Ripleys Aquarium Of The Smokies Mermaids
Ripleys Aquarium Of The Smokies, Gatlinburg Tennessee, will have live mermaid shows at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm on August 6th-8th.
Visitors to the Gatlinburg and Smoky Mountains area can enjoy several new restaurants popping up all over Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Off 321, Alamo Steakhouse parking lot, is the Gatlinburg Farmers Market. Be sure to stop in for farm fresh produce, local crafts, and occasional music.
Tunes and Tales Gatlinburg Tennessee
Tunes and Tales Gatlinburg has been come a favorite for not only visitors to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains area, but to many performers throughout the south with real talent.
Despite having seen them year after year, I am never bored with the performance. Each year some of the faces change and so do performances, however every year is every bit as entertaining as the year before.
From that mountain bluegrass many have grown up on to the slapstick comedy skits of young aspiring actors, Tunes and Tales is much of the character visitors to the Smokies come to embrace. We invite our readers to come join the fun! Tunes and Tales is FREE and happens nightly on the streets of Gatlinburg from 5-10p.m. through to August 7th.
Many of the performers have produced CD’s of their own and you may wish to ask them where to get them.
Smoky Mountain Fourth Of July Celebrations
Smoky Mountain Fourth Of July FREE celebrationsare occurring all over the Tennessee Smokies. Family fun starts with the Gatlinburg parade at 12:01am Sunday, a tribute to military personnel. To follow up there will be several concerts downtown Gatlinburg featuring a variety of musical performances. Gatlinburg’s River Raft Regatta will take place Sunday at noon. The Gatlinburg Regatta will start on River Road and end at Ripley’s Aquarium bridge.
Gatlinburg will host a fireworks display, after dusk Sunday, at Fun Park. Enjoy the fireworks in full glory from atop the Gatlinburg Spaceneedle and if you are unable to make it to Gatlinburg for the festivities be sure to watch from our Gatlinburg Webcam, mounted atop the Gatlinburg Spaceneedle.
Pigeon Forge will be hosting several Fourth Of July events starting Saturday, July 3rd, with the annual Patriot Festival held at Patriot Park. Recording artists Diamond Rio will be the feature performer and other groups will include Jimbo Whaley, Steve Azar, Greenbrier, TelluRide, Thompson Square, and a local band with members ages 9-11 called Grafite.
Unable to make it to Pigeon Forge for the fun, be sure to check out all the Patriot Park activities from our Pigeon Forge Webcam. Zoom into the action from your home computer and take photos if you wish FREE!
Gatlinburg Tennessee Updated News
Folks, seems Gatlinburg is kicking over some new logs and coming up with some inviting things.
Gatlinburg is the first in the area to legally sell moonshine, the moonshine still is open for operation and seems to be drumming up a lot of fan fare among locals and visitors to the Smoky Mountains alike.
The Gatlinburg Farmers Market is another big hit. Local farm produce is making its way back into Gatlinburg and it seems most everything sells fast. Located on Highway 321, Alamo Steak House parking lot, the Gatlinburg Farmers market operates each Saturday, 8a.m. to 11:30a.m., into November. Visitors can purchase locally produced eggs, produce, soaps, herbs, potted plants, and other garden related items.
Appearances mean a lot, Gatlinburg knows how important it is to the scenery when strands of unsightly wires were removed and placed underground over the past few years. In an effort to continue moving wires underground, Gatlinburg has funded the next phase of that move. This works well with the fact Gatlinburg has spent the last few years on GreenWay projects and dedicated itself to becoming the example in ”green” projects.
Gatlinburg Tennessee Trout Rodeo
The Gatlinburg Recreation Department celebrates this year’s “Free Fishing Week” by hosting the annual Children’s Trout Rodeo on June 12th at Herbert Holt Park.
Children are permitted to fish any Gatlinburg public streams, prizes are based on total weight of the fish caught (creel limit is 5 trout per person), Herbert Holt waters has a limit of 2 trout. Registration starts at 7:30a.m. and weigh-in is 10:30.
No mater your age, and you do not have to be signed up for the Rodeo, anyone is allowed to fish Tennessee public water FREE on June 12th.
Gatlinburg Web Cam - Gatlinburg Space Needle
The Gatlinburg Web Cam is back in operation!
Several emails flooded in moments after the Gatlinburg cam went offline. A localized power outage caused Gatlinburg computer equipment to fail and thus web cam connections to the outside world were down. Working with the IT staff, all systems have been restored.
