and much more. There will also be a Christmas tree lot, a petting zoo and pony and camel rides.

The cost to experience Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland presented by WIVK and WBIR is $13.67 per car or family van, Monday through Thursday and $18.23, Friday through Sunday. For an activity van, limousine or mini bus the cost is $27.34, and tour/school buses are $68.34. Each rate is subject to tax. A Santa’s Savings Card containing Sevierville and Knoxville discounts comes free with each admission and is valid all year. Additional cards can be purchased for $10. Christmas Wonderland supports Mission of Hope and Second Harvest Food Bank.

About Shadrack Productions

Shadrack Productions is a family owned business based out of Bristol, TN. Shadrack is the umbrella under which Watersports and RV dealerships, a NASCAR Campground and a growing light show division operate. Shadrack hosted its first light show in 2007, and because of its tremendous response, has taken its show on the road, also appearing this season in Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN and New Market, MD. Christmas Wonderland is the most decorated Christmas light show of its kind in the world since inception and has received accolades from every single contest it has qualified for.

All the programming is done in-house by the Shadrack team. Every show element is custom-made featuring 100% energy efficient LED lights throughout the shows for an environmentally friendly experience. Some of the music is even arranged and performed by the talented Shadrack crew.

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

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland Returns to Smokies Stadium for Winterfest

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

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

Flipping the “Green” Switch on Winterfest

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.

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

Christmas Wonderland of Lights at Smokies Stadium

A marquee welcomes The Duggars to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for their last visit to the Entertainment Capital of the Smokies. Photo:TLC

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.

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

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