Destinations › Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Dollywood, Cades Cove, Christmas lights and the national park gateway towns.

17 upcoming events in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on our checked calendar, next up: Gatlinburg Veterans Day Ceremony (Nov 11); Gatlinburg Winter Festival & Chili Cookoff (Nov 12); Winterfest Christmas Village (Pigeon Forge) (Nov 13).
This list is rebuilt from our Tennessee events dataset (calendar last re-checked Nov 2, 2026). Every date and price was read on the organizer’s own page; “See event page” means the organizer does not publish one. Plans change, so check the organizer’s page before you drive.
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge This Weekend (Nov 6-8, 2026)
No one-off events on our Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge calendar this weekend. See everything on this weekend in Tennessee.
Upcoming Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Events
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatlinburg Veterans Day Ceremony | Wed, Nov 11 (11:00 AM-12:00 PM) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | Free |
| Gatlinburg Winter Festival & Chili Cookoff | Thu, Nov 12 (5:00-9:00 PM) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | Free; optional VIP Experience (price not on page) |
| Winterfest Christmas Village (Pigeon Forge) | Nov 13-28 (Open Nov 13-15 and Nov 20-28; see the organizer page for venue rules) | Pigeon Forge · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Candy Canes & Cocktails (21+) | Tue, Nov 24 (6:00-9:00 PM) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | $50 per person |
| Gatlinburg's Festival of Trees (53rd) | Nov 25-29 (Daily 10 AM-7 PM) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | Free |
| Christmas at the Courthouse (Sevierville) | Thu, Dec 3 (5:30-8:30 PM) | Sevierville · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Christmas in the Village (Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center) | Dec 4-5 (Tickets on sale 5:30-7 PM; viewing ends 8 PM) | Townsend · Smoky Mountains | Tickets required; see the organizer page for venue rules |
| Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade (Gatlinburg) | Fri, Dec 4 (7:30-9:00 PM) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | Free; Grandstand VIP seating $50 per person (seating from 5:30 PM) |
| 64th Sevierville Christmas Parade | Sat, Dec 5 (11 AM; about 30 minutes past any viewing point) | Sevierville · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Gatlinburg Christmas Concert: Tiffany and Matthew & Gunnar Nelson | Sat, Dec 5 (8:00-10:00 PM) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | Reserved seating $30; premium reserved $40 (page header also shows $31.65-$41.95) |
| Townsend Christmas Parade | Sun, Dec 6 (Time TBA) | Townsend · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Gatlinburg New Year's Eve Celebration and Ball Drop | Thu, Dec 31 (9:30 PM; drone show about 11:50 PM; ball drop at midnight) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | Free |
| Wilderness Wildlife Week | Jan 4-7 | Pigeon Forge · Smoky Mountains | Free and open to the public |
Running for Weeks in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Not checked for each date: these run for weeks, and some open only on certain days or nights.
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatlinburg Winter Magic (holiday lights) Our guide | Nov 5-Feb 15, 2027 (Recurring daily; hours not published) | Gatlinburg · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Dollywood Smoky Mountain Christmas Our guide | Nov 6-Jan 3, 2027 | Pigeon Forge · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Pigeon Forge Winterfest Our guide | Nov 6-Jan 31, 2027 (Nightly lights; see the organizer page for venue rules) | Pigeon Forge · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Dollywood I Will Always Love You Festival | Mar 11-Apr 11 | Pigeon Forge · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Events by Month
- November 2026 8 in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
- December 2026 7 in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
- January 2027 1 in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
- March 2027 1 in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
More nearby: Smoky Mountains Events: Oct 2026 to Mar 2027.
Places and Venues in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Each of these has a page on this site with hours, entry and dog rules read from the official page.
State Parks Near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
None of the 65 state parks in our data is inside Sevier County and Blount County. The parks below are in the same region.
Not confirmed: our state park list has no park in this region yet, and it does not cover national park land such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
State park facts come from our state park dataset (last checked Oct 30, 2026), read on each park’s own tnstateparks.com page. Plans and rules change, so check the organizer or park page before you drive.
Keep Planning
- All state park guides
- Topic guides: things to do in Tennessee
- All destinations
- Dog-Friendly State Parks
- Free Things to Do
- Holiday Lights and Christmas Events
More Destinations
Smokies Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge?
The lists above are built from our checked events dataset for the town or towns named, followed by the places in the same county and the state parks in the same region. We name only what we have read on an official page.
Does this list every attraction?
No. It lists events we have checked and the places that have a page in our directory. Anything else we could not confirm, we do not guess.
How do I see what is on this weekend?
The weekend table above updates daily, and our statewide weekend page covers every region. The Smoky Mountains hub lists the whole region.
Sources
- Each event was read on the organizer’s own page, where its date, hours and price are printed; every row is in the Tennessee events dataset with a checked date.
- Park facts (entry, pet rule) were read on each park’s own tnstateparks.com page; attraction facts on each attraction’s own site. All rows are in the places directory and its dataset.
Cite this page: It's Tennessee, “Things to Do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge”, itstennessee.com/destinations/gatlinburg-and-pigeon-forge/ (updated ). By the It's Tennessee editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.
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