pigeon forge insider, Author at Inside Pigeon Forge TN

Stringtime in the Smokies – Bluegrass Festival

Complete concert schedule and list of performers with links to official websites and contact information to participate in one of the best bluegrass events in Pigeon Forge, TN – Stringtime in the Smokies!

If you love good ole’ bluegrass music and southern hospitality, then make plans to come to Pigeon Forge, TN August 3 for Stringtime in the Smokies at The Old Mill Square (at Patriot Park – traffic light #7 in Pigeon Forge). The event will be all day Saturday and will feature many great artists. There will also be “jam sessions” after 7:00 pm, so be sure to bring your instruments if you like to pick!

Also, sign up for Saturday’s Old Mill Square Smoky Mountain Cornhole Tournament in memory of Sergeant Brett Benton (co-sponsored with WDVX) followed by an evening of bluegrass performances.

Best of all…the entire event is FREE and completely family friendly, so bring the kids, grandkids, parents, great-grandparents, etc!

Bluegrass Schedule for Stringtime in the Smokies in Pigeon Forge:

Saturday
Smoky Mountain Cornhole Tournament in memory of Sergeant Brett Benton
11:00am
Presented by The Old Mill and Co-Sponsored by WDVX

Competitive Cornhole Teams
(Open Division)
Pre-Registration fee $50 prior to July 19th
$60 after with registration ending Aug. 1 at 8pm
(teams of 2)

Amateur Cornhole Teams
Pre-Registration will be $30 prior to July 19th
$40 after with registration ending Aug. 1 at 8pm
(teams of 2)

Evening Blue Grass Performances:

Grassroots Gringos
6pm

Richard Bennett & Wyatt Rice
7pm

Robinella
8pm

For more StringTime 2011 bluegrass festival in Pigeon Forge, TN information, visit the Pigeon Forge Special Events website or call 865-429-7350.

2013 Tax Free Weekend in Tennessee

Information about the 2012 Tax Free Weekend in Tennessee. Find what what you can buy and how much you can spend per item and not pay taxes on your purchases! We also show you were to find coupons for Pigeon Forge to save even more money!

The 2013 Tax Free Weekend in Tennessee takes place on the first Friday of August (Aug. 2) starting at 12:01 a.m. that Friday and lasts until 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday night. This is a perfect time to visit Pigeon Forge, TN if you love to shop! Pigeon Forge has a ton of great outlet malls and stores to choose from. The most popular mall in the area is arguably Five Oaks Mall in Sevierville, TN. Five Oaks has plenty of great stores such as:

Nike
J.Crew
Old Navy
Gap
Banana Republic
Carter’s
Children’s Place
Polo Ralph Lauren
Strasburg Children
Hartstrings
Bath & Body Works
Disney
Adidas
and so much more!

There are numerous items that you can purchase and not have to pay taxes on. According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, here are the following guidelines for what can be purchased tax-free:

Clothing – $100 or less per item
School & Art Supplies – $100 or less per item
Computers – $1,500 per bundled package

If you have questions about the tax free weekend in Tennessee, you can call (800) 342-1003 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and they can help you understand what can be bought and how much can be spent in order to not have to pay taxes on it.

What’s better than not having to pay taxes on your purchases? Well….not much…but coupons help out!!! Be sure to visit our coupons for Pigeon Forge page to find the best discounts and Pigeon Forge coupons for your shopping spree…you can also save money on food, entertainment, and accommodations with our list of coupons!

You can also visit the Sales Tax Holiday Web site at www.tntaxholiday.com to learn more about the weekend’s exempt items.

Enjoy your 2013 tax free weekend of shopping in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee August 2-4!

Christmas in July

If there’s one thing The Inn at Christmas Place knows besides Christmas, it’s how to throw a party, or a big event. As they’ve done in the past, The Inn is putting on their annual Christmas in July event, and this year, it’s packed with Christmas goodies that you won’t find anywhere else in the Smokies this time of year.

It’s Christmas 24/7 at the Inn at Christmas Place as those of you who have stayed there or passed by a time or two know! From the staff to the decorations and decor to the Inn’s menu and just the overall feel, the holiday spirit is never lacking here.

This is the perfect time to start getting some of that early Christmas shopping done as well. Maybe you’re looking for some new Christmas lights to replace your old ones, a new wreath, some ornaments or the latest in holiday music? You’ll find it all here during Christmas in July at The Inn at Christmas Place. Special sections for jewelry, apparel, as well as clearance items highlight the event. We’re talking about everything from a Smoky The Bear ornament to Christmas floral arrangements. Anything you need to make you Christmas one to remember.

