Lace up your shoes and get ready for the 4th Annual Kickin’ Chicken 5K Run and Fun Walk on Saturday, September 3, 2016 at 8:00 a.m. at The Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge! Always a fantastic family event, the Kickin’ Chicken 5K Run and Fun Walk raises needed funds for the Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center. The Comedy Barn Theater invites everyone, locals and visitors, to join the fun for a great cause!
Winners in all age divisions will receive medals and there’s a $100 cash prize for the 100th Finisher! There’ll be great door prizes and a silent auction.
The race course is a single loop 5k beginning and ending at The Comedy Barn Theater. The route will take runner and walkers through The Island in Pigeon Forge and on the beautiful Pigeon Forge Riverwalk Greenway.
Pre-register online at www.runsignup.com. Registration cost for adults is $25 +$3 registration fee and $20 + $3 registration fee for kids age 17 and under. Onsite registration on race day will be from 6:30 – 7:45 a.m. and cost will be $30 for adults and $25 for kids 17 and under. Registration includes race t-shirt and snacks while supplies last. For more information, call The Comedy Barn at 865-428-5222.
Visit Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center to find out more about their important work for children in the communities of Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier Counties.
Barnstorming the Smokies with Sky High Air Tours! Go ahead and add this to your bucket list now! Enjoy an incredible bird’s eye view of the Great Smoky Mountains from the front seat of a vintage 1927 Waco Biplane. Climb aboard this lovingly restored, authentic aircraft and take a nostalgic flight with modern-day barnstormer and pilot, Marc Hightower.
During the golden days of aviation, the Waco Model 10 was the pinnacle of aviation technology. It was the first general aviation aircraft to be equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. Waco Airplanes were used for crop dusting and as mail planes.
As long as you are able to climb into the open-air cockpit, then the rest is a breeze, literally! You’ll love the feel of the wind in your hair and the sunshine on your face. Headsets are provided for comfort and communication during the flight. Leather helmets, goggles and silk scarves are available for fun and memorable photos!
Two can fly for the price of one! Bring a friend and double your pleasure on this romantically nostalgic adventure into the wild blue yonder.
Introductory Flight ($99 + tax)
This 6 to 8 minute flight takes your over Sevierville and makes a broad circle around the airport. Your flight is between 1,000 to 1,200 feet in elevation which offers amazing views of the area.
Adventure Flight ($150 + tax)
This 15 minute flight takes you a bit further to Pigeon Forge and surrounding foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The aerial view of Dollywood is quite amazing!
Barnstormer Flight ($275 + tax)
This 30 minute flight takes you over the beautiful French Broad River and Douglas Lake. From there you follow the route of the Adventure Flight down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.
Special Occasion and Sunset Tours are also available.
Call 865-742-2FLY (2359) for reservations! Learn more about Sky High Air Tours at www.SkyHighAirTours.com.
Sky High Air Tours is located at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport; which is actually located in Sevierville at 134 Air Museum Way, just off Dolly Parton Parkway.
Check out our video of HeySmokies’ flight with Pilot Marc Hightower and Sky High Air Tours!
Vow renewals are a popular way to celebrate your marriage and there’s not a more beautiful backdrop for the ceremony than the Great Smoky Mountains! It used to be that couples would celebrate such traditional milestones as a 25-year or 50-year anniversary. However, in today’s modern times couples choose to renew their vows at whatever stage of their marriage that best suits them, whether it’s 6 months, 6 years, 18 years, 36 years, or whenever. Renew your wedding vows in the romantic Great Smoky Mountains!
Really, the most important question asked in a vow renewal ceremony is, “Would you do it all over again?” It’s a rhetorical question of course, as the couple is already married. The vow renewal ceremony is a religious or secular ceremony, rather than a legal ceremony. However, it does offer the opportunity for reflection on one of the most important decisions a person ever makes – to marry that special person and spend your life with them.
Couples have many reasons for choosing to do a vow renewal ceremony:
The main one is to celebrate how happy they are in their marriage.
Sometimes, though, it is a chance to recommit after trouble in a marriage.
Sometimes it is a chance to reconnect after a long separation, especially when military spouses come home after a long deployment.
Another reason is that a couple may have just had a short civil ceremony when they first got married. Now they can have that church ceremony the wife always wanted.
It is also a way to celebrate with family since the Smokies are a popular family reunion vacation destination, especially if many in the family couldn’t come to your wedding.
