Hikers enjoy the wintertime view of the Smokies during Wilderness Wildlife Week 2003. The 2004 event will be held January 10-18. Click to enlarge all our photos.
photo by Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism
Years ago, when the black bears of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park went into hibernation, the tourists went home. Gateway cities like Pigeon Forge emptied, and park traffic slowed to a trickle.
“Fourteen years ago, the marquees in Pigeon Forge during the winter all said ‘See you in May,” says Park Ranger Bob Miller. “Since Winterfest started, our off-season numbers in the park have doubled.”
What began as a city-wide lighting event featuring 92 snowflakes illuminating the 36 posts down the center of the parkway, has now grown into a four-month festival boasting more than 5 million lights.
But the lights serve as a sideshow for the festival’s many events, especially in January and February, when cowboy poets, storytellers and Smoky Mountain guides take center stage in Pigeon Forge.
“Wilderness Wildlife Week in January is the flagship of Winterfest, but we have three major events during January and February,” says Kay Powell, assistant director of tourism for Pigeon Forge. “Those are still our slowest months of the year, but Winterfest has been very successful in bringing tourists to the city year-round.”
January may seem the least ideal month for an event highlighting the natural beauty of the Smokies, but Ranger Bob Miller of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park says winter is one of the best times to experience the mountains, especially during the award-winning Wilderness Wildlife Week.
“The same activities are available to tourists in the off-season, but they will experience less traffic, lower prices, and see more wildlife,” he says.
For locals, the winter months have long been the preferred season for exploring the mountains in their backyard. With more than 800 miles of trails of varying difficulty, hikers of all skill levels are welcome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Every Thursday at 6:30 a.m., Robin Nichols of Sevierville dresses in layers, checks her first aid kit and grabs her back pack before dropping her sons off at school and turning the family’s minivan toward the Smoky Mountains.
Mrs. Nichols and her hiking group, “The Sweet Peas,” meet at one of the park’s trails for a day of exercise. They gather year-round, weather permitting, but say this time of year is the most enjoyable.
“We all really like winter hiking,” Mrs. Nichols says. “You don’t have to battle the crowds and the vistas are incredible.”
For those less experienced hikers visiting the area, businesses like The Day Hiker in Pigeon Forge carry equipment and advice. Owner Joe Guenther says he offers free maps in both of his stores - one in Pigeon Forge and one in Gatlinburg - and all of his employees are experienced hikers who can recommend the appropriate gear and mountain trails to their customers.
“Hiking is a recreational activity that stretches across all demographics of income and age,” Mr. Guenther says. “But we get a lot of seniors because this area attracts so many retirees.”
Ranger Miller says that with the loss of summertime foliage and the improved air quality in the wintertime, visibility is dramatically increased throughout the Smoky Mountain National Park. In the most-visited national park in the country - close to 10 million a year - almost 80 percent of the visitors are “windshield tourists,” proving the view from the car seat is a draw year-round.
“Summertime vistas in the park average around 20 miles. In the winter, it’s closer to 70 miles,” Ranger Miller says. “In the off-season you get a view of more row on row mountains.”
And more and more people have been visiting in the winter months to enjoy that view. In addition to hiking, the Smokies offer cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and winter camping opportunities. Downhill skiing is available near the park at Ober Gatlinburg Recreation Park.
Pigeon Forge tourism officials say Winterfest was the answer to new businesses flooding the city in the late 80’s - businesses that demanded a year-round clientele. So the department of tourism began the coordinated event between Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
“First we had to convince some in the business community that it would be good for them, then we had to convince visitors that they could come to this area in the wintertime and not get snowed in,” Ms. Powell says. “Those first two or three years of Winterfest were a real selling job.”
The sales pitch seems to have worked as area hotels, restaurants and attractions are now open year-round, happy to cater to the demands of tourists. Winterfest has garnered numerous awards, including the Southeast Tourism Society’s Festival of the Year for three years, and the American Bus Association’s Top Event in the U.S. for 2003.
“People are voting with their feet,” Ranger Miller says. “If it is too crowded for their taste in peak seasons, they come in the off-season and basically write their own ticket.”
In addition to Wilderness Wildlife Week, 2003-2004 Pigeon Forge Winterfest events include:
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas
November 8-December 30, 2003
The Pigeon Forge entertainment park is awash in more than three million sparkling lights, holiday shows and special productions to celebrate the season. Events include Christmas in the Smokies, the park’s signature holiday musical production at the Celebrity Theatre, and the Carol of the Trees, which takes place each night at Rivertown Lake. Dollywood’s schedule varies during Smoky Mountain Christmas. For specific dates and hours call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit www.dollywood.com.
Winterfest Trolley Tour of Lights
November 7, 2003 - February 13, 2004
Brilliant displays of more than four million lights are located at a number of locations throughout the city. The Pigeon Forge Fun Time Trolleys allow you to enjoy the Tour of Lights in the comfort of a temperature-controlled trolley with hosts and hostesses serving as guides to the city's landmarks and lighted displays. Most of the trolleys are equipped with lifts to accommodate passengers who are in wheelchairs, and trolley drivers can call for a special lift-equipped van when needed. $3 ticket price. Reservations are required. To make yours, call the Trolley Office at (865) 453-6444.
Winter Savings Fest
January 3 - 18, 2004
Ring in the new year with great savings at the outlet stores of Pigeon Forge. Spend $100 or more during Winter Savings Fest and you’ll take home a cuddly Winterfest teddy bear.
13th Annual Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival
February 5 - 7, 2004
Each year many of the nation's best-loved performers gather for storytelling concerts, Haunts 'N Haints Trolley Tales and workshops in a mountain setting that has inspired generations. Featured storytellers include Sheila Kay Adams, Jim Taylor, Steven James and many more. There is a weekend admission fee of $15 per person for ages 18 and older. Admission fee includes entry into all the concerts and workshops held each day in the Convention Center. Ages 17 and younger are admitted free. Haunts 'N Haints Trolley Tales are $3 per person, and will depart from the Grand Hotel Convention Center on Friday and Saturday nights.
4th Annual Saddle Up!
February 26-28, 2004
Watch as Pigeon Forge turns back the hands of time through Western music, poetry and culture to one of the country's most romantic eras. Enjoy multi-talented cowboy poets who bring the American West to life in story and song. Activities include a show and sale of western memorabilia, songwriter workshops, dances and a Cowboy Action Shooting competition. Saddle Up! features cowboy poet Baxter Black, western tunes with Wylie & The Wild West and many others.
For more information on the events of Winterfest, visit www.mypigeonforge.com.