Smoky Mountain Winterfest Lights Up the Night

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography courtesy of the Sevierville Convention & Visitors Bureau & Haley Runyon, Sevier Distilling Company.

With more than 15 million lights along the 25-mile Parkway to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountain Winterfest is a magical time to visit the Smokies. Sevierville and her sister cities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are all decked out in lights during the annual Smoky Mountain Winterfest Celebration, which kicked off November 13, 2020 and runs through February 22, 2021.

“Viewing Winterfest lights with family and friends is a great way to get in the holiday spirit,” said Amanda Barr, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. Winterfest has become a holiday tradition for many visitors who return year after year to enjoy the lights, shopping, shows and attractions. Learn more about Smoky Mountain Winterfest at winterfest.visitsevierville.com.

Winterfest lights are a huge draw, but once visitors arrive in Sevierville, they also find incredible shopping, attractions, restaurants, and area holiday shows.

A few weekends ago I traveled from Jackson to Sevierville, Tennessee. Interestingly, Sevierville (pop: 16,000 within the city limits and 50,000 in the summer) is within a day’s drive of over half the nation’s population!

I was a guest at The Historic Central Hotel, the first boutique hotel in Sevierville. I arrived mid-afternoon on a Friday in time to organize my itinerary for the weekend and take a tour of the hotel hosted by Bhumi Patel, a delightful, informed manager-on-duty. Central Hotel was built in the late 1800s on the public square in Sevierville. The original frame building burned to the ground in 1923 but was rebuilt in 1928. In 1940 President Roosevelt stayed at the hotel on his trip to dedicate the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 1968, Sevier County Bank purchased the hotel. Today, the Central Hotel echoes the rich history of Sevier County in the attention to detail that went into crafting each room and is a beacon of a new era in the history of Sevierville.

All Central Hotel rooms have a unique custom layout and interiors with hardwood floors, granite countertops, fireplaces, and balconies. My spacious suite featured two bedrooms and two baths, a kitchen and dining area. Future hotel plans call for a rooftop cocktail bar and a ground floor restaurant. Honeybee Coffee Co., located on the ground floor of the building, offers fresh hand-crafted coffee and an Espresso Bar. www.thecentralhotel.com

Late afternoon a friend and I drove a short distance from the hotel to the Apple Bar Winery + Apple Barn Cider House. (Numbered street lights are so helpful to visitors.) Located on the banks of the Little Pigeon River, The Apple Barn Winery in the Apple Barn Village offers a unique twist on wine, which is hand crafted in small lots on the farm to provide each customer the best possible wine from local fruit. The winery is open daily for tastings and sales. Learn about the winemaker’s art, enjoy a video tour and experience the quality first hand with a free tasting. The wine pourers were very busy on a late Friday afternoon with wine samplings of dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines. www.applebarnwines.com

Complimentary apple juleps and complimentary apple fritters with apple butter are served to all diners in the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. My dinner companion and I ordered two different entrees in order to sample two dishes. Both were very good and large portions. I ordered a grilled pork chop, and my friend described his pot roast as “delicious.” We reluctantly declined dessert--apple spice cake with caramel rum sauce or apple cobbler. By the way, their breakfasts are really good on a cold morning. In the summer, enjoy the porch rocking chairs overlooking the Little Pigeon River. What a pleasant way to spend time before or after your meal!

After dinner I enjoyed Christmas shopping at the Christmas & Candles Shop and the General Store where you may find an Applewood smoked ham, ham slice or bacon; local crafts, collectibles, cookbooks, jams and jellies and condiments and more. I purchased Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix in a red cloth bag and “Christmas Morning Blend” ground gourmet coffee in a red packet. In addition to the General Store there is a Cider Mill, The Creamery (ice cream), A Pie Kitchen and a Candy Factory. Today, the Kilpatrick family, original owners of the property where the Apple Barn Cider Mill & General Store are located, still have a functional barn on a working farm. They never dreamed it would become a legacy built on apples! www.ApplewoodFarmhouse.com

After dinner, there was so much car traffic of locals and visitors anxious to see the Winterfest lights, my friend and I returned to our hotel, and we ventured out about two hours later to see the lights in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Saturday, November 14 dawned sunny and clear. Well before 8:30 am we ate breakfast at the popular Flapjack’s Pancakes. Some time ago I remember Flapjack’s delicious pumpkin pancakes. I really enjoy this restaurant’s setting and arrived early enough to sit by the fireplace. There are lines in front of this eatery all day! Two of us ordered a sampler, and the friendly servers brought us complimentary apple fritters in a dipping sauce that recently garnered an award at a local food contest. Ask for a free recipe card for their Sticky Bun Pancakes. www.flapjackpancake.com

