LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge
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!
Cabins in Pigeon Forge, a perfect lodging solution for folks attending events and conventions at the LeConte Center
Americans seek connection through events and conventions. However this leaves us with the age old question, stay in the same hotel as the group or find my own slice of peace and quiet. Face it we all need our own space, as a visitor to the area you may want to consider looking at cabins in Pigeon Forge as a lodging choice.
As strange as it is to say, for the longest time the city of Pigeon Forge did not have an official, full scale convention and meeting center. Many civic and private events used to be held throughout the city at Music Road Hotel, Smoky Mountain Convention Center, the former Grand Hotel Convention Center and other places around the area. Good facilities at the time, but with growth came new needs to accommodate for size and have a centralized place for activities as visitors tended to get lost finding them.
This all changed in 2013 with the grand opening of LeConte Center in downtown Pigeon Forge between the parkway and Teaster Lane. While the aforementioned convention centers are still open and taking special events, many of the big ones and civil celebrations now take place at LeConte Center as a way to continue bridging gaps between major city squares in the city.
The LeConte Center is located at the end of the huge parking lot for The Island and has walkway access to Patriot Park and The Old Mill right next to the gorgeous Little Pigeon River.
And, of course, you can count on the Trolley service to pick you up to and from there as well.
The facility itself is an enormous, well-designed 232,000 square foot building complex (it's even been awarded the Reader's Choice award, the Rising Destination for Meetings Award and others). It was designed for events of all kinds - concerts, conventions, private meetings, exhibitions, dinners and much more. The main hall seating is equipped to hold an astounding 12,000 people at least with electric and communication service drops coming from the ceiling above, allowing versatile floor plan changes. There is free Wi-Fi internet throughout the complex for visitors and event facilitators alike as well as an 8-bay registration area for attendees. All technology used inside the complex is state-of-the-art and designed to meet the utmost professional needs for the highest grade public gatherings and there is only 1 event allowed at a time so that events don't get criss-crossed or confusing - they remain focused.
To say the LeConte Center is a major advance for special events in the city is still underselling it. The city of Pigeon Forge really put their best work into this convention center and it shows with the hundreds of successful events pulled off so far. The staff is fully trained with the best customer/coordinator service skills available and visitors to the conference center get to enjoy copious amounts of convenience - almost everything you'd want to see, do or eat in Pigeon Forge is just 5-10 minutes away (traffic permitting) and there are over 1,500 parking spaces provided for the convention center use (as well as The Island) - no charge.
Upcoming events include:
Groove Dance Nationals
March 11th to March 12th, 2017
Shabbach Youth Conference
March 17th to March 19th, 2017
Pentecostal Fire Youth Conference
March 30th to March 31st, 2017
Smokey Mountain Blast Volleyball
April 1st to April 2nd, 2017
Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run
April 6th to April 8th, 2017
Southeast Alliance Volleyball Championships
April 22nd to April 23rd, 2017
Women of Joy
April 28th to April 30th, 2017
Patriot Volleyball Classic
May 20th to May 21st, 2017
Bullseye Preparedness & Outdoors Expo
June 10th to June 11, 2017
