Gatlinburg New Years Eve Party 2014!

In the Smoky Mountains, as anyone who has ever visited us would know, we take our special events seriously. Our Harvest Festivals are saturated with colors, our Springs are brisk with bloom to spare, our Summers are wall-to-wall attractions and special events and our Winterfests are full of holiday cheer.

And during New Years Eve, we both end AND begin the years with a bang!

Come to Gatlinburg for the big New Years Eve party where there will be many restaurants and local places celebrating the event. There will be entertainment leading up to final countdown, and then the epic ball drop at the final seconds of 2014 that ends with an EXPLOSION of fireworks on the Space Needle in the center of downtown Gatlinburg. More than 15 minutes of colorful sparks and flames will fire from the tower.

Gatlinburg is only a short ride away from Green Valley in Pigeon Forge; just 10-12 minutes driving or you can even take a trolley to connect to Gatlinburg and enjoy the festivities. Go on out, have the time of your life, ring in the new year, and then come back to our comfortable beds, in our comfortable rooms, for a well-earned rest. www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com.

Thanksgiving Festivities For 2014

Lots going on this month towards Thanksgiving (naturally) and as December starts entering in.

First and foremost, Gatlinburg's trio of events at W.L. Mills Auditorium is back on this year between 11/25/14 to 11/30/14. Gatlinburg Festival of Trees (11/25/14 - 11/29/14), The Great Smoky Mountains Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts Show (11/25/14 - 11/30/14) and return performances of The Nutcracker "Sweet" on 11/28/14 and 11/29/14. If you come to visit W.L. Mills Auditorium on 11/28/14 and 11/29/14, you and your family can check all three one the same day under one roof! Visit www.gatlinburg.com for more information on those events.

Then, we have Christmas In Wears Valley starting up again this year! The community of Wears Valley, between Pigeon Forge and Townsend, had their own Christmas festival last year and it was a big enough hit to warrant a return for this year! Christmas in Wears Valley is on between November 25th, 2014 and January 3rd, 2015. There will be a Community Dinner, a return audience with Bill Landry, a new community tree and much more that you can find at www.christmasinwearsvalley.com.

And, of course, we have plenty to celebrate here in Pigeon Forge. Just Dollywood, The Old Mill, The Island and The Christmas Place alone will have much to bring the holiday festivities in with!

Stay tuned with us at www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com as we get ready for December and the Christmas events going on.

Harvest Festival Special Events For 2014

Now we enter the prime of the Autumn season with Harvest Festival in Pigeon Forge.

All throughout the mountains, those magical colors have already started their full bloom and we'll be seeing the zenith of them within the next couple weeks. Dollywood began its annual Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration on September 20th and that will last through Nov. 1st. This festival features a full month of nonstop Gospel performances by the best in the industry along with artists and crafters who come to the park to show off the skills handed down to them by the generations. Well worth the price of admission!

Other excellent special events going on include:

* Patriot Park Rotary Craft Show in Pigeon Forge *
9/27/14 - 10/25/14

http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/pigeon-forge-rotary-club-craft-fair/

* Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg *
9/26/14 - 11/2/14

http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=80

* Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair *
10/9/14 - 10/26/14

http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=10

* Ralph Stanley II Concert *
10/18/14

http://www.wearsvalleymusicbarn.com

* Gatlinburg Taste of Autumn *
10/28/14

http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=118

As always, there's a lot more to do in the Smokies than we can fit here, so be sure to come out and see some of it before it's gone! www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com.

Labor Day Weekend 2014

Labor Day weekend is THIS weekend! Can you believe it? After the awesome Summer we had, it nearly crept up on us too, but it's coming and we want to be your headquarters for the best 3-day vacation you've had in years.

Why stay in Green Valley? Oh, just a few reasons:

• 50 Spacious Rooms
• King, Queen, and Double Rooms
• Pet Friendly Rooms Now Available!
• Budget and Family Friendly
• Heated Outdoor Swimming Pool
• Ice for coolers available to hotel guests
• 24 Hour On Site Security
• Old Fashioned Friendly Service
• Kiddie Pool
• Jacuzzi Rooms & Suites Available
• Kids Under Age 12 Stay FREE
• Meeting Rooms Available
• Located near Pigeon Forge Trolley Stop
• American Owned and Operated

All this and more can be yours with a reservation to Green Valley! Visit us right now at www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com. Space is limited!

