Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday in the Smoky Mountains

Your Guide to America’s 250th Birthday Celebration in Gatlinburg and the Smokies

So you’re up here where the air is clear just in time for the most iconic 4th of July ever – the USA’s 250th birthday? You will of course make your own fun, lots of grilling, sightseeing, maybe some whitewater rafting, fishing or hiking. But there is one event you simply CANNOT miss if you’re up in these hills on this very special holiday; the Gatlinburg 4th of July Midnight Parade. It starts at 12:01 a.m. on the 4th, so no one will beat you to the nation’s massive coast-to-coast day of celebration!

With over a hundred entrants, this parade is a free-for-all (within safe, family-friendly, reasonable limits) of fun! Join an anticipated crowd of up to 100,000 people who will line the streets to cheer on the floats and participants. There will be music, food and joy for all.

Before the parade, warm up to the excitement of our nation’s big birthday party / Independence Day celebration with a beautiful drone light show over Gatlinburg, followed by a fabulous fireworks display you will remember for many years! This is the best time of the year to be in the Smokies. Warm enough to wear shorts and sandals, but cool enough with the nighttime mountain breezes to kick up your heels!

Once the parade ends, head back to your Autumn Ridge cabin for some zzzzs…you will need plenty of energy to embrace the 4th! After all, don’t you want a good view of the Gatlinburg River Raft Regatta? Better yet, make plans to join the fun. If it floats, you can put it in the water. Meet race day at 11 a.m. at Edgewater Hotel and Conference Center to register your “craft.” Beginning at 1 p.m., watch it bobble with all of the other unmanned creative craft on down to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in what is the wackiest and most fun “race” you’ve ever seen! There will be a prize for the most creative craft on the water that day, as well as other prize categories.

After getting some amazing food at one of the hundreds of eateries and restaurants in the area on July 4th, head on over to Townsend, Tennessee, known as “The Peaceful Side of the Smokies.” The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center will offer a concert by a 35-piece brass band beginning at 8 p.m. in the covered amphitheater, and there will be room for guests to overflow onto the grounds near the theater. The first 300 guests to arrive will be given American flags. Mingle among characters in period costume from the revolutionary war era. The event opens at 6:30 p.m. What a fantastic way to remind your children of our country’s heritage! There will be a spectacular fireworks display in downtown Townsend following the program.

No blog about the 4th in the Smokies would be close to complete without a mention of the Pigeon Forge Patriot Festival, scheduled for July 3rd and 4th! Come to Patriot Park, off the Old Mill Square, and bring your appetite for good, old-fashioned family fun. Free and open to the general public, this festival features live music, games, food and more! East Tennessee appreciates her veterans and the many freedoms their service and sacrifice have brought us and this event makes that plain. Come ready to celebrate our great nation.

The Gatlinburg SkyPark has jumped into the America’s 250th celebration with both feet! Come walk the SkyBridge, which, from May 15th to July 6th will be festooned with the flags of all 50 states as well as our military and national flags. The very special Festival of Flags offers a great family photo op! The SkyBridge is the longest pedestrian cable bridge on the continent. Enjoy the sweeping views all while celebrating the country you love.

Anakeesta, also in the Gatlinburg area, was not to be outdone during the nation’s festivities. From May 22nd until August 9th they are hosting “United Tastes of America,” an event featuring the diverse foods of our great country, from coast to coast! There is also live music and those stellar views the park is well known for.

June 15th until August 2nd Dollywood will be highlighting the joys of the season with fresh and interesting shows and other festivities as part of the park’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration. There will be drone light shows and fireworks nightly during this time. You can buy a tasting pass and enjoy unique summer flavors drawn from seasonal foods and specially prepared for Dollywood guests. Remember to grab yourselves a Dollywood souvenir too!

Whatever your choice of patriotic activities while in the Smokies, you are sure to have a ball. Take lots of photos and cherish those memories. This year only comes around every 250! 🇺🇸