The Pigeon Forge Quiltfest

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.
Would you believe one of the most popular events in the Smokies for the Spring season is a festival called... Quiltfest?
The initiated know quilting is serious business, just as practically every "quaint" art and craft has a surprise vein of popularity and intensity within its fanbase. It is a multi-billion dollar industry based on an extremely eye-catching, relaxing and generations-old trade that combines the practical (everyone needs blankets at some point to keep warm!) with a geometrically hypnotizing design scheme that allows for unique works of art and infinite color scheme and theme possibilities. They can also fetch and attract big money. If paintings and framed works of art, which you normally can't even keep on your lap for an extra bit of comfort and insulation on a cold night, can reach epic levels of interest, money, skill and competition, why not quilts?
That answer gets revealed each March in Pigeon Forge, as it has been for 24 years now. The Quiltfest is both a festival, as something open for the public to come and enjoy, and an expo where professionals also gather and attend for a variety of purposes. Everything quilting related is found here, giving the public thousands and thousands of awesome quilts to look at and enjoy, vendors who sell quilts and quilting supplies, competitions with thousands of dollars in prizes offered, quilting classes and more!
From the online brochure:
A Mountain Quiltfest has now found a permanent home in the prestigious LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. This state-of-the-art event center provides over 232,000 square feet of exhibition and classroom space to house our quilt show, vendors, classrooms, lecture areas and even a dining area – all under one roof!
Quilt Show & Vendor Hall Hours
Tuesday, March 20th
8:30AM to 4:00PM - Classes begin.
Patchwork & Pickin with Yvonne Hollenbeck & Jean Prescott.
11:30AM to 1:30PM
Box lunch.
Show Opens to the Public:
Wednesday, March 21st - 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Thursday, March 22nd - 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Friday, March 23rd - 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Show & Tell - 6:00PM
Saturday, March 24th - 9:00AM to 4:00PM
For convenience, registration information is as follows:
Pre-registered students need to check-in with the Registration
Desk prior to the beginning of their first class. Pre-registered
students will, at this time, receive their A Mountain Quiltfest name
badge and 2018 thimble.
The Registration Desk will be open the following dates and times:
Monday, March 19th
3:00PM – 7:00PM
Tuesday, March 20th
7:00AM – 5:00PM
Wednesday, March 21st
7:30AM – 5:00PM
Thursday, March 22nd
7:30AM – 5:00PM
Friday, March 23rd
7:30AM – 5:00PM
Saturday, March 24th
7:30AM – 8:30AM