Tag: Gatlinburg

A mountain coaster car speeds through fog and Halloween lighting during Halloween in the Holler at the Moonshine Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with a costumed scare actor visible at the edge of the fog-covered track.

Local Attractions October 12, 2026

Halloween in the Holler Gatlinburg 2026: What to Expect on the Haunted Coaster

Halloween in the Holler transforms the Moonshine Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg into a haunted ride experience on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout October 2026 — fog machines, strobe lights, and costumed scare actors positioned along the track delivering live scares while you're moving at speed through the dark. It's the only haunted mountain coaster experience in the Smoky Mountains, and it occupies a Halloween niche nothing else here fills. Here's what to expect.

A family in Halloween costumes trick-or-treats along a downtown Smoky Mountains street decorated with carved pumpkins, orange lights, and Halloween banners, with the forested mountain ridgeline visible above the rooftops on a clear October night.

Smoky Mountains October 9, 2026

Halloween in the Smoky Mountains 2026: The Complete Guide

October in the Smoky Mountains combines peak fall foliage with one of the most comprehensive Halloween event calendars in the Southeast — from Dollywood's brand-new Harvey's Boo Bash after-hours event and Great Pumpkin LumiNights to haunted mansions, ghost tours, mountain coaster scare nights, trick-or-treating at The Island, and ghost town experiences at SkyLand Ranch. Whether your group wants family-friendly or genuinely terrifying, here's the complete 2026 guide.

Shoppers browse colorful vendor stalls at the Gatlinburg Farmers Market on a sunny Saturday morning, with fresh produce, local honey, and homemade goods on display and forested Smoky Mountain ridges visible in the background.

Smoky Mountains September 28, 2026

Gatlinburg Farmers Market 2026: Dates, Hours & What to Expect

The Gatlinburg Farmers Market runs every Saturday from May 16 through October 17, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at 1222 East Parkway — a local, cash-focused open-air market featuring fresh produce from regional growers, homemade goods, local honey, live mountain music, and a kids' activity at every market. It's one of the most genuinely local experiences in a town that can be hard to find them in. Here's what to know before you go.

Passengers inside Anakeesta's Crystal Express all-glass gondola ascend 600 feet above downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with sweeping panoramic views of the Smoky Mountain ridgeline visible through the transparent glass floor and walls.

Local Attractions September 14, 2026

Anakeesta Visitor Guide 2026: The World's Only All-Glass Gondola & More

Anakeesta's Crystal Express — the world's only all-glass gondola system — opened May 22, 2026, replacing the old chondola lift with 56 panoramic glass-floor cabins that rise 600 feet above downtown Gatlinburg in four minutes. Combined with the new Firefly Experience, the expanded Treetop Skywalk, the AnaVista Tower, and year-round seasonal festivals, it's the most complete version of Anakeesta since the park opened in 2017. Here's the full visitor guide.

A family walks through the 340-foot underwater shark tunnel at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with a massive sand tiger shark and sea turtle visible swimming overhead in the crystal-clear water.

Local Attractions September 11, 2026

Ripley's Aquarium Gatlinburg 2026: Tickets, Exhibits & Insider Tips

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is consistently rated one of the top aquariums in the United States — and in 2026, it's celebrating its 25th anniversary with the all-new Dragons: Myths Made Real exhibit, free Summer Plaza events, and the same 10,000 sea creatures across 350 species that have made it Gatlinburg's most visited attraction for a quarter century. Here's the complete guide to tickets, exhibits, timing, and making the most of your visit.

Visitors walk through the underwater tunnel at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, surrounded by sharks, rays, and tropical fish on a rainy day in the Smoky Mountains.

Travel Tips September 4, 2026

Rainy Day in the Smokies? Here's Exactly What to Do in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

The Smoky Mountains get over 55 inches of rain a year, and afternoon thunderstorms in summer are a near-daily feature — but Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are among the best-equipped towns in the country for exactly this situation. From Ripley's Aquarium and Dollywood's indoor NightFlight Expedition to the Titanic Museum, moonshine tastings, and the one outdoor option most people overlook entirely — here's the complete rainy day guide for the Smokies.

A classic rock performer takes the stage under dramatic spotlights at The Mountain Music Festival inside the Gatlinburg Convention Center, with an energized crowd filling the venue floor.

Smoky Mountains August 24, 2026

Mountain Music Festival Gatlinburg 2026: Lineup, Tickets & What to Expect

The Mountain Music Festival returns to the Gatlinburg Convention Center August 21–23, 2026 with one of the strongest classic rock lineups in the festival's history — Bret Michaels, Rick Springfield, Ratt's Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini, 38 Special, Sebastian Bach, Night Ranger, Warrant, John Waite, Lita Ford, and Jackyl across three indoor stages. Every performance is air-conditioned and under one roof. Here's everything you need to plan your weekend.

Three Nashville songwriters perform an intimate songwriter round in a warmly lit historic hotel lounge at the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival, with a small attentive audience seated in rows of chairs.

Smoky Mountains August 21, 2026

Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival 2026: Dates, Tickets & What to Expect

The Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival runs August 21–22, 2026 at the Historic Gatlinburg Inn — the same hotel where Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote "Rocky Top" in 1967. The two-day event brings Nashville's top professional songwriters to an intimate listening-room format, performing the number-one hits they wrote for Brad Paisley, George Strait, Garth Brooks, and others, and telling the stories behind them. Tickets are limited. Here's everything you need to know.

Young cloggers in period Appalachian costumes perform traditional clogging on the Gatlinburg Parkway sidewalk during Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales, with tourists watching and a horse-drawn wagon visible in the background on a warm summer evening.

Smoky Mountains August 19, 2026

Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales 2027: Gatlinburg's Free Summer Street Festival

Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales transforms downtown Gatlinburg into a living stage each summer evening, with more than 70 musicians, storytellers, cloggers, and costumed Appalachian characters spreading out along the Parkway from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly. The event is completely free, has been running since 2006, and begins each evening with a horse-drawn wagon arrival at the center of town. For 2027 the summer season runs late June through late July — here's everything you need to know to make the most of it.

Guests enjoy berry-inspired food and live music at the Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival at Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with the Great Smoky Mountain ridgeline visible in the background on a warm summer afternoon.

Local Attractions August 14, 2026

Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival 2027: Dates, Food & Wildlife at Ober Mountain

Ober Mountain's Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival returns for its second year in mid-to-late July 2027 — three Friday–Sunday weekends of berry-inspired food and drinks, live music on the outdoor soundstage, local artisan vendors, and wildlife programming from Ober's resident wildlife biologists, including guided tours of the Wildlife Habitat where resident black bears, red wolves, and river otters live. At 3,300 feet, it's 15 degrees cooler than the Parkway below — and one of the most distinctive mid-summer events in Gatlinburg. Here's what to know.

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