Sevier County flips on the switch for winter lights

Dollywood has its winter glow going, as do the Sevier County cities of Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg.

In Sevier County the holiday winter wonderland starts before Thanksgiving and continues long past Valentine's Day.

That's one way to put off packing up the holiday lights. And the municipalities of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville do have millions of sparkling holiday lights.

Called Winterfest in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville and Winter Magic in Gatlinburg, the holiday festivities begin in early November. While the different municipalities have various events from trolley tours to Christmas parades, each shows off with lights and lights and more lights. In Pigeon Forge alone, more than five million lights are displayed. Gatlinburg's displays are done in LED. Sevierville offers a way to see its lights and those of others in 3D. Winterfest in 3D glasses are at the Sevierville Visitor Center on Highway 66 while they last. The glasses turn each point of light into a snowflake.

And then there's Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas. The Pigeon Forge theme park has its own four million lights all through the park, highlighting the holiday decorations that include an 18-foot-tall Christmas tree in Santa's workshop. The park's holiday shows include an indoor ice skating show called "Dollywood's Christmas on Ice" performed by the Ice Theater of New York and its "Christmas in the Smokies" program with a 12-member cast and seven-piece band. Each night there's a parade and the Carol of the Trees as thousands of light synchronize to holiday music.

Smoky Mountain Christmas goes on through December. Dollywood isn't open every day during November and December; check http://www.dollywood.com for hours. Tickets are $57.25 for ages 12 to 59; $46 for ages 4 to 11, $53.90 for senior citizens age 60 and older.

The Tennessee Smokies baseball park again turns into Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland for the rest of the year. Cars drive through a lighted display; that display is synchronized to a soundtrack. There's also a petting zoo and refreshments. Christmas Wonderland opens dusk to 10 p.m. Nov. 11-Jan. 8. Admission is $15 for cars or family vans Monday through Thursday, $20 weekdays, holidays and Dec. 19-23. Activity van or minibus admission is $30, $75 for tour or school bus.

Other Sevier County holilday-themed events include:

n Gatlinburg's 36th annual Fantasy of Lights Christmas parade, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2. Among the more than 100 parade entries are marching bands, giant helium balloons and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. The parade starts at traffic light 1A on Highway 321 and ends at traffic light number 10.

n Sevierville's 49th annual Christmas Parade, 11 a.m. Dec. 3, marching bands, floats, Forks of the River Parkway and Court Avenue, downtown Sevierville.

n 24th annual "New Year's Eve Ball Drop & Fireworks," evening of Dec. 31, intersection Gatlinburg Parkway and Historic Nature Trial at the base of the Space Needle; ball drop from Space Needle starts 2012 at stroke of midnight.

© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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