For anyone that has booked a stay at the Inn during July, all 31 days of the month will include exciting daily activities and live music in the evenings. Starting at 9am, the lobby will be filled with Christmas characters greeting visitors including the one and only Santa Claus!

During the afternoons from 1-3pm, stop by and participate in a wide variety of holiday classes from bow-tying, to decorating tips, gingerbread houses, cookie decorating and many more. In the evenings, bands and entertainers such as Boogertown Gap, Pea Pickin’ Hears, Hills & Hollow Story Telling and more will be performing in the lower lobby.

Other activities include marshmallow roasting, kid’s crafts, free sno-cones and a Christmas costume parade.

For a full calendar of events, please visit: http://www.innatchristmasplace.com/christmas_in_july.cfm

Bandmaster’s Violin On Display at Titanic Museum

The violin on which Titanic bandmaster Wallace Hartley reportedly played “Nearer, My God to Thee” as the ocean liner sank April 15, 1912, is currently on exhibit at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge.

The violin will be on display from May 22-July 27, then it will be taken to the Titanic sister museum in Branson, Mo., for show Aug. 1-15.

On Oct. 19 the British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son will put the instrument, which was discovered seven years ago in an English attic, on the auction block. It’s expected to fetch a six-figure price from the winning bidder.

Hartley was one of the 1,517 people who died when the Titanic sank. Survivors recalled him leading musicians in performing on the ship deck as passengers boarded lifeboats in the North Atlantic.

Hartley’s body was found 10 days after the ship sank. The violin was not listed in an inventory of belongings found with the musician. But three newspaper accounts reported his body was found with his violin’s case strapped to his chest.

Aldridge and Son spent seven years having experts examine the instrument and working to trace its history. Their research shows the violin was mailed in July 1912 to Hartley’s fiancé Maria Robinson. While some people interested in the Titanic have disputed that the violin could have survived the watery tragedy, other experts vouch for its authenticity. Among the pieces studied on the violin is a silver plate engraved with the words “For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement from Maria.” Robinson gave Hartley a violin in 1910.

When Robinson died in 1939 her sister gave the violin to the Salvation Army to use. The organization’s commander then gave the violin to a musician who deemed it virtually unplayable. That teacher gave the violin to a student in the early 1940s. The descendant of that student is the instrument’s current owner. He discovered the violin in his mother’s attic in 2006.

A portion from ticket sales while the violin is shown at Pigeon Forge and Branson goes to Strings Crossings. Belmont University’s School of Music hosts the summer camp for eighth- through 12-grade violin, viola, cello and bass students.

Shaped like the doomed ocean liner’s forward half, the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge opened in 2010. Its interior includes re-created sections of the ship and hundreds of artifacts.

Dollywood’s Great American Summer

It’s going to be a Great American Summer at Dollywood! Well, isn’t it always? In reality it is, but this happens to be a certain new initiative in which Dollywood’s operating hours are extended daily to 10 pm.

Start the day out with a live performance of the Star Spangled Banner and end it with a spectacular fireworks show titled, Dolly’s Nights of Many Colors. Dollywood’s rides come alive like never before! Its Wild Eagle, Thunderhead, Mystery Mine, and Tennessee Tornado under the moonlight.

Dollywood has been providing families with a great Smoky Mountain experience since 1986 when it took over the former Silver Dollar City. Dolly’s core values are reflected in the theme that bares her name, values that include faith, family, and fun.

Speaking of fun, there will be plenty of it to go around this summer. It all starts with the park’s newest attraction, River Rush, located at Dolly’s Splash Country right next door.

As for Dollywood theme park, shows like “My People: Dolly’s Letter Home” headline the new attractions at the park. If you come from a musical family, you’ll enjoy this show, which includes several members of her family. “My People: Dolly’s Letter Home” is scheduled to opens in early May. Elsewhere on the new show bill, “The Great American Country Show” opens around the same time.

Dollywood’s emphasis on live entertainment has earned plaudits — including, for the past four years, Golden Ticket Awards for Best Shows. Golden Ticket Awards are presented by the trade publication Amusement Today, which last year gave Dollywood top honors for Friendliest Park, Best Food and Best Christmas Event. The park likewise earned a Best New Ride nod for its Wild Eagle roller coaster.

Parton’s music also will be featured in “Dolly’s Nights of Many Colors,” a nightly fireworks display. Along with expanded park hours, the show is part of Dollywood’s new Great American Summer promotion, which runs June 22-Aug. 4.