Nearby Fun at the Grainger County Tomato Festival July 29-31, 2016! Don’t Miss the Famous Tomato Wars!
If you’re in the Great Smoky Mountains July 29-31, 2016, you’ll want to head over to nearby Rutledge, TN for the 24th Annual Grainger County Tomato Festival and the Famous Tomato Wars! Grainger County tomatoes are well-loved by the locals for their superior sweet, tart flavor and homegrown texture. This fun festival pays homage to the fabulous fruit that we eat like a veggie! The tomatoes from Grainger County, TN have been compared to be the equivalent of the famous onions from Vidalia, Georgia!
At the Grainger County Tomato Festival in Rutledge, TN, not only can you load up your basket with the tastiest tomatoes in the Smoky Mountain region, you’ll also enjoy fresh peaches, wonderful peppers of all kinds, peas, beans, potatoes, onions, beets, berries and more! There’s fried green tomatoes, burgers and sausages, and then the homemade ice cream…oh so good! Go hungry and ready for some good fun in rural East Tennessee!
What Makes Grainger County Tomatoes So Delicious?
It’s the limestone soil that’s mainly responsible for the distinctive and delicious flavor of Grainger County Tomatoes. While the farmers of Grainger County do supply the nation with a superior shipping tomato grown in the county’s 600+ greenhouses, the locals can enjoy the vine-ripened garden varieties also grown by the farmers on approximately 500 acres in Grainger County. The Grainger County Tomato Festival is your opportunity to get the freshest tomatoes and produce that Grainger County farmers have to offer!
Free Admission & Free Parking! And there’s even a Festival Street Dance on Thursday, July 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the grounds of Rutledge Middle School. On Friday at 6:30 pm, be sure to see the 10th Annual Grainger County Opry featuring several bluegrass and gospel music performers from around the region.
Friday, July 29, 2016
12:00 pm – Festival Opens: Living History and Agricultural Show of Antique Tractors
6:30 pm – 10th Annual Grainger County Opry
8:00 pm – Festival Closes for the Day
Saturday, July 30, 2016
7:30 am – Mater Madness 5K Run
9:00 am – Festival Opens: Art & Authors Show and Children’s Activities
9:00 am – Main Stage: The Mason Dixon Boys
10:00 am – The Famous Tomato Festival Wars (behind the Vo-Tech Building)
10:15 am – Reggie Coleman (Main Stage)
11:30 am – The Matthew Hickey Band (Main Stage)
1:30 pm – Shotgun Railroad (Main Stage)
2:15 pm – Mary Kutter (Main Stage)
3:30 pm – Dan Deel (Main Stage)
4:00 pm – Icy Holler and Primitive Quartet (School Gymnasium)
5:00 pm – Wild Blue Yonder (Main Stage)
7:00 pm – Festival Closes for the Day
7:30 pm – Kentucky Headhunters (Football Field – Gates open at 5:30 pm)
Synchronous Fireflies Great Smoky Mountains June 2018
Synchronous Fireflies Great Smoky Mountains June 2018. It’s never to early to start making plans to see the Synchronous Fireflies (and the Blue Ghost Fireflies) that will light up the night sky in late May and early June 2018 in the Great Smoky Mountains. Firefly viewing in the Smokies has become such a popular event that there are now several venues available to enjoy the spectacular shows
The Synchronous Firefly (Photinus carolinus) and the Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) are two species that are found only in the Southern Appalachian Mountains which include the Great Smokies. And during the short mating season in late May and early June, both firefly species put on quite a show to behold! The male Synchronous Fireflies flash their little green-yellow bioluminescent lanterns in unison for about 6-8 blinks and then they go dark for a few seconds creating a sublime wave of light throughout the forest. The male Blue Ghost Fireflies don’t flash their blue-white lanterns, instead they glow continuously just a few inches above the ground. The ethereal experience of either nighttime show should be on everyone’s bucket list! National Park scientists mostly use air and soil temperatures to predict the timing of each year’s mating season.
Synchronous Fireflies with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
One of the most popular places to view the Synchronous Fireflies is in Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This event has become so popular that a free lottery system was instituted this year for the $1.50 parking passes for the eight-day shuttle period to Elkmont. During this time of peak viewing, Elkmont is closed at nighttime with the exception of shuttle users and campers in Elkmont Campground. Dates for the 2018 Lottery and Elkmont Shuttle will be announced sometime in April 2018. HeySmokies will keep you updated, so be sure to check back with us. We’ll provide you all the details of what you need to know to register for the lottery. For more information in the meantime, visit Recreation.gov.
Synchronous Fireflies with Discover Life in America in Gatlinburg, TN
For a few nights during peak firefly viewing time, Discover Life in America hosts a fundraising event featuring nightly presentations and field walks at the Norton Creek Sanctuary near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Tickets for the event are $100 each and the event is geared toward persons ages 10 and older. For reservations for this exclusive event, call Discover Life in America at 865-430-4757 or email todd@dlia.org.