Celebrate Freedom 2014 And More Special Events

Don't get disappointed at the prospect of Summer ending just yet, Pigeon Forge is pulling out all the stops to make sure August 2014 is one to remember. It'd be a good idea to consider coming to the mountains for some of these events whether the kids are in school or not!

In addition to this weekend being the Sales Tax-Free weekend, Celebrate Freedom is going on for the full duration of August as well, and this means a month of military discounts all across attractions and restaurants in Pigeon Forge. There's also more than half a dozen special events going on, a list of which you can see below:

8/2/14
Stringtime in the Smokies

8/2/14
Pigeon Forge Midnight 8K Road Race

8/11/14-8/15/14
Kidabra! The International Association of Family & Kid Show Performers Annual Convention

8/21/14-8/24/14
Smoky Mountain Songwriters Festival

8/23/14-8/24/14
Smoky Mountain Military and Relic Show

8/23/14
Welcome Home Vietnam Parade

Compliment any of these events or any vacation to the Smokies with a reservation at Green Valley Motel in Pigeon Forge. Not only are we within very easy driving distance from everything you want to see in the Smokies, but we offer luxury rooms at excellent prices as well. See this and more at www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com.

4th of July 2014

Fourth of July is this Friday, and we will be providing a quick recap of Pigeon Forge's festivities for those of you coming in this week to enjoy here in the Smokies.

In Pigeon Forge, Patriot Park is having Patriot Fest starting at 12:00PM. The whole park becomes a center of activity with a huge sound stage, lots of activity, food tents, cooling off station, music by The Tim Kellar Band, Adkins and Loudermilk, Lonestar, and much more until the fireworks start between 9:45PM to 10:00PM.

See more at www.mypigeonforge.com. Again, this is an event you can walk to from Green Valley Motel and that is just one of many conveniences we offer visitors to Pigeon Forge! www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com.

The Start Of Summer 2014

With the end of Memorial Day comes the unofficial, yet official enough, start to the Summer vacation season in the Smokies. What will there be to see in the coming June? Some of it's already started, but we wouldn't be telling you about it if you could miss it by the time you're reading it here!

Obviously, Dollywood will be a heavy hitter and a must-see place for family entertainment. Barbeque and Bluegrass (now to June 8th) and the Great American Summer starting right after that (June 14th-August 3rd). The former is exactly what it sounds like - a whole festival devoted to the best barbeque meat and bluegrass music you can find ANYWHERE at that given moment in Tennessee for the perfect Southern culture experience at the best family fun park in the South! The latter is Dollywood greatly extending the Summer experience for visitors to Pigeon Forge by having extended opening hours (until 10PM!), returning children's faire like The Little Engine Playhouse and Gazillion Bubbles, and a fireworks display every night of the week (no, seriously!). It's every bit as incredible as it sounds and well worth a visit for it alone.

There are also new attractions and things to do at The Island in Pigeon Forge if you haven't been for a while. Dick's Last Resort, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Sweet!, Island Mirror Maze, The Island Show Fountains and Happy Swing are just a few of the new additions, and we'll still be getting Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and Paula Deen's Family Kitchen soon enough.

As always, Green Valley is just a short drive from these locations and many more. See what else we can provide your vacation at www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com!

Dolly Homecoming Parade And More!

This Friday is one of our favorite times of the year, and one of the official starts to the Summer-time season in Pigeon Forge. It's the return of the Smoky Mountains' favorite daughter, Miss Dolly Parton herself for the annual Dolly's Homecoming Parade!

From stoplight #6 to stoplight #3, dozens and dozens of floats, locals and business owners will march down the main street of the city, culminating with the grand marshal Dolly Parton herself making an appearance and thanking everyone for supporting this wonderful city throughout the years. www.mypigeonforge.com/events/dolly-parade/

And starting early next week, Ripley's attractions in Gatlinburg will be having "Sevier County" days, where locals who live or work in Sevier County (as well as Jefferson County and Cocke County) who come to the Ripley's Aquarium, Haunted Adventure, Believe It or Not! Museum, Guinness World of Records and more can get in for only $4 a person with ID presented. www.ripleysgatlinburg.com

A great start to May and the upcoming Summer season! All these events are easy to get to from Green Valley, and there are more reasons to stay with us that you can find at www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com.

