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Special guest Paula Deen, best-selling cookbook author and restaurant proprietress, makes a first-time parade appearance. The “queen of Southern cuisine,” Deen opened her Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in April 2015 at The Island, a retail, dining, lodging and entertainment complex in Pigeon Forge. Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud show, part of Lumberjack Square along with Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud Adventure, is a new addition to Pigeon Forge this year.

“Pigeon Forge’s Music in the Mountains spring parade is such a fun event and a great way to kick off the city’s tourism season,” Ripken said. “I am thrilled and honored to be a part of the celebration again this year. Pigeon Forge is a wonderful city and a great friend and partner to me and everyone at Ripken Baseball.”

“In recent years, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Paula Deen have become familiar faces in Pigeon Forge,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster. “What a treat for our parade audience to get to enjoy both of them at this year’s Music in the Mountains spring parade.”

The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge, a $22.5 million youth baseball facility, features six turf fields. Since opening, more than 2,100 youth baseball teams and 150 high school softball teams have taken the fields for competition in 80 events. In total, more than 33,500 players and coaches have traveled to play ball on fields that offer unobstructed views of the Great Smoky Mountains, with an additional 1,000 teams expected to travel to the complex for competition this year.

Deen is the author of 18 cookbooks that have sold more than 11 million copies. Since 2015, she has opened eight new restaurants, including Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fairview and San Antonio, Texas; Destin and Panama City Beach, Florida; Paula Deen’s The Bag Lady in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Paula Deen’s Creek House in Savannah, Georgia

The music-filled parade features entries from the eastern U.S., including the California High School Trojan marching band from Coal Center, Pennsylvania, the Star Strutters twirling group from Cincinnati, XQuisite Twirl ‘n’ Dance group from Canvas, W.V., and the Lee County Twirlers & Tumblers from Jonesville, Virginia.

Parade attendees also will enjoy five larger-than-life-sized cold-air balloons. Four depict popular children’s characters, including Buddy the Dino, Pajaminals, Daniel the Tiger and Yogi Bear.

In keeping with the Music in the Mountains parade theme, free bluegrass entertainment will be featured throughout the city on Friday and Saturday—with a few memory-making surprise performances that are sure to draw a crowd. The Ole Smoky Moonshine stage at The Island will offer free concerts throughout the day on Friday (May 3) and Saturday (May 4). On Saturday, Lost Mill String Band will perform near the trolley station at Patriot Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mike & Kathy Gwinn will make random appearances on the city’s trolleys from 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday. All performances are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The Music in the Mountains spring parade begins just past traffic light 6 on the Pigeon Forge Parkway and travels north to traffic light 3.

To register for Pigeon Forge’s Music in the Mountains Spring Parade or for more information, please visit MyPigeonForge.com/parade.

About Cal Ripken, Jr.
Known as baseball’s “Iron Man” for playing in a world-record 2,632 consecutive games, Ripken spent 21 seasons in the major leagues and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. Since his retirement, Ripken uses the platform that baseball has provided him to help grow the game through Ripken Baseball and its youth complexes located in Maryland, South Carolina and Tennessee, while placing a strong focus on giving back to underserved communities through the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Cal Ripken, Jr. image available here.

About Paula Deen
Paula Deen has sold over 11 million copies of her 18 cookbooks. The Lady & Sons, the Savannah, Georgia, restaurant Paula founded with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, remains one of the country’s most popular regional restaurants. Launched in 2012, Paula’s non-profit, Paula Deen’s The Bag Lady Foundation, works tirelessly towards their mission to improve the well-being, health, and independence of women, children and families by focusing on nourishment and nurturing. In 2015, Paula premiered her first show on EVINE, an at-home shopping network, and competed in the twenty-first season of ABC’s hit show “Dancing with the Stars.” Her 2017 cookbook, At the Southern Table with Paula Deen, features 150 classic recipes and debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases for Cookbooks. She recently launched her new syndicated lifestyle show, Positively Paula, as well as a brand-new website. To learn more about Paula, visit PaulaDeen.com.

About Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is located in East Tennessee, approximately 35 miles from Knoxville and McGhee-Tyson Airport. Two-thirds of the nation’s population east of the Mississippi River lives within a day’s drive, making it an easily accessible family vacation destination. The city’s neighbor is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the U.S. It also is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, Tennessee’s most-visited ticketed attraction. More information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge are available at MyPigeonForge.com or toll-free at 800-251-9100.

Media Contact:
Trish McGee
615-327-1189

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