A limited number of tasting tickets are available for the People’s Choice Tasting Contest at the Bloomin’ Barbeque and Bluegrass Festival. The People’s Choice Tasting Contest presented by Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Adventures will take place between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday May 20, 2017 at the 13th annual Bloomin’ Barbeque and Bluegrass Festival in downtown Sevierville. This is ...

When Florence Ruel looks around Treasures From the Heart thrift store in Sevierville, she sees an operation largely of her making. While Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries made the decision to create the store and chose the location, it was Ruel who was hired to get it open. She arranged the interior, decided where items would be placed and helped ...

Wounded Warrior Project empowered veterans to use hammers, anvils, and fire to turn a horseshoe into a unique knife during a recent connection event in Sevierville. Injured veterans were handed horseshoes when they arrived at Mohr Custom Knives. All left with new custom knives – and a connection forged during an afternoon of camaraderie while turning old steel into a ...

The City of Gatlinburg Fire and Police Departments are conducting a mock crash scenario at Gatlinburg Pittman High School on Monday, May 15, 2017. The mock crash aims to send a hard-hitting reminder of the dangers and consequences of unsafe driving behaviors—such as drinking and driving, not buckling up, and texting while driving. The agencies are also using the event ...

Credit card and debit card information for customers of Vol Magic Wash in Sevierville and Jefferson City may be affected by a data breach of the company’s credit card payment system. Vol Magic Wash, LLC says it was informed on April 3, 2017 that the point-of-sale system, which is operated by DRB Systems of Akron, OH, experienced an intrusion between ...

The 27th Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week begins Tuesday in Pigeon Forge, offering a variety of workshops, lectures, seminars, concerts, hikes and other activities designed to introduce or reacquaint participants of all ages with the great outdoors. Featuring more than 220 free sessions spanning five days, Pigeon Forge’s award-winning Wilderness Wildlife Week is set for May 9-13, 2017. The event is ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed numerous park facilities and roads due to a significant wind event and multiple downed trees. Winds have been recorded as high as 98 mph with sustained winds of 50 mph. Sugarlands Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and the Cades Cove area have been closed. The following roads are closed: Newfound Gap Road Roaring Fork ...

The 10th annual 5K run to benefit Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries has a new name and a new course route. The 5K in May is now called Pig Pickin 5K, and will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2017 — the same weekend as the annual Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass festival in downtown Sevierville. This year the 5K will ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park released a schedule for work to be performed on the Gatlinburg Bypass and Spur in May and June. Park officials announced intermittent closures of the access ramp leading from the southbound Spur to the Gatlinburg Bypass, Monday through Friday, beginning May 3 through May 12, 2017. The temporary, short-term closures are necessary for the installation ...

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is assisting wildlife biologists at Tennessee State University in research to determine the distribution of pygmy rattlesnakes in Tennessee. The pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) is listed as a threatened species in Tennessee and the research will help in conservation efforts to preserve the species in the state. Native to Tennessee, pygmy rattlesnakes are predators that ...