Entertainment

Anakeesta held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday to mark the beginning of construction on its Chondola base station and retail area on the Gatlinburg Parkway across from Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. Anakeesta is building a 72-acre attraction in Gatlinburg that will offer tree top activities for guests of all ages. Currently under construction is an aerial lift called a ...

A lineup of bluegrass music’s top artists is scheduled to perform Feb. 10-11, 2017 in Pigeon Forge with proceeds from ticket sales to benefit the Dollywood Foundation Wildfire Scholarship Fund. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Grascals, Flatt Lonesome, and Volume 5 will take the stage on Friday, Feb. 10. The Lonesome River Band, Barry Bales & Friends, Newtown, Dave Adkins ...

Tennessee residents can visit any of the 8 Ripley’s Tennessee Attractions Wednesday, Jan. 18 thru Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 at a special discount with 20% of the proceeds going to local animal shelters. Special Admission to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is only $10 and $5 for the other 7 Ripley’s / Guinness Tennessee attractions. “The money raised will assist ...

Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales is looking for storytellers, artisans, vocalists, dancers and musicians with self-contained acts ready to perform to millions of visitors along the streets of Gatlinburg. The popular seven-week event is assembling the 2017 cast and looking for talented acts presented in an Appalachian style. Tunes & Tales is a summer-long street performance festival starting June 9 ...

The celebration of New Year’s Eve in Gatlinburg will carry on as usual this year to ring in 2017. After receiving notification that the burn ban was being lifted in the area, Gatlinburg officials announced the traditional fireworks display and ball drop would take place as usual from the top of the Space Needle. The New Year’s Eve Ball Drop ...

The new crime museum Alcatraz East in Pigeon Forge opens to the public on Friday and we had a sneak peak at the fascinating exhibits. Local officials and special guests celebrated the new crime museum with a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday evening. Pigeon Forge Mayor David Wear joined museum owner, John Morgan, and Chief Operating Officer Janine ...

The Musicians of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will be performing Music for the Mountains: a benefit concert to support the Gatlinburg wildfire disaster relief — a musician-organized and led event. The performance will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016 at TN Valley Unitarian Universalist Church — 2931 Kingston Pike in Knoxville. The musicians are volunteering their ...

The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group has just acquired the former RFD-TV theater in Branson, Mo. The 2,000-seat theater and over eight acres of land were bought from foreclosure auction this week on the Taney County Courthouse steps for $3.2 million. Vinton Commercial Realty, Chris Vinton, represented Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment. David Fee, president and chief executive officer of the Pigeon Forge ...

Several famous names have been added to the growing list of celebrities set to perform during Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016 at 8 p.m. (EST). Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Big & Rich, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, LOCASH, Chris Janson and Montgomery Gentry are just a few of the new ...

A free music festival in Gatlinburg called the Mountain Tough Benefit will feature the Zac Brown Band and be broadcast live to raise funds for wildfire recovery. The November fires in Gatlinburg took a steep toll in lives, homes and businesses, touching anyone who cherishes the culture of East Tennessee and its musical soul. Answering the call to help, Ole ...