One of the many things Smoky Mountain locals are known for is their love of a good party. With a landscape that represents some of the most spectacular scenery in America, coupled with the region’s rich and vibrant history, there certainly is plenty of cause for celebration.

Visitors are always welcome to join in the merriment and with this (by no means comprehensive) list, they can be sure that gaiety is never far away, no matter what time of year they find themselves in the Smokies.

 

Spring

In the Smoky Mountains, the spring months truly are a time of optimism. The snow passed and the weather brightening, the area undergoes a quite remarkable change, the wealth of flora and fauna rejuvenating the mountains with color. With this renewed sense of energy, it is not difficult to see why spring is a time for much celebration for the residents of the area with numerous festivals and fetes taking place all over, of which The Townsend Spring Festival takes center stage. The highlight of the festival is the wealth of music on offer and in keeping with an age-old tradition, bluegrass enjoys a special place in the hearts of the residents of Townsend, the strum of guitars and pluck of the banjo discernible throughout the wildflower decorated streets. Arts and crafts events are also prevalent and with all manner of artistries, from glassworks to puppet-making, pottery to basket-weaving available to try your hand at, you will be sure to find a quite unique souvenir to commemorate your time at the Townsend Spring Festival.

The highlight of the festival is the wealth of music on offer and in keeping with an age-old tradition, bluegrass enjoys a special place in the hearts of the residents of Townsend, the strum of guitars and pluck of the banjo discernible throughout the wildflower decorated streets. Arts and crafts events are also prevalent and with all manner of artistries, from glassworks to puppet-making, pottery to basket-weaving available to try your hand at, you will be sure to find a quite unique souvenir to commemorate your time at the Townsend Spring Festival.

 

Summer

Taking place in Dollywood Theme Park, The Great American Summer Festival is, without a doubt, the high point in Smoky Mountain’s festive year. Taking place between the months of June and August, visitors can enjoy all the charm of Dollywood that is on display all year round but now bigger, louder and more extravagant than ever. The park enjoys later openings during the festival and with a no-expenses-spared firework display rounding off each evening, no one will be going home early.

 

Fall

The months of September and October are perhaps the most beautiful to visit the Smoky Mountains, the entire horizon ablaze with the most magnificent shades of yellow, orange and red. The autumnal colors certainly give the area a homely, yet more welcoming feel, a quality no more abundant than during the annual Harvest Festival.

Taking place throughout downtown Gatlinburg, there is a seemingly endless variety of food and crafts on display, each exhibiting the bounty the local land has to offer. If the pace is a little too sedate for the younger ones, however, Ripley’s Believe-it-or-not Museum organizes a particular terrifying Haunted Adventure in keeping with the Halloween spirit.

 

Winter

Everyone loves Christmas but in the Smoky Mountains, this might be truer than ever. The snow-capped summits and icicle-studded rooftops certainly mirror the quintessential vision of the holiday period and with an award-winning parade taking place each December, visitors and locals alike can get into the spirit of things with the aid of floats, marching bands and of course the traditional Christmas balloons, all amid the twinkling lights of Downtown Gatlinburg.