New Years Eve Celebrations In the Smokies

The Smoky Mountains don’t just feel like a magical place, they really are a mystical destination. The phrase “old as the hills” rings true when you really dive into the old lore of the mountains. When you come to visit, take this otherworldly tour and investigate for yourself. Here are six of the Smokies’ best kept secrets.

1. Elkmont Trollbridge

Escape to a place that really feels like a glimpse into a mythical land. The Elkmont Trollbridge is a true hidden gem that only locals know about. Hike along the Little River Trail until you reach this spot. Covered in moss and mushrooms, the Trollbridge is perfect for capturing pictures or looking for hidden fantastical creatures.

2. House Of The Fairies

This whimsical spot is only a mile from downtown Gatlinburg yet it feels like you’ve been transported into another realm. Map to this magical place, then go out and explore. Here, you’ll find towering trees and moss covered logs and boulders. Then at the end of the trail you’ll see it...an arched doorway, that looks like it’s almost cut into the side of the hill, sits with a wooden ladder leaning against the frame. Step inside and find a cool spring, filled with water that tinkles like bells. 

3. Synchronous Fireflies

The synchronized fireflies that come out every year like clockwork might be more science than magic but when you’re sitting among the trees and they begin to spark in unison, flickering in and out of sight, it feels like something otherworldly. This rare phenomenon is only seen in a few places in the world and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of them.

4. Elkmont Ghost Town

Once a thriving vacation spot for the Knoxville elite, the Elkmont Ghost Town looks like a legend brought back to life. Recently restored, explore inside the homes and hike trails where you will find the remains of homes once occupied by Appalachian locals who would serve, supply and work in the town. This piece of history is frozen in time and feels like stepping back into the past.

There are many magical places in the Smokies and these are only four of them. Don’t stop here, continue to search for more mystical creatures and sprites living in the trees and hollows. To discover more, stay overnight in the mountains in a log cabin. This cabin is even called Magical Moments, which is exactly what you’ll find when you visit the Smoky Mountains.

Quick riddle - what begins and ends with fireworks in the Smokies? If you confused this for another popular lateral thinking puzzle and said "the letter E", you are most definitely mistaken. The "year" begins and ends with fireworks in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. If there's any better way to celebrate New Year's Eve in East Tennessee, it means we've drifted into a parallel dimension!

Want to know how to transition from one year to the next with a literal bang? Read on!

Gatlinburg:

For years, Gatlinburg's final holiday special event has been the biggest party in the Smoky Mountains - bigger than the Chili Kickoff, bigger than the parades, biggest of all! More than 50,000 people are out and about for the festivities on the 31st of December and they're all waiting for one thing - the countdown and ball drop at the Space Needle in the center of downtown Gatlinburg.

For most of the day, business will be as expected. As it gets to be 10:00 PM, entertainment will begin near Stoplight #8 as it has for years before. For the next two hours, the crowd, excitement, and energy will build steadily until it gets to 11:59 PM. As the families come out of the attractions, as the groups come out of the restaurants and grills, as the revelry gets louder until it drowns out the music playing, the mood reaches its zenith at that same 11:59 PM. Attention turns to the Space Needle where Gatlinburg crews have carefully constructed a ball drop similar to the one made famous by Times Square in New York City.

Right as the clock strikes midnight: BOOM. Many times over.

For 15 minutes at least, the entire tower explodes with the most intensely beautiful fireworks display you've ever seen. It's an experience that stays with you long after it happens - the display itself, the significance of starting a new year literally ablaze and at the height of excitement - even if you only get to see it once. It takes some effort to pull off, but it's worth it many times over.

The only thing that rivals it is Pigeon Forge's New Year Celebration events.
 

Pigeon Forge:

This year, there are three New Year's Eve special events worth forecasting for visitors to the Smokies for the end of the holiday season - one at The Island, one at the Titanic Museum and one at the Smoky Mountain Opry.

The Titanic Museum throws the earliest New Year's Eve party with their "Noon Year's Eve" event. Starting at 12:00PM that day, as mypigeonforge.com explains, "This rockin’ New Years Noon event will be a kid’s version of a grown-up’s midnight bash, complete with a Titanic Museum Tour, a visit with our own Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatter character, PLUS a countdown to an exciting Noon Year Balloon Drop.”

Some hours after that at the Smoky Mountain Opry, a spectacular show will begin at 8:00 PM with a (presumably) final performance of "Christmas at The Smoky Mountain Opry". There will be talent, entertainment, set designs, pyrotechnics, laser lighting, comedians, dancing, magicians, ice skaters, aerialists (look it up if you don't know), and more helping send off the new year. The party will continue on from there as there will be a ball drop of its own as it nears midnight and the cast will stay to keep partying the night away!

And finally, The Island will begin their festivities at 10:00 PM.

Much of the day there will already be in a party-centric vibe, but 10:00 PM is when things will shift into 4th gear. There will be live music entertainment, a midnight countdown, lights, water displays from the center fountain and more. At the stroke of 12:00 AM, the old year will close out and begin with the same skyward combustion just like in Gatlinburg a few miles away.

Whether you get your New Year's fireworks from Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, you will never, never, NEVER forget it. It could be one of the top 10 events in your life!