After breakfast we drove to Tanger Outlets, an attractive, upscale, busy mall with high-end stores like Lenox, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley and Kirkland’s, among many others. One could spend days in this lovely shopping center! www.tangeroutlet.com/sevierville

Then it was time to explore downtown Sevierville and see the new streetscape which is nearing completion. Built in 1896, the Sevier County Courthouse is an excellent example of Victorian architecture. It is perhaps the county’s most treasured landmark.

Near the Courthouse is the Dolly Parton Statue. Created by nationally known artist Jim Gray, the six-and-a-half foot statue was erected to honor Sevierville native Dolly Parton, an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, actor, author, and philanthropist. Situated atop a mountain stone chosen to represent Dolly’s Smoky Mountain roots, the iconic rendering depicts Dolly playing a guitar. Dolly has never forgotten her roots and considers this statue her most enduring accolade.

There are new murals downtown including a butterfly mural in honor of Dolly Parton, whose logo is the butterfly.

Walking can work up an appetite. Could it be time for lunch already? Near the Courthouse and one block behind my hotel at 125 Bruce Street and a former Post Office, is Graze Burgers, which specializes in local grass-fed burgers; soda pop (as it is called there) and floats; soups and local greens; “Big Dawgs,”; starters like house-fried pickles; sides including beer battered onion rings; shakes made with fresh whipped cream; and house pie. At the recommendation of my server, I ordered a Bourbon Bleu burger.
A Dolly Parton quote on their menu reads as follows: “My weaknesses have always been food and men in that order.” www.grazeburgers.com

After a short rest at my hotel, I enjoyed re-visiting the Robert A. Tino Gallery at 812 Old Douglas Dam Road in Sevierville. I spent some private time chatting with Robert, a very talented artist, and his lovely wife, Mary John. The gallery is in an old farmhouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Robert is known for his landscape painting with scenic vistas, valleys and waterways. The mountains of Tennessee near his home supply Robert with all of the majestic views he could ever want to paint. Wildlife is another love of his, particularly the black bears that are so prevalent. He prefers to work with oils, but sometimes paints with acrylics or watercolors. Recently Robert has begun painting on tiles. The gallery offers framing. www.robertatinogallery.com

If it’s Christmas ornaments and such you are seeking, visit the Christmas & Collectibles shop at 3044 Winfield Dunn Park in nearby Kodak, TN. This is a massive Christmas store offering a wide range of high-end décor as well as affordable pieces. www.christmasandcollect.com

Also in Kodak, TN is KaTom Chef Supplies at 305 KaTom Drive. KaTom Chef Supplies offers high-end kitchenware in a beautiful retail setting. It is a family-owned company headquartered in East Tennessee and serving customers around the world. As the 10th largest company in its industry, it has buying power that enables it to offer incredible pricing on equipment and supplies for both commercial and residential kitchens. Its retail store—Chef Supplies—offers everything a home chef, foodie, or outdoors type might need, from a rainbow of mixers to kitchen gadgets and spill-proof cups. The store is easily accessible off Interstate 40, Exit 407 down the road from the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. www.katom.com

The last stop on my itinerary was a visit to Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland at 3540 Line Drive in Kodak. Billed as the most immense light show on earth, this holiday attraction continues to grow year after year in Sevierville at Smokies Stadium. This year Shadrack’s added a 70’ RGB tree that is awesome! Also, they have a new 300’ RGB kaleidoscope tunnel that’s bigger and synchronized to the music this year.

Their new display theme is Santa’s Beach Party. A new theme of displays gives guests a glimpse of how the North Pole gang spent their summer vacation. Come see huge custom displays of Santa’s Beach Party featuring comical snapshots of Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and the elves playing in the sand rather than the snow! Santa surprises everyone by riding a wave…AND a friendly whale! Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland designs and builds every display in-house, from conception to on-site construction. It is open Nov. 20-Dec. 23. www.shadrackchristmas.com/Sevierville

What to Know

Sevierville Visitor Center
3099 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Kodak, TN 37764
1-888-766-5948 or call (865) 932-4458
Hours: 7 days per week from 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Hours may vary in the winter. Please call first or visit their website: www.VisitSevierville.com.