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner to Rock Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in September!
Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center in North Carolina will host rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner in September 2016! Check out these fantastic shows and other great entertainers at the resort’s amazing 3,000-seat event center. All guests must be at least 21 years of age and have valid identification.
JAMEY JOHNSON
Saturday, August 27, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Raised in Montgomery, Alabama Johnson gained recognition for his debut album and single “The Dollar” in 2006. His hits continued with the release of his follow-up gold certified album “That Lonesome Song.” Johnson’s collaborations with country legends Trace Adkins and George Strait round out a musical library that must be heard. Tickets $10.00 – $35.00 per person.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
Saturday, September 3, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
This southern rock band returns to Harrah’s Resort and it’s sure to sell out fast. Keeping it real since the 1970’s with legendary hits “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Free Bird,” and more this show must not be missed. Tickets are $25.00 – $75.00 per person.
FOREIGNER
Saturday, September 17, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of their self-titled, debut album Foreigner. Hits like “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice” and “Long Long Way From Home” were followed with ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits. Tickets are $30.00 – $55.00.
GOVERNMENT MULE with BLACKBERRY SMOKE
Friday, September 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Government Mule celebrates 20 years together the Smokin’ Mule 2016 Summer Tour! And with very special guests Blackberry Smoke, this performance proves to be another epic one! Tickets are $24.00 – $44.00 per person.
3 DOORS DOWN
Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 7:00 pm
These Mississipian rockers rose to international fame with their debut single “Kryptonite.” Their album The Better Life was certified platinum six times. For sixteen years since their meteoric rise they have continued to rock our world! Tickets are $20.00 – $35.00 per person.
To purchase tickets for any of these events, visit Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Events Center. For questions, call the box office at 828-497-8899.
INSIDER TRAVEL TIP: Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Hotel is pet-friendly. They even have a special PetStay Luxury Room for up to two of your four-legged family members of the canine persuasion.
Top 5 Waterfall Hikes in the Smokies! Beat the Heat and Hike to a Smoky Mountain Waterfall!
Beat the heat this summer and take a hike to a refreshing Smoky Mountain waterfall! The abundant streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are the lifeblood of this International Biosphere Reserve and the waterfalls found within are some of the most extraordinary hiking destinations year-round. When the heat of summer is upon us, there is no better place to be than enjoying a cool, misty breeze near a lush waterfall in the Smokies! We’ve got the Top 5 Waterfall Hikes in the Smokies for you!
The fine mist is so refreshing that after only a few moments you may be ready to step back into the sunlight and warm up a bit. Along the trails to the waterfalls there are often quiet, sun-dappled pools in the streams that are perfect for soaking your hiking feet. It is unsafe to swim beneath the waterfalls; just standing near one is really all you need to do to cool down.
Here are a few of our top waterfall hikes in the Smokies when the weather is warm and we’re looking for a favorite place to chill! You’ll find some of the Top 5 Waterfall Hikes are just a short walk from your vehicle, while others offer more time to explore the beautiful summertime scenery. No matter what section of the National Park you’re visiting, you’re sure to find a wondrous waterfall!
CHEROKEE / OCONALUFTEE
#1 Mingo Falls
Mingo Falls is actually located on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee Indian Reservation) and is considered an easy hike at 0.4 miles in length but don’t let that fool you. There are over 200 steps to climb to reach the base of the falls but it is well worth it. Mingo Falls is one of the tallest in the region at 120 feet high and the cooling mist that swirls around its base makes all that “stair mastering” a distant memory.
To reach the Mingo Falls trailhead travel south from Oconaluftee Visitor Center on US-441 toward Cherokee and turn left on Big Cove Road. Turn left at the first stop sign and drive 4.5 miles to the Mingo Falls Campground and the trailhead. No special permits are required for access to the reservation.
CADES COVE
#2 Abrams Falls
Abrams Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with most hikers reaching it via the Abrams Falls Trail in Cades Cove. From here the hike is 2.5 miles one-way and is considered moderate in difficulty. HeySmokies recommends sturdy footwear (not flip flops) to traverse the rocky terrain encountered on the trail. (For more info on suggested hiking essentials visit our 10 Essentials for Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains)
Abrams Falls is a mere 20 feet high but the volume of water funneling through earns it the unofficial moniker of the “Little Niagara of the Smokies.” The inviting pool beneath the falls can be deadly; swimmers have drowned here due to strong undercurrents and an undertow. Don’t be the next victim, enjoy the falls and its cooling mist from a safe distance. Abrams Falls is named for Cherokee Chief Abram who once lived a few miles below the falls near Abrams Creek Campground.
