Tag: family activities

A family walks through the 340-foot underwater shark tunnel at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with a massive sand tiger shark and sea turtle visible swimming overhead in the crystal-clear water.

Local Attractions September 11, 2026

Ripley's Aquarium Gatlinburg 2026: Tickets, Exhibits & Insider Tips

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is consistently rated one of the top aquariums in the United States — and in 2026, it's celebrating its 25th anniversary with the all-new Dragons: Myths Made Real exhibit, free Summer Plaza events, and the same 10,000 sea creatures across 350 species that have made it Gatlinburg's most visited attraction for a quarter century. Here's the complete guide to tickets, exhibits, timing, and making the most of your visit.

A classic county fair at dusk in Sevierville, Tennessee, with a glowing Ferris wheel, lit carnival rides, food vendor stalls, and families walking the midway at the annual Sevier County Fair.

Smoky Mountains August 31, 2026

Sevier County Fair 2026: Tennessee's State Champion County Fair Comes to Sevierville

The 2026 Sevier County Fair runs September 1–7 at the Sevier County Fairgrounds in Sevierville — seven evenings of livestock shows, blue ribbon competitions, carnival rides, live music, and fair food at one of Tennessee's top-rated county fairs. The Sevier County Fair won State Champion for Division AAA at the Tennessee Association of Fairs Convention — the highest honor in its size class. Here's everything you need to know before you go.

Young cloggers in period Appalachian costumes perform traditional clogging on the Gatlinburg Parkway sidewalk during Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales, with tourists watching and a horse-drawn wagon visible in the background on a warm summer evening.

Smoky Mountains August 19, 2026

Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales 2027: Gatlinburg's Free Summer Street Festival

Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales transforms downtown Gatlinburg into a living stage each summer evening, with more than 70 musicians, storytellers, cloggers, and costumed Appalachian characters spreading out along the Parkway from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly. The event is completely free, has been running since 2006, and begins each evening with a horse-drawn wagon arrival at the center of town. For 2027 the summer season runs late June through late July — here's everything you need to know to make the most of it.

Guests enjoy berry-inspired food and live music at the Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival at Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with the Great Smoky Mountain ridgeline visible in the background on a warm summer afternoon.

Local Attractions August 14, 2026

Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival 2027: Dates, Food & Wildlife at Ober Mountain

Ober Mountain's Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival returns for its second year in mid-to-late July 2027 — three Friday–Sunday weekends of berry-inspired food and drinks, live music on the outdoor soundstage, local artisan vendors, and wildlife programming from Ober's resident wildlife biologists, including guided tours of the Wildlife Habitat where resident black bears, red wolves, and river otters live. At 3,300 feet, it's 15 degrees cooler than the Parkway below — and one of the most distinctive mid-summer events in Gatlinburg. Here's what to know.

A small group of nature enthusiasts follows a guided winter hike through the bare hardwood forest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park during Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Smoky Mountains July 15, 2026

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2027: Pigeon Forge's Free Nature Festival

Wilderness Wildlife Week returns to Pigeon Forge in early 2027 — a completely free, week-long celebration of Great Smoky Mountains National Park featuring hundreds of guided hikes, workshops, wildlife seminars, and nature programs led by biologists, park rangers, and expert naturalists. It's been running for more than three decades and costs nothing to attend. Here's what to expect and why January in the Smokies is better than most people realize.

A car drives through a tunnel of thousands of synchronized twinkling Christmas lights at Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland drive-through light show in Sevierville, Tennessee, with illuminated holiday displays on both sides of the route.

Local Attractions July 10, 2026

Drive-Thru Christmas Lights in Sevierville: Shadrack's Wonderland 2026 Guide

Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland returns to Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville for the 2026 holiday season — a drive-through light show featuring thousands of lights synchronized to music on your car radio, custom-built themed displays, and Snowy Mountain Village after the show with Santa visits, bounce houses, cookie decorating, and carnival games. Tickets are priced per vehicle, not per person, making it one of the best-value holiday outings in the Smokies. Here's everything you need to know before you go.

A parent and child fish together on the rocky banks of a clear mountain stream in the Great Smoky Mountains during Tennessee's Free Fishing Day, with forested ridges in the background.

Smoky Mountains June 17, 2026

Free Fishing Day in Tennessee 2026: Where to Cast a Line in the Smokies

Tennessee's Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Day falls on Saturday, June 6, 2026 — letting anyone fish the state's public waters without a license, with kids 15 and under fishing free through June 12. The Smokies happen to be one of the best places in the country to take advantage of it. Here's where to go, what to know, and how to make a morning of it.

Life-sized animatronic dinosaurs including a T-Rex and Brachiosaurus are positioned throughout The Island entertainment complex in Pigeon Forge, with families exploring the free Jurassic Adventure experience and a large Ferris wheel visible in the backgro

Local Attractions June 10, 2026

Jurassic Adventure 2026: 22 Life-Sized Dinosaurs at The Island in Pigeon Forge

Jurassic Adventure at The Island in Pigeon Forge is a larger-than-life free experience running now through September 13, 2026, featuring 22 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs positioned throughout the 23-acre property — each one moving, roaring, and equipped with a QR code scavenger hunt that ends in a free gift. No tickets, no wristbands, just show up. Here's everything you need to know before your visit.

A water park at night glowing with vibrant neon and colored lights during an after-hours event, with guests enjoying illuminated slides and pools against a dark Smoky Mountain sky.

Local Attractions June 5, 2026

Dollywood Splash Country Neon Nights 2026: Dates, Tickets & What to Expect

Neon Nights is Dollywood's Splash Country's brand-new after-hours event for 2026 — running select Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. with neon lights, immersive glow experiences, live music, and lighter crowds across the full 35-acre water park. Tickets start at $39.99, with 14 event nights scheduled between June 19 and August 1. Here's everything you need to plan your visit.

Local Attractions June 1, 2026

Dollywood Splash Country Neon Nights 2026: Dates, Tickets & What to Expect

Neon Nights is Dollywood's Splash Country's brand-new after-hours event for 2026 — running select Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. with neon lights, immersive glow experiences, live music, and lighter crowds across the full 35-acre water park. Tickets start at $39.99, with 14 event nights scheduled between June 19 and August 1. Here's everything you need to plan your visit.

Get Exclusive Cabin Deals