What a great time to view downtown Gatlinburg and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains from atop the 407 foot Gatlinburg Space Needle, and all from your computer! Visibility is great and it looks as though temperatures will stay mild for the rest of the week.
Be sure to use the “camera” icon to the left bottom of the viewing box to take photos. You can take photos whether it is you or someone else operating the Gatlinburg web cam at the time. The photos you take are yours to save to your computer, email to others or post to your Blog-Facebook site.
Moon Shine Still In Gatlinburg
Yee Hah, thars shine in dem dar hills! Yepper there’s a working Gatlinburg moon shine still on its way in, Ole Smoky Distillery at Lineberger Plaza. The Gatlinburg City Commission will hold a meeting tonight to determine if they will grant “a certificate of good moral character” the last obstacle to getting a real working moonshine still and a Gatlinburg requirement for any establishment in Gatlinburg whose owners wish to sell alcoholic beverages.
The store will be divided into two parts, one area for visitors to enjoy watching the moonshine still in operation and purchase of souvenirs, books, and food. The second part is for adults wishing to purchase commemorative bottles of the still’smoonshine, which must be consumed off-premises. The owners hope to have both stores open by the end of May.
Smoky Mountain Craft Classes
Ever want to learn to make several of the crafts you see in and about the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, Here’s your opportunity to! Hobbyists, tinkerers, to craft businesses can benefit from attending the Gatlinburg, TN Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Studios and workshops are being readied for the start of the workshop season, May 30th. Students learn in professionally equipped studios on a 14-acre residential campus in Gatlinburg, TN. Five galleries, an art supply store, and artist resource center are open to visitors year round.
The first week classes begin with clay, fiber and textiles, metals and enamels, wood working and woodturning. One of the best equipped schools of its kind, staff and volunteers are preparing all specialized equipment for the 19 week period of workshops. The school’s art supply store is unpacking new inventory and stocking the various studios and work areas with the raw materials, supplies and tools required for each class.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is operating on a new workshop schedule this year, this year workshops will be offered for a 19 week stretch beginning May 30 and continuing until mid-October. The school has a comprehensive course catalog describing the 160 workshops offered in 2010.
Arrowmont offers a special discount to school teachers and area residents. K-12 teachers receive a $100 discount on any workshop for registrations received 30 days or less from the start of the chosen workshop. Teachers must be working as a teacher currently to be eligible for the discount. Documentation of current employment is required and classes are subject to availability. Residents of Blount, Cocke, Jefferson, Knox and Sevier counties also receive the $100 discount for registrations received 30 days or less from the start of the chosen workshop. A valid driver’s license or voter registration card is required for eligibility.
Teacher and local resident discounts for the first week of workshops at Arrowmont will begin May 1st. Interested persons can view workshop descriptions, photos and details on the web at www.Arrowmont.org or call the school for more information and registration (865) 436-5860.
Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Rock Slide Update
Update on Spur traffic detour
A detour to allow two way traffic on the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Spur is now operational after a rock slide closed the southbound lanes. Traffic heading south from Pigeon Forge will be directed on to the northbound side of the Spur. This southbound traffic will continue a short distance to the King Branch bridge and at that point will cross over to the south lanes of the Spur. Traffic headed north on the Spur will be funneled to one lane at the King Branch exchange. Although temporary variable message signs are in place and the traffic lanes are separated by a line of cones, motorists should use extreme caution while passing through the detour area. The detour is working just fine with no traffic delays at this time.
Pigeon Forge officials will be responsible for the slide clean up.
Nancy Gray
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865/436-1208 phone
865/436-1204 fax
e:mail: Nancy_Gray@NPS.GOV
Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge Tennessee Rock Slide On Spur
A large rock slide has closed the southbound lanes of the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur. The rock slide is on the City of Pigeon Forge owned portion of the Spur. At this time, officials with the City, national park, and TDOT are working through a traffic plan to allow two way traffic on the northbound lanes of the Spur. It will take some time to put in place the detour signage necessary to direct safe traffic. Park officials are assisting with traffic and Pigeon Forge officials will be responsible for the slide clean up. It is unclear at this time, how long it will take to remove the debris.
We will update you when the traffic plan is in place. But right now, motorists are not able to access the Spur from the Pigeon Forge end
Nancy Gray
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865/436-1208 phone
