CHEROKEE VOICES FESTIVAL
Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds, Cherokee, North Carolina
Early June Sponsored by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the North Carolina Arts Council, the Cherokee Voices Festival features storytelling, dance, live music and crafts.
DOLLYWOOD KIDSFEST
Dollywood, 1020 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Mid-June to Early August
800-DOLLYWOOD Kid crafts, karaoke, puppets, clowns, jugglers, magicians, a trained dog show, extreme sports and much more highlight the festivities at Dollywood theme park during Kidfest. KidsFest shows for 2007 include Untamed Illusions starring the Fercos Brothers, Dolly's Imagination Playhouse featuring The Penguin Players, Yogi's Wild Ride, The CanDoos, Kid Concoctions and Veggie Tales Live. Other annual events held at Dollywood include the Dollywood Festival of Nations in April, Harvest Celebration in September and Smoky Mountain Christmas starting in November.
GATLINBURG FLOWER FEST Downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee Late April through Late June 865-436-0500
View the gorgeous flowers that fill the streets of Gatlinburg, check out the displayed work of local artists and craftspeople, and listen to live entertainment at the Gatlinburg Flower Fest.
GOURD FESTIVAL
Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds, Cherokee, North Carolina
Early June Everyone from master gourd crafters to beginners is welcome at the three-day Gourd Festival, which takes place at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds.
SMOKY MOUNTAIN TUNES & TALES
Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Mid-June through Late August
Enjoy Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales - free singing, dancing and storytelling each evening along the Parkway in Gatlinburg from early June through Labor Day weekend. Meet such characters as Big Hog, Horse Jaw Johnny, Selma the Spinner, Whittlin' Joe, Dulcimer Man, Cherokee Storyteller, Constable Jordan Salamander, Back Porch Cloggers, Trout Catch Cal, Lady Mae, Taffy von Saccharine and Goose & the Moonshine Boys.
SPRINGFEST Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge & Sevierville, Tennessee Early March to Early June 865-436-0500, 865-453-8574
A countywide, 3-month festival that welcomes the arrival of spring, this popular event includes a craft show and other special events throughout Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.
SPURS RODEO Sevier County Fairgrounds, Sevierville, Tennessee Early June 865-453-0770 Rodeo aficionados flock to the Sevier County Fairgrounds for the Spurs Rodeo, which includes bull riding, calf roping and much more.
SUMMERFEST CARNIVAL
Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds, Cherokee, North Carolina
Mid-June Fun for all ages, the Summerfest Carnival kicks off the arrival of summer with carnival rides, games and a diverse variety of concessions.
TENNESSEE SMOKIES BASEBALL
Smokies Stadium, 3540 Line Drive, Kodak, Tennessee
Early April to Early September 865-286-2300 For a night of fun, affordable family entertainment, Tennessee Smokies baseball can’t be beat! A Class AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Tennessee Smokies compete in the Southern League of Professional Baseball against the likes of the Chattanooga Lookouts, Greenville Braves, Carolina Mudcats and Jacksonville Suns. The state-of-the-art Tennessee Smokies Stadium, which opened in 2000, features 6,000 seats, a grass berm around most of the outfield and a full-service restaurant called the Double Play Café. The Tennessee Smokies play their home games in Kodak, which lies just Northwest of Sevierville (Exit 407 off of Interstate 40).
UNTO THESE HILLS OUTDOOR DRAMA U.S. 441 at Drama Road, Cherokee, North Carolina Mid-June to Late August 828-497-2111, 1-866-554-4557 A moving outdoor drama that takes place in the beautiful 2,800-seat Mountainside Theatre, Unto These Hills traces the history of the Cherokee people from the arrival of Hernando De Soto in 1540 to the tragic Trail of Tears in 1838. Unto These Hills is presented nightly at 8:30 PM (except Sunday) from mid-June through late August. Arrive early for pre-show entertainment, which begins at 7:45 PM. Reservations are strongly suggested.