A vow renewal is also a way to revisit happy memories if a couple married or honeymooned in the Smoky Mountains.
Best of all, a vow renewal is a chance to create new, happy memories together with the person you love most in your life. Now that you’ve experienced the joys and the challenges that life brings, you know how important the love and support of your spouse is. So the answer is, “Yes, we would do it all over again!”
The chapels, wedding venues, and ministers in the Great Smoky Mountains would be delighted to help you plan your vow renewal ceremony. They have ceremonies prepared for you, or you can add your own vows to share how your love has grown over the years. After all, a vow renewal ceremony is your celebration of your marriage! (It is recommended that you bring a copy of your marriage license with you to show to your minister to confirm that yes, you are already married.)
A drive through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park may not always result in a bear siting, but you can bet on spotting a stream side angler no matter what the season. Why is fly fishing so special in the Smokies? Why should you cast your cares away and give it a try? We’ve got the best info on how and why you should get out there and enjoy the “reel” experience of fly fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains. Fish on!
Ask any fisherman and he’ll tell you that a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work, right? That old adage especially rings true in the Great Smoky Mountains! The diverse landscape with its free-flowing mountain streams offer unique fishing opportunities from top to bottom. The large, cool-water streams of the Park’s lower elevations are known for their native smallmouth bass populations while the Park’s remote, higher elevation streams are where you’ll find wild mountain trout.
“Though once an activity relegated to upper class old men, fly fishing is gaining an increasing popularity with a younger, and more diverse, audience.” says James Joiner in a recent article he authored in The Daily Beast.
What is the lure of fly fishing? For most lovers of the sport, it’s the opportunity to get outside and immerse oneself in nature. Many fly fishermen, and fisherwomen, attest to the singular focus and relaxation found in the rhythms of the water and presentation of each cast. It’s easy to learn the basics of fly fishing; however it can take years of practice to perfect your technique. As most anglers know, catching a fish is usually a bonus!
What makes fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains so special? Being one of the most biologically diverse places on planet earth, a large amount and variety of aquatic insects live in the streams with hatches occurring year-round. The proper equipment used at the right time of year can make for a pleasant fishing outing during any season. A visit to a local fly fishing shop can guide you on what insects are currently hatching – remember, you gotta match the hatch for success!
How to get started fly fishing in the Smokies? There are a few things to know before heading out on a fishing excursion in the Great Smoky Mountains. A Tennessee Fishing License or North Carolina Fishing License is required for all persons 16 age years or older. Either state license is valid throughout the Park. A special permit is also required for fishing in Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC. Licenses are available online and at retail outlets in nearby towns. It’s also important to know there are limits and restrictions on how much you can catch, the size of the fish, and even the lures that you use. That’s why HeySmokies recommends a first-stop at one of our local fly fishing outfitters – they can hook you up with the easiest way fully enjoy the experience!
HeySmokies recently asked The Smoky Mountain Angler, Gatlinburg’s oldest fly fishing outfitter, to help us get started learning the ropes of fly fishing. As you can see here, they are great guides and will take away any apprehension you may have about trying the sport. To prepare for a guided excursion, all you really need is to wear neutral color clothing (no bright colors that will spook the fish; greens and browns/tans are excellent choices) and a pair of good, polarized sunglasses to cut through the water’s glare. Your guides have rental equipment to take care of the rest!
Thanks again to The Smoky Mountain Angler for a great afternoon! You can visit some more of our fishing friends at HeySmokiesFishing.com. Book your Smoky Mountain fly fishing experience today! Fish on!
Just announced! The area’s first ever microbrew festival! The inaugural Bruce Street Brewfest will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2016 in beautiful downtown Sevierville. The event will be held at the Sevierville Commons at 138 Bruce Street from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Over 30 professional and home brewers will be there along with live music and good eats! Stay tuned as we’ll keep you updated as we get more details!
The Bruce Street Brewfest is for guests 21 years of age and older. General admission tickets are $40 per person with tickets for designated drivers priced at $25 per person. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. Be sure to check out Bruce Street Brewfest on Facebook!
The Bruce Street Brewfest is sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Home Brewers and the Sevierville Commons Association. Proceeds from the event will go to various charities in the local community.
The Sevierville Commons Association is a non-profit community organization that has worked diligently over the past few years to bring life and culture to the unique area of downtown Sevierville. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the Sevierville Commons Farmers Market on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
