Sunday, April 26, 2015

Synchronous Fireflies Event at Elkmont 2015

Synchronous Fireflies Event at Elkmont 

If you have never witnessed this special event it is a must see!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for the firefly viewing event in Elkmont. The ticketed event will take place from Tuesday, June 2 through Tuesday, June 9. The online ticketing system, operated through www.recreation.gov, will again provide visitors with guaranteed parking passes for Sugarlands Visitor Center where ticket-holders will park for reserved shuttle service to Elkmont.


Every year in late May or early June, thousands of visitors gather near the popular Elkmont Campground to observe the naturally occurring phenomenon of Photinus carolinus, a firefly species that flashes synchronously. Access to the viewing area during the 8-days of predicted peak activity is provided through a shuttle service beginning at Sugarlands Visitor Center. All visitors wishing to view the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont must have a parking pass.
 
The parking pass covers a maximum of 6 persons in a single passenger vehicle (less than 19 feet in length). Four passes for oversize vehicles, like a mini bus (19 to 30 feet in length and up to 24 persons), will also be available. Each reservation costs $1.50. Parking passes are non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one parking pass per household per season. 

The number of passes issued each day is based on the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot capacity. Passes will be issued with staggered arrival times in order to relieve congestion in the parking lot and for boarding the shuttles. The shuttle buses, which are provided in partnership with the city of Gatlinburg, will begin picking up visitors from the Sugarlands Visitor Center RV/bus parking area at 7:00 p.m.The cost will be $1.00 round trip per person, as in previous years, and collected when boarding the shuttle.   


The shuttle service is the only transportation mode for visitor access during this period, except for registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. Visitors are not allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road due to safety concerns. 

The parking passes will be available online for sale beginning at 10:00 a.m.on Thursday, April 30. The park will hold back 85 passes for each day to accommodate individuals who did not learn of the need to pre purchase tickets. These 85 passes will go on sale online at 10:00 a.m.the day before the event and will be available until 3:30 p.m.on the day of the event or until the passes are all reserved. 

You have to reserve early if you want to witness this amazing event! Call today to reserve your parking pass! You will be very happy you did! Hope to see you very soon!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Sevierville Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Festival Spring Kick Off 2015

  Friday May 15th from 5pm to 10pm
  Saturday, May 16th from 9am to 10pm 

 

Sevierville's Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass is a family oriented event celebrating the beauty of spring, championship barbeque and world class bluegrass music. Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass takes place during Smoky Mountain Springfest in historic downtown Sevierville, Tennessee. Our Barbeque Cook-Off is an official barbeque championship of the state of Tennessee and is coordinated by the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. 

Some of the highlights this year will be...
The legendary bluegrass Steep Canyon Rangers will be performing! 
 Festival Entertainment Schedule 2015
  • Friday, May 15, 2015
  • 5:00p.m. – Dixieghost
  • 6:00p.m. – Jimbo Whaley
  • 7:00p.m. – Darrell Webb Band
  • 8:00p.m. – Lonesome River Band

  • Saturday, May 16, 2015
  • Noon      – Fiddlin' Carson Peters
  • 1:00p.m. – Mountain Ruckus - presented by Dixie Stampede
  • 2:00p.m. – Johnny Staats & The Delivery Boys
  • 3:00p.m. – Flatt Lonesome
  • 4:00p.m. – Sierra Hull
  • 5:00p.m. – Johnny Staats & The Delivery Boys
  • 6:00p.m. – Flatt Lonesome
  • 7:00p.m. – Sierra Hull
  • 8:00p.m. – Steep Canyon Rangers

             HARD ROCK CAFE COMMUNITY STAGE

  • Friday, May 15
  • 5:00p.m. - Kevin Griffin
  • 6:40p.m. - Logan Murrell

  • Saturday, May 16
  • 11:00a.m. - TBA
  • 12:40p.m. - January Gray
  •   2:20p.m. - Kevin Griffin
  •   4:00p.m. - Logan Murrell
  •   6:00p.m. - The Reunited
Meet the 2014 Winners of the cook off! 
"Montley Que Crew"


To sum it all up there is so much delicious foot stomping fun going on this weekend you do not want to miss a minute of it! Come help Sevierville kick off Spring in this fun filled event!
We hope you can come join us! Call and reserve your room today for this special weekend event! You will be glad you did! As always we wish you were here!

Friday, April 10, 2015

Free Parkway Trolley in Gatlinburg


June 13 - August 15
Free Trolley Ride
Visitors to Gatlinburg have an additional means to explore the Parkway via this shuttle route which is free for the summer.
It will be even more convenient to travel through Gatlinburg when the City begins offering free Trolley service to patrons along the length of the Parkway. The free specially painted open-air shuttles will operate from 10 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily June 13 through August 15. Extra stops have been established along the special route to bring the number to 40 along Parkway. 
 50 miles of Trolley routes.
Approximately 800,000 patrons use Gatlinburg’s Trolleys annually, making it the fifth-largest Mass Transit System in the state. It originated in 1980 with only six Trolleys, but the fleet has grown to 20-plus Trolleys servicing approximately 50 miles of Trolley routes.
 
 

All Gatlinburg Trolleys are handicap accessible.

You can now hop aboard the Gatlinburg Trolleys all day long for just $2 a day with unlimited access to the Red, Blue, Purple, Yellow and Green Trolley routes. The $2 Pass is sold at City Welcome Centers as well as at City Hall and the Mass Transit Center, plus numerous Gatlinburg lodging facilities.



To watch a video about Gatlinburg’s Mass Transit System or view the current location of Trolleys, or for additional information,
visit www.gatlinburgtrolley.org Click on the GPS Trolley locator and a City map will appear pinpointing Trolleys in service. The box color indicates the Trolley route color.


 This is a fantastic addition Gatlinburg added a few years ago and it was such a big hit they continue to improve it!
Another reason to come visit Gatlinburg and the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains for your vacation destination!
 If you have never visited our beautiful area this is a great incentive to come see us very soon!