News and information about tourist communities bordering the Great Smokies such as Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Cherokee and Maggie Valley.
In classrooms throughout North Carolina and Oklahoma, students are learning about the periodic table of elements or the origins of the Civil War. However, in some classrooms, the lessons are a bit more personal — Cherokee students are learning the history and language of their people. Cherokee speakers have made great efforts to keep their
Dollywood’s annual Harvest Festival will kick off on Friday, September 24 and run through October 30. Favorite events include the family-friendly Great Pumpkin LumiNights. The Great Pumpkin LumiNight provides family-friendly harvesttime events and memories of guests. Families can stroll through displays in Dollywood’s Timber Canyon, Wilderness Pass, and upper Craftsman’s Valley areas. The festival will
This is a photo that was taken alongside the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail near Gatlinburg. It was taken out the car window as the cubs and their mother foraged around near the road for several minutes. The young cubs were obviously in the early process of just learning how to climb trees. Click for
The 7th annual Dancing Bear Bicycle Bash is set for Sept. 18, and bicyclists from around the United States are invited to participate. 25-mile, 40-mile, or 52-mile races are available for riders. The route will pass through the ‘famous’ curves on US 321 providing beautiful mountains views. The race will being at 9 a.m. from
This year (2021) is the bicentennial of the Cherokee Syllabary – a system of writing the Cherokee language developed over years by Sequoyah in the early 1800s. “Searching for Sequoyah”, produced by James M. Fortier and LeAnne Howe, will air on PBS stations nationwide starting in November and examines not only that major accomplishment but
On Thursday, an esteemed Tennessee park won more awards than any other park during the Golden Ticket Awards virtual ceremony. Dollywood, a famed park known for its theme park rides, music and water attractions, won four Golden Ticket Awards and earned finalist placement in several categories. >> READ COMPLETE ARTICLE
Gatlinburg, Tenn., is trying to recover after a devastating wildfire swept through the town at the base of the Smoky Mountains. Officials have charged two teenagers with arson, for allegedly starting the fire that destroyed or damaged at least 2,400 buildings and killed 14 people. Many worry it will also hinder one of the largest
(AP) Authorities on Wednesday charged two juveniles in an East Tennessee wildfire that killed 14 people and destroyed or damaged more than 2,400 buildings in an iconic tourism spot at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. Officials offered few other specifics about how they think the two started a fire that leveled buildings into
Flames tore through the Great Smoky Mountains, killing at least three people, scorching hundreds of homes and businesses and sending more than 14,000 fleeing from the resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Tourists and residents scrambled Monday night and early Tuesday to outrun the blaze, which was pushed from the Great Smoky Mountains National
Photos from the devastating fire around Gatlinburg on Monday night. >> PHOTO GALLERY
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