Let the Magic Begin! It’s Time to Kickoff Smoky Mountain Winterfest 2015 beginning November 9th!

smoky-mountain-winterfest-2015-logo-heysmokiesSmoky Mountain Winterfest 2015 is so awesome that it takes 3 days in November just to kick it off! On November 9, 10, 11, 2015 each of the three major towns in Sevier County, Tennessee celebrate the beginning of the holiday season known as Smoky Mountain Winterfest!

Monday, November 9
Sevierville Winterfest Kickoff “Music Lights & Magic”
Sevierville Municipal Complex
3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
All the fun begins in downtown Sevierville with a full line-up of entertainment on the Main Stage throughout the event. Great food and fun activities and games for the young and young at heart make this a great event for all families. The Lighting Ceremony begins at 7:45 p.m. with Fireworks Finale at 7:50 p.m. For more information, call the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce at 865-453-6411 or visit them on Facebook.

Tuesday, November 10
Pigeon Forge Winterfest Kickoff
Patriot Park
4:00 pm – 9:00 pm 
The Kid’s Game Area opens at 4:00 with entertainment hitting the stage at 5:00, and complimentary Trolley Tours of Lights beginning at 6:00 p.m. For more information visit Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events or call  865-453-6411.

Wednesday, November 11
Gatlinburg Veterans Day Celebration
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza
11:00 am
The Veterans Day National Committee and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognize this ceremony as an official Regional Site for the Observance of Veterans Day. This remarkable event is full of touching tributes and patriotic music.

Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kickoff & Chili Cookoff
Downtown Gatlinburg Parkway
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
For 26 years, visitors and locals have grabbed their spoons and headed to the Parkway for the City of Gatlinburg’s annual Chili Cookoff.  Eat your way through bowls of homemade chili in a variety of creative recipes and vote for your favorites! Then as the sky darkens, Gatlinburg’s 3 million lights turn it into a winter wonderland for the holidays. The event is free with $10 buying you a spoon for sampling; tickets available at the event. Gatlinburg also offers Trolley of Lights tours during the evening. For more information, contact the Gatlinburg CVB at 865-436-4178.

Stay tuned and check back with us at HeySmokies.com for more info and updates on all the other great events and activities for Smoky Mountain Winterfest which runs all the way through to February 29, 2016!

Arrowmont Souper Bowl XII on November 19 in Gatlinburg

arrowmont-souper-bowl-2015-poster-heysmokiesWhen the weather cools and the leaves have changed that means it’s time for the annual Souper Bowl XII at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg. This year’s event is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2015.

Enjoy lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. or dinner from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. in the Dining Hall on the Arrowmont campus.

Guests will enjoy a variety of home-made soups and breads served in a beautifully hand-crafted ceramic bowl that is yours to keep. And new this year are wooden bowls also lovingly crafted by local artisans. Each bowl is unique and an enhancement to your collection.

Ticket prices are $30 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Salads will also be available for an additional charge. For tickets, call Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts at 865-436-5860 or call United Way at 865-430-5727.

The event also includes a $5 raffle for chances to win incredible original artworks by local artists and Arrowmont instructors. Proceeds benefit the good works of United Way of Sevier County.

For more information on the amazing classes available at Arrowmont throughtout the year, be sure to check out their Facebook page.

Smoky Mountain Communities Honor and Celebrate America’s Veterans

Smoky Mountain Communities Honor and Celebrate America’s Veterans. And it’s not only on Veterans Day either; our patriotic communities roll out the red carpet just about all year long for our nation’s heroes. Even though the City of Pigeon Forge just finished their month-long “Celebrate Freedom” event in August, many businesses continue to offer military discounts, veterans discounts, and first-responder discounts throughout the year.

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Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, Great Smoky Mountains. Photo credit: Romantic Asheville, NC

Be sure to ask when you’re booking your hotel, condo, or cabin because chances are that they will offer a military discount. The same goes for area attractions and even restaurants too. When we said our communities roll out the red carpet, we weren’t kidding! Below are some special activities planned for Veterans Day in November, but first…

Check out our video of the Welcome Home Veterans Parade in Pigeon Forge. It’s a bit long at 4 minutes we know; however, trust us when we say it took that long to pack in all the wonderful hometown patriotism of which The City of Pigeon Forge so proudly displays!

Veterans Day Activities in the Smoky Mountains: Honoring America’s Heroes on November 11, 2015

Gatlinburg Veterans Day Celebration
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
The Veterans Day National Committee and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognize this ceremony as an official Regional Site for the Observance of Veterans Day. This remarkable event is full of touching tributes and patriotic music. The public is encouraged to attend this free event.

