February Fun Stuff in the Smokies

It’s officially the season of hot apple cider, warm blankets, and pumpkin patches. It’s also the season for fall festivals, and the Smoky Mountain area is full of them!

Here are three festivals you can enjoy while on your Smoky Mountain vacation.

1. Dollywood Harvest Festival

If you love Dollywood and the fall season then you won’t want to miss this event! From early September to late October this annual celebration marks the best weather and some beautiful fall foliage in the Smokies. Stay late into the evening to see beautifully carved pumpkins, lit up and on display. During the day you’ll enjoy fall themed food, and colorful leaves all throughout the park.

2. Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair

In early to mid October the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair heads into full swing. Artisans from across the country gather to peddle their wares while musicians serenade the crowds. You’ll see everything from woodworking and pottery to handcrafted jewelry and leatherworkings. If you have an appreciation for handmade goods then this event is for you.

3. Wears Valley Fall Festival

The Wears Valley Fall Festival takes place in mid October and is a favorite event for locals. Come experience the hundreds of vendors, melodic live music, and incredible Southern cuisine. If you’re interested in a true rustic, Appalachian festival with plenty to do and see for the whole family, then this one is for you.

No matter the festival you choose you’ll need a place to stay. Choose from one of our many options at Bear Camp Cabin Rentals today!

February is an interesting month, isn't it? It's the shortest month of the year at only 28 days in length while the other months at between 30 and 31 days in length, it is primarily known for two short holidays in which we celebrate romance with grand gestures of affection towards our partners after celebrating a rodent that can predict the weather by his shade and apparently cause temporal disasters for angsting weathermen across the country, it's the month of the Super Bowl, the beginning of Lent, has the possibility of being the only month that goes without a full moon and the only month that rounds up all the leftover world revolution fractions into a whole day every four years.

Yet for all its interest, only Valentine's Day and, up to a point, the Super Bowl really directly translate into special entertainment for the Smoky Mountains and those who are interested in coming out sometimes get the idea that February doesn’t have much going on to justify a full trip to East Tennessee. Not true! Even if you have no interest in Valentine’s Day or the Super Bowl or the psionic grudge our groundhogs have against Bill Murray, the whole month of February can bring many opportunities for you to make memories with. An overwhelming amount of our attractions are still open, the snow-capped mountains that surround us add a majesty to the Smokies that can’t be reproduced elsewhere, and Bear Camp Cabins can provide you the romantic weekend getaway you and your partner deserve whether it’s close to February 14th or not!

Here’s a look at some other of our favorite February activities in the area:

Ober Gatlinburg Winter Sports

Yessir, for the rest of the month and up into March, our favorite mountaintop fun park is still the winner for the winter season with its professional, full-service winter sports slope. Bring your skis, your snowboard, your snowtube (yes, you can go tubing on the snow!) and the appropriate gear… or don’t! Ober can furnish for you everything you need to go skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing (yes, really, tubing on the snow. It’s still technically water, after all!) and more with their facilities. Heck, it can be 55 degrees out and you’ll still be able to enjoy it as they make all the snow right there on the hill. See more on Ober Gatlinburg at www.obergatlinburg.com.

Valentine's Dinner at Titanic Museum

Who would’ve guessed the Titanic ship would become a wonderful place to celebrate a romantic occasion in the Smokies? Titanic has had this little tradition for a few years now and boasts a First Class Dinner at a private “secret” room onboard. They are doing this dinner on Saturday, February 10th and more information on that can be found at http://www.titanicpigeonforge.com/group-sales/titanic-first-class-dinners.

Antiquing on Highway 66

While this occasion could be done any time of the year, the post Holiday Winterfest makes our unofficially designated “antiques district” of Highway 66 between Sevierville and Kodak a real delight for its comparatively low traffic and a higher chance of seeing some interesting antiques that people have sold or donated after the gift-giving season. There’s so many stores for treasure hunting out here - huge stores, flea markets, thrift stores and pawn shops, that trying to list them all out would be exhaustive. Highway 66 has many other excellent attractions as well and something about going out here in the colder weather just seems to work better than in the blazing hot of Summer (and we tend to prefer closer to the mountains for Spring and Fall).

And, finally, the best way to enjoy the Smokies during the month of February is one of our luxury cabins in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville or anywhere in-between! Enjoy our fabulous units and the many fabulous amenities held therein.