Pigeon Forge Winterfest (Nov. 6 – Feb. 26)

Information on Pigeon Forge’s most popular winter event. The Pigeon Forge Winterfest is a celebration of winter in the smoky mountains featuring lights, displays, special events, and more in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Pigeon Forge Winterfest in Pigeon Forge TennesseeThe autumn season is an incredible time of year to visit the Smoky Mountains with all of the fall events in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee taking place. The sights, sounds, smells, etc are so unique to this season that just a glimpse provides a wonderful look into the world of Appalachian life. As fall turns into winter, though, many visitors wonder what there is to do in the Great Smoky Mountains, especially Pigeon Forge. Well, look no further than Pigeon Forge’s Winterfest!

This incredible event in Pigeon Forge has received honors from the American Bus Association as being one of the top events in the entire country! You don’t have to take a bus to see why this is an incredible event, though. Just pack up the car and bring the family to Pigeon Forge, TN for the weekend, week, or even month! You’ll soon see why the Pigeon Forge Winterfest is the time to be in the Smokies during the holidays.

As you enter Pigeon Forge, you’ll see light displays from one end of town to the other. The lights throughout the town sparked an idea in the mid-80’s when a couple of city officials visited a town in Virginia that featured light displays that drew in thousands of visitors toward the end of the year. They brought the idea to Pigeon Forge and implemented Winterfest and a program to add more lights each year. What started out as a few thousand lights as grown to over 5 million lights today! The displays seem to get bigger, more detailed, and more awe-inspiring each and every year. The lights are so fascinating that they actually have trolley tours so that people do not have to worry about keeping their eyes on the road! It’s simply an experience that you won’t find hardly anywhere else.

Along with the enormous display of lights, there are also numerous events and festivities taking place in Pigeon Forge, TN throughout the winter. Winterfest officially kicks off this year on November 8 with a ceremony that has traditionally been held at Patriot Park There are numerous events in Pigeon Forge throughout the winter such as Wilderness Wildlife Week, Saddle Up, Cowboy Symphony, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival, New Year’s Eve Celebrations, AppalachiaFest, and many more! Be sure to check out our Pigeon Forge Calendar of Events for more information.

So let’s hear from you! What is your favorite thing to do in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, Tennessee during the winter? Scroll on down this page and post your thoughts in the section below.