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Pigeon Forge Winterfest Kickoff
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During Winterfest, Pigeon Forge is draped in more than 6 million holiday lights, creating a winter wonderland for locals and guests alike to enjoy during the city’s annual Winterfest celebration. The lights of Winterfest shine from November 9, 2023 until February 18, 2024.
Winterfest Kickoff and Salute to Our Veterans
On the eve of Veterans Day, a music-filled veterans tribute, featuring a performance by the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) U.S. Army Band, will kickoff Pigeon Forge’s annual Smoky Mountain Winterfest celebration on Nov. 9. Veterans of all branches of the U.S. armed services are invited and encouraged to attend.
Winterfest kickoff events take place in the city’s Patriot Park (186 Old Mill Ave.) and begin at 3 p.m. with a veterans tribute and concerts by the local high school choruses. The Veterans Military Honor Guard of Pigeon Forge will present the colors in honor of each U.S. military branch.
The 101st Airborne (Air Assault) U.S. Army Band, an active-duty U.S. Army band stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, takes the stage at 6:15 p.m. for a free 45-minute tribute concert. Specializing in horn-driven funk and dance music, the band performs at formal events, festivals, and concert venues for service members and the public.
The Pigeon Forge Winterfest kickoff event concludes with the activation of six million lights throughout the city followed by a show-stopping fireworks display. All Winterfest kickoff event entertainment is free. Free parking is available in the city’s Municipal and Mountain parking lots located just off Teaster Lane. A variety of food trucks will offer guests dining options for purchase throughout the event.
*Schedule subject to change
3:00 – PFHS Chorus
3:45 – GP Highlanderettes
4:30 – SCHS
5:15 – Seymour High School
6:00 – Presentation of Colors
6: 15 – 101st Army Band
7:00 – Fireworks
Wonders of Light Christmas Village
Open on select days in November, admission is free to explore more than 35 booths featuring artisans and crafters selling a variety of seasonal and gift items. The Wonders of Light Christmas Village is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 9-12 and Nov. 17-25 (opens at 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day).
Winterfest Wonders of Light Walking Trail
Pigeon Forge Winterfest is bigger and brighter with the Wonders of Light walking trail! See larger-than-life nature-themed outdoor lights displays along the city’s Riverwalk nature trail from November 9, 2023 through February 18, 2024.
The Wonders of Light walking trail, which opened in 2022, reveals five new light displays this year. Joining the trail are a fun fly fisherman with leaping trout, a span of woodland creatures, additional fireflies, and a 90-foot-wide section of colorful wildflowers, butterflies, flowers and mushrooms. Six deciduous trees will be illuminated, too, increasing the walkway’s glow power. The returning 52-foot-long caterpillar is joined by large-scale inchworms, ladybugs, and mushrooms amid blades of grass, expanding this single display’s width to 90 feet.
Learn more about the Winterfest Wonders of Light Walking Trail.