A Mountain Quiltfest and Festival of the Nations 2014

Wow - two huge festivals in Pigeon Forge at the same time? You better believe this is the real start of the "visitors season" here in the Smokies. The quiet season is done for this year, now we look forward to the special events going on nearly nonstop in the cities.

The first one starts today at the LeConte Conference Center with "A Mountain Quiltfest" and goes on to Friday, March 22nd. This is, to put it simply, a huge quilt festival, but it is surprisingly popular and very enriching, whether you're a fan of Appalachian culture or not. Lots of beautiful works of art will be on display, and those initiated can find quilting workshops to learn professional skills, plus there will be a quilting contest with a prize of $20,000 at stake. Yes, quilting is serious business here in the Smokies!

And then, also on 3/22, is an event a LOT of people look forward to - Dollywood's "Festival of Nations" and grand re-opening for the 2014 season. This year the headlining act is "Mother Africa", at the main theater on park, while many newer performers play at venues throughout alongside returning favorites like Zambia Vocal Group and Atahualpa coming back again.

And many more special events in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg will be following suit as Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales, Gatlinburg Winefest, the Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run and more. As always, check back with us next month and any time in between. www.greenvalleypigeonforge.com.

Press Release: Just Get Outdoors With Liz & GSM Outfitters!

WEARS VALLEY, TN – A brand new program opens up in the heart of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains allowing locals and visitors to better understand and appreciate the nature of the Appalachians in our region. This program is a collaboration between the owners of GSM Outfitters in Wears Valley, and wildlife biologist Liz Domingue.

“Just Get Outdoors!” will feature lectures, workshops, interactive activities for kids, photography and much more. Day and evening classes will be available. The following is a list of the classes and activities scheduled:

* Wildflowers, Wildflowers, Wildflowers!
April 10, 2014

* Wildflower Walk With a Naturalist
April 11, 2014

* Nature Photography Workshop
May 24, 2014

* Salamander Capital of the World!
July 25, 2014

* Salamander Foray
July 26, 2014

Group size will be small and space is limited. Participants will be asked to arrive 15 minutes ahead of time, to bring their own lunch and drinks and rainwear. Hiking boots also recommended.

To sign up for the outings and evening programs, contact Michael or Heather at 865-366-2608 or at Michael@gsmoutfitters.comcastbiz.net.

Saddle Up! 2014

Looking for something REALLY different in the Smokies for February? Come check out "Saddle Up!" a Wild West-themed festival happening all across Pigeon Forge from February 19th to February 23th, 2014.

This adds a whole new dimension to the Country Music scene in the Smokies, with singing, dancing, a chuck wagon cookoff and even a Cowboy Church on Sunday. Entertainers this year include Brenn Hill, Chris Isaacs, Waddie Mitchell, The Quebe Sisters Band, Dave Stamey, Sourdough Slim, T. Scot Wilburn and the Shut Up N' Playboys, and Wylie and The Wild West. If you love your inner-cowboy and don't want to go West to celebrate it, come to Pigeon Forge

You can see more information at https://www.etouches.com/ehome/71876/142500/.

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2014

After all the huge celebrations and revelry of the holidays, it's tradition in the Smoky Mountains for the start of the year to be a well deserved break, and an opportunity to reflect on the quieter, finer things of the area.

This leads up to another long-standing tradition in the Smokies - Wilderness Wildlife Week in downtown Pigeon Forge. Located this year at the new LeConte Conference Center between the main parkway and Teaster Lane and going on between January 25th to February 1st.

For those who've never been - Wilderness Wildlife Week is one the most honest, true-to-nature special events in the whole calendar year. Not a festival, not a glitzy party, this is a celebration of the Smoky Mountains at their most natural and includes a full week of lectures, guest speakers, exhibitions, guided hikes and walks, and so much more than it's quite common for people to keep returning just because they weren't able to do everything the year before.

And it's all free. All of it.

See more at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/wilderness-wildlife-week/.