Sevier County Veterans Day Program
Sevier County Courthouse
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
In beautiful downtown Sevierville, join local and state government dignitaries for a patriotic salute for America’s heroes.

Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kickoff & Chili Cookoff
Downtown Gatlinburg Parkway
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
For 26 years, visitors and locals have grabbed their spoons and headed to the Parkway for the City of Gatlinburg’s annual Chili Cookoff.  Eat your way through bowls of homemade chili in a variety of creative recipes and vote for your favorites! Then as the sky darkens, Gatlinburg’s 3 million lights turn it into a winter wonderland for the holidays. Tickets will be on sale at the event.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad FREE Ride for Veterans
Bryson City, North Carolina
Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2015
A special offer for all veterans and active military to ride for free onboard Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s Tuckasegee Excursion in any class of service! This special offer is for phone reservations only, so call 800-872-4681 and mention the promo code: veterans. For more information, visit www.gsmr.com.

Dollywood and Dolly’s Splash Country offer a 30% discount on one-day admission tickets for retired or U.S. active military, disabled veterans, military reservists, spouses and dependents. Visit Dollywood Military Discount for details.
Thank you to all veterans for your bravery, service and sacrifice.  We appreciate you every day in the Smokies!

Rocky Top Wine Trail To Release “Pink” at STOMP OUT Breast Cancer Event on October 17 at Hillside Winery

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Rocky Top Wine Trail To Release “Pink” at the 7th Annual STOMP OUT Breast Cancer Event on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Hillside Winery in Sevierville.

In support of American Cancer Society’s Sevier County Relay for Life each of the 5 wineries of the Rocky Top Wine Trail are unveiling a limited supply of “Pink” with $5 from the purchase of each bottle going to help fund cancer research.

And to kick (or should we say stomp) it all off is the 7th Annual STOMP OUT Breast Cancer Walk. All the fun beginstomp-out-cancer-logo-hillside-winery-heysmokiess at 9:00 a.m. at Hillside Winery, then you’ll head over to Apple Barn Winery and Mountain Valley Winery, and finally back to Hillside Winery to wraps things up around 3:00 p.m. Each stop on walking trail offers loads of fun activities including a good ol’ Lucy and Ethel-style grape stomp at Mountain Valley Winery! A one-of-a-kind photo opp for sure!

Tickets for the event are $25 per person and include lunch and a water bottle, a goody-filled backpack, and your own Rocky Top Wine Trail commemorative wine glass. Tickets can be purchased at Hillside Winery by calling 865-389-9490 or emailing rockytopwineclub@gmail.com.

This year’s goal is $25,000 making Rocky Top Wine Trail’s total donations for the past 7 years of hosting this event a whopping $100,000! Be sure to check out STOMP OUT Breast Cancer on Facebook!

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Artist Pinkie Mistry sharing a laugh with her son Nathan.

This year’s “Pink” wine labels were specially created and designed by local artist Pinkie Mistry. “Just like every woman, every wine has its own character ranging from playful to complex,” says the Sevierville artist and graphic designer.

Pinkie’s beautiful muses celebrate and pay homage to all women reminding them to love, to hope and to live with passion and purpose.

Celebrate Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg September 25th through November 1st!

oktoberfest-at-ober-heysmokiesCelebrate Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg from September 25th through November 1st, 2015!

It’s all things Bavarian at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park during their Annual Oktoberfest bash as they honor the heritage and traditions that began in Munich, Germany long ago.

Enjoy a scenic ride to the top of Ski Mountain via Ober’s Aerial Tramway for all the daily Oktoberfest fun and outdoor games. You can drive up to the top; however, we highly recommend boarding the iconic, green gondolas for one-of-a-kind views of the Smoky Mountains and the town of Gatlinburg.

Every day during the festival, the whole family can enjoy a great meal of authentic German sausages, schnitzels, strudels and more! And there will be live entertainment by the Bavarian Fun Makers Oompah Band. Showtimes are at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Sing and dance along and give us your best yodel! Seating is 30 minutes prior to showtime.

Raise a mug and toast friends and family, who are 21 years and older, at the Outdoor Bier Garten Thursday through Sunday during Oktoberfest! Ober Gatlinburg is offering a special selection of Oktoberfest ales and German wines during the celebration.

Grab your lederhosen and have some fun Bavarian-style at Ober Gatlinburg this season! Be sure to check out their brand-new Ski Mountain Coaster and Wildlife Encounter exhibit. And be sure to make time to enjoy Ober’s tried-and-true favorites like the Alpine Slide, indoor Ice Skating Rink, and Scenic Chairlift.

For more information on Oktoberfest, visit Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort & Amusement Park or call 800-251-9202.