Dolly Parton's Stampede
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!
Dolly Parton's Stampede in Pigeon Forge, formerly known as The Dixie Stampede, is an entertaining extravaganza that combines music, fast paced rodeo-style entertainment and a delicious dinner. Bluegrass musicians begin the festivities by entertaining the gathering crowd in a non-alcoholic popcorn-serving saloon. Next the audience moves into a 35,000 square foot arena equipped with dining tables where they will be served a full four-course meal while watching the extravagant rodeo-style stage show.
The Dixie Stampede serves up plenty of family fun during the meal by featuring thirty-two champion horses and their riders, plus a cast of other performers. Dinner guests will see trick riding, roman riding, jumping, a liberty act, chuck wagon maneuvers, buckboard racing and pig and ostrich races involving individuals from the audience. Interspersed with the horsemanship are games, songs, and sidesplitting comedy.
The Smoky Mountain crowd plays a game at the Dixie Stampede. One of them is a special race among small children chosen from the audience. The crowd roars with laughter as they watch the little tikes chase a flock of chickens across the arena. Medals are awarded to the small proud winners whose chickens crossed the finish line first. Identical medals are awarded the other participants with the counsel that everyone is a winner at the Dixie Stampede. Another favorite is a game that involves a few members of the audience who think they are to barrel race champion horses but instead must settle to race stick horses.
The bulk of the Dixie Stampede games actually involve the entire audience. The audience is divided into two teams representing the Yankees and Confederates of the Civil War. The object of the game is to decide once and for all whether the north or south is best—all in good fun of course! Each game is played with a Smoky Mountain flair and is mixed together with plenty of glitzy Dolly-like showmanship. The finale is a grand number intended to make each person proud to be an American.
The Dixie Stampede has a set menu, but a delicious one. The meal is worthy of the grand show it accompanies and the Smoky Mountain culture it reflects. The Dixie Stampede’s meal consists of a whole rotisserie chicken, a hickory smoked pork chop, creamy vegetable soup, a homemade biscuit, hot-buttered corn on the cob, herb-basted potato, a flaky apple pie and an assortment of beverages. All food at the Dixie Stampede is considered finger food and so a lack of silverware is part of the Smoky Mountain fun.
Web: Dixie Stampede
Address: 3849 Parkway Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Phone: (865) 453-4400
