Your Guide to the Best Gatlinburg Fourth of July Events

The Great Smoky Mountains are the perfect place to spend Independence Day! To help you make the most of your precious vacation time, we’ve put together a list of the best Gatlinburg 4th of July events for 2014.

Gatlinburg 4th of July Midnight Parade

Gatlinburg is home to the First Independence Day Parade in the Nation! Starting at midnight on July 4th, this totally unique parade typically brings over 100,000 spectators to the Smokies. You can expect to see members of every branch of the U.S. military, awesome floats, and plenty of patriotic spirit.

This year’s parade route will begin at traffic light #1A on East Parkway and turn south onto Parkway at traffic light #3. The parade will end at traffic light #10 at Ski Mountain Road. We recommend coming early because some people start setting up lawn chairs at 7 a.m. on July 3rd!

Gatlinburg River Raft Regatta

The July 4th River Raft Regatta is one of the best Gatlinburg traditions. Folks from all over flock to the Little Pigeon River for an unmanned raft competition. Judges will award prizes to the best store bought and hand made rafts. If you plan on building your own raft, don’t be afraid to get a little crazy! Anything and everything that floats is fair game.

Registration for the Regatta starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Christ in the Smokies bridge on River Road. The race begins at 12:00 p.m. and the festivities will end at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Gatlinburg 4th of July Fireworks

Gatlinburg always ends Independence Day with a bang! At 10 p.m., the night sky over downtown Gatlinburg will erupt with beautiful colors and formations. The Gatlinburg fireworks never disappoint, and they have even been named a top 20 event by the Southeast Tourism Society. The fireworks will be centered around traffic light #3, but there are really no bad viewing spots in the downtown area.

Bear Camp Cabin Rentals is right around the corner from all of the amazing Gatlinburg 4th of July events. We offer one of the widest selections of vacation rentals in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, so we can accommodate virtually any group size and budget. Visit our Gatlinburg Cabinspage to find the perfect place to stay for your trip to the Smokies or give us a call at 1-865-366-5730.