Memorial Day Weekend in the Smokies
Remembrance, Celebrations, Food and Entertainment
Any vacation in the Smokies is a celebration all its own, but holidays tend to be extra special when spent in the mountains. Memorial Day is no different, and enjoying and celebrating your freedoms in ‘God’s Country’ is a must.
As you know, Memorial Day is a national holiday designated to celebrate and honor the lives lost by military men and women in service to our great country. It is a day of mourning and remembrance, and it’s also a day for us to celebrate why these patriots gave their lives: the American ideal. The United States of America was founded on liberty and every individual who gave their life gave it while striving to preserve and protect those founding freedoms. That is worth celebrating!
Do you hope to celebrate by gathering with family or friends over barbecue grills and picnic tables? Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville have some beautiful parks with covered pavilions and open-air tables for you to do just that. Give us a couple of days notice and let us create your ice cream pie for dessert!
Smoky Mountains Parks
Click to View Gatlinburg’s City Park Video
City of Sevierville: Call (865) 453-5441 for reservations.
Sevierville City Park | 1005 Park Rd, Sevierville
City of Pigeon Forge: Call (865) 453-5441 for reservations.
Pigeon Forge City Park | 2530 City Park Drive
Patriot Park | 186 Old Mill Avenue
Wear Farm City Park | 623 Wears Valley Road
City of Gatlinburg: Call (865) 436-4990 for reservations.
Herbert Holt Park | North Park Lane
Mynatt Park | 622 Historic Nature Trail
Mills Park | 309 Mill Park Road
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Visit Recreation.gov for availability
For those of you who prefer to let someone else cook and entertain, here are a few special events taking place during the long holiday weekend and on Memorial Day.
Special Events
Live Music at Anakeesta: Between the hours of 9 a.m.-10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Monday, enjoy some sweet sounds at Anakeeta Theme Park in Gatlinburg. Adding to the entertainment of the “Blooms and Tunes” festival taking place now through June 20, is fantastic Folk, early country and bluegrass music.
Ober Gatlinburg Mayfest Celebration: Spring has sprung with fantastic flower displays throughout the park. Kick back in the Obergarten, enjoy some great food and then get an activity wristband for unlimited play at most of Ober’s attractions.
Running of the Balls: This could be your most memorial family event yet! On Memorial Day, visit the Outdoor Gravity Park on Sugar Hollow Road to participate or watch local teams try to outrun the park’s 11′ Orb all in the name of fun and food. This charity event is sure to be a blast to watch while raising funds for the Sevier County food ministry. Purchase your Zorbing package so that you too can race down the mountain!
Dollywood Flower & Food Festival and Melodies of Spring Concerts: Dolly has filled her park with more than 500K flowers, blooming sculptures, garden-fresh dining options and beautiful music. There are multiple concerts taking place Friday-Monday, so you’ll likely get to see at least one no matter what time you visit.
However you choose to spend your Memorial Day holiday weekend, top it off with a scoop or two of our 32 Hershey’s Ice Cream flavors. And a cherry!