Pigeon
Forge, TN – November 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / Pigeon Forge’s
first day of the four-month-long Smoky Mountain Winterfest coincides with
Veterans Day this year, and Pigeon
Forge will celebrate Nov. 11 in a grand way. This is the 25th anniversary
of Winterfest.
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The
city will start with its Salute to Veterans Parade honoring all military
veterans and will follow that with a ceremony to illuminate more than 5
million Winterfest lights. New this year are major light displays on two
bridges over the Little Pigeon River.
The Salute to Veterans Parade
begins at 4:30 p.m. Thirty-one parade units will travel from Jehu Street
near Traffic Light 10 north on the Parkway to Old Mill Avenue at Traffic
Light 7.
World War II Navy veteran
Ed Taylor, 93, will be the parade’s grand marshal. He is one of Sevier
County’s oldest veterans.
A Boy Scout color guard will
help lead the parade that will include military vehicles, floats from various
Pigeon Forge businesses, police vehicles and fire trucks. Participating
organizations include the VFW, the American Legion, the DAV, the Marine
Corps League, the Sub Vets, the Red Cross and the Tennessee National Guard.
At approximately 5:30 p.m.,
a brief ceremony at the bridge on Old Mill Avenue will be the occasion
to flip a switch to turn on massive Winterfest light displays throughout
Pigeon Forge. The displays will brighten each night until Feb. 28.
Pigeon Forge’s annual Trolley
Tour of Lights begins after the illumination. Rides that night are free.
Afterwards, the narrated tours are $5 through Jan. 9.
Winterfest activities fill
the calendar through February. They include Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain
Christmas (Nov. 8-Jan. 3), holiday shows at most Pigeon Forge theaters,
Wilderness
Wildlife Week (Jan. 24-31) and Saddle
Up (Feb. 18-22). Wilderness Wildlife Week celebrates Great Smoky Mountains
National Park and various outdoor activities, and Saddle Up is five days
of western music, cowboy poetry and the American West.
Parade parking will be at
Patriot Park and the city’s municipal lot on Teaster Lane. There will be
free shuttle service from the municipal lot to Patriot Park.
Information about all aspects
of visiting Pigeon Forge is available at MyPigeonForge.com
or by calling toll-free 800-251-9100.
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Media Contact:
Tom
Adkinson, APR
for Pigeon Forge Department
of Tourism
615-341-8796 |