Winterfest in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is a great way to celebrate the season. The weather has started to cool down, the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Winterfest kickoff events have taken place and each of the cities in the area have turned on their Christmas lights for the season. When you visit Pigeon Forge this season, there’s a few things you just don’t want to miss, and we’ve got all the details:
1. Drive Around to Tour the Pigeon Forge Winterfest Lights
There’s dozens of light displays throughout the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas, and you can’t miss them when you’re out and about in the evening. We think one of the best ways to get a tour of all of the lights is to take an evening and drive up and down the Parkway. You can even stop along the way for some hot chocolate and turn on Christmas music in the car! It’s a great way to see the area and experience all of the beautiful light displays.
2. Ride the Gatlinburg Trolley Tour of Lights
If you decide you don’t want to drive around to tour the lights, you can take a ride on a Gatlinburg trolley. The Gatlinburg Winter Magic Trolley Tour of Lights is great for anyone who wants to sit back and enjoy the lights for an evening. When you take a ride on the trolley, your tour guide will tell you about all of the history behind the light displays and you’ll get an inside scoop on any lights you may not have seen while driving around by yourself.
3. Festival of Christmas Past
Do you want to step back in time this holiday season and see the history of Christmas past? You can do just that when you visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for their special event, Festival of Christmas Past. There will be lots of storytelling, music, crafts and children’s activities during the festival, so it’s great for anyone who wants to attend. To learn more about the festival, click here.
(See Related: Top 4 Fun Things to Do in Pigeon Forge at Christmas)
4. New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Pigeon Forge
Many people forget that the Pigeon Forge Winterfest events last throughout the new year! The lights stay lit through the end of February, so there’s still plenty of fun to be had after the Christmas holiday! Another great way to keep the Winterfest celebrations alive is to spend New Year’s 
Eve in Pigeon Forge!
Whether you choose to stay inside and celebrate the new year at one of the beautiful places to stay in Pigeon Forge or you decide to go out and celebrate, there’s plenty of fun things to do. You can expect many of the restaurants to stay open to celebrate, and a great place to stop by is The Island in Pigeon Forge. Each year, they put together a fun evening of things to do to kick off the new year. They will do a huge countdown, the restaurants will be open to serve food and the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel will be open for rides throughout the evening.
5. Saddle Up! in Pigeon Forge
The Saddle Up event in Pigeon Forge is a great way to enjoy a little bit of Western fun while you’re in the Smokies. You’ll get to listen to cowboys, hear great Western music concerts and get to taste some of the best home cooked Western foods. Even though it’s not a “Christmas event,” it’s still a fun way to celebrate Pigeon Forge Winterfest before the lights turn off for the season. You can click here to learn more about last year’s Saddle Up event.
For details on more of the Pigeon Forge Winterfest events, and other events that take place throughout the year, take a look at our Pigeon Forge events calendar.
The post 5 Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Winterfest Events You Won’t Want to Miss appeared first on Pigeon Forge, TN Official Chamber of Commerce | Things to Do in Pigeon Forge, Hotels, Restaurants and More.