“When the sun goes down, we’ll be groovin’…” You don’t have to go to the Bahamas with Kenny Chesney this summer to sing those lyrics (although that would be fun!). Right here in Pigeon Forge, you’ll find plenty of nighttime fun in store all summer long. Join hundreds of others for a good cause in the 5K Glow Run this June, or make plans to spend your Fourth of July in Pigeon Forge, where you’ll get to see artists like Grammy-award winning Joe Diffie and Emily Ann Roberts from The Voice.
These are just a couple of the exciting ways to light up the night in Pigeon Forge during your summertime getaway this year! Read on for 3 exciting ways to spend your Pigeon Forge nights!
Relay for Life 5K Glow Run | June 3, 2016
We’ve all been affected by it. Maybe it’s your aunt, a parent, spouse, or a close friend. Maybe it’s even you that’s undergone the rounds of chemo and bouts of radiation. If so, we want to let you know our thoughts are with you.
And we know that if you’ve been through this, you probably want to do all you can to help others! Below we’ve provided some information about an event in Pigeon Forge whose goal is to stamp all of the cancer heartache out of this world!
Relay for Life of Sevier County is an annual event whose main goal is to raise awareness for cancer and raise money for cancer research as well as for facilities like Hope Lodge, which provides a free and comfortable place for patients and caregivers to stay while undergoing treatment. In the past, more than $300,000 has been raised through this event. We hope to exceed those numbers with the 2016 Relay for Life event this June!
Called “Glow”, this year’s 5K run/walk will be held June 3, 2016, in Pigeon Forge. This race began back in 2009 as the Cherie Atchley Memorial Run and continues to be held year after year in an effort to “run cancer out of town.” The race will be held along the Greenway in Pigeon Forge and will begin at 9 p.m. All proceeds from this Relay for Life event will benefit the American Cancer Society.
Click here to sign up for the 5K Glow Run this June!
Fourth of July Midnight Parade | July 3–4, 2016
Be one of the first in the nation to celebrate Independence Day by joining guests and residents of Pigeon Forge for the Fourth of July Midnight Parade! This year’s parade will be the 41st annual “First July Fourth Parade in the Nation,” with the festivities beginning at the stroke of midnight on July 4, 2016. You’ll enjoy floats, balloons, and marching bands during this exciting parade, which has been ranked a top 20 event by the Southeast Tourism Society. All of the festivities are designed to honor the valiant men and women who serve in our nation’s military.
After the midnight parade, the Fourth of July festivities in Pigeon Forge are far from over! Join hundreds of other guests at 12 p.m. that same day for the Patriot Festival at Patriot Park. This FREE annual event features music, food, and fun to celebrate another year of independence in our country. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket (umbrellas and coolers are not allowed), and get ready for some good family fun at the Patriot Festival!
This year’s musical entertainment for the Patriot Festival is none other than Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter Joe Diffie! Come listen to his 20 Top 10 hits and other songs from top-selling albums over the years. A number of local entertainers will take the stage for the Fourth of July as well, including one of the second-place finishers on NBC’s “The Voice,” Emily Ann Roberts. Besides quality entertainment, the Patriot Festival offers food and games for the entire family.
The event will begin on July 4, 2016, at 12 p.m. with onstage entertainment starting at 1:30 p.m. At approximately 9:30 p.m., a Fourth of July fireworks show will bring Pigeon Forge’s exciting celebration to a close.
The Show Fountain at The Island
Beginning at 10 a.m. Monday through Sunday, you can watch the state-of-the-art fountain show at Pigeon Forge’s The Island. Running every 30 minutes until 11:30 p.m., this show really gets good once the sun has sunk over the horizon, because that’s when the dazzling colors and perfectly choreographed water dance of this multi-tiered fountain come to life!
The Island’s fountain features more than 89 vertical nozzles with 6 motion-based nozzles that sway and swirl to 14 pieces of music. Then a geyser nozzle releases powerful bursts of water 60 feet into the air! This is an impressive way to end date night in the Smokies or spend a casual evening with the family. Everyone will be wowed by the impressive fountain display at this popular Pigeon Forge attraction.
Besides their impressive water feature, The Island features all kinds of ways to enjoy a summer evening with friends and family in the Smokies. You can go for a nighttime ride on The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, listen to live bluegrass music at Ole Smoky Moonshine, or kick back at Margaritaville—who knew you’d find a laid-back, Bahamas-style atmosphere right in the heart of Appalachia?!
