The Smokies celebrate Independence with the Patriot Festival in Pigeon Forge; a parade, fireworks, and raft regatta race in Gatlinburg; and America’s past time in Sevierville. Many events will be free of charge and open to the public.
Pigeon Forge will be hosting it’s 20th Annual Patriot Festival on July 3rd. This free event will be all day at Patriot Park and will provide hours of entertainment for the entire family. Kids will enjoy the Kid’s Karnival Zone featuring games, prizes, inflatables, and more. Adults will love the relaxing atmosphere and great musical lineup including Steve Azar, Grafite, and Diamond Rio. At 9:30pm the fireworks will start.
In Gatlinburg the nation’s first 4th of July parade kicks off at midnight. This will be the 35th consecutive year of the parade that gets bigger every year. Highlights of this year’s event include the 129th Army Band from Nashville. Many vintage vehicles from the military’s past will be present as well. Also, a scale replica of the famous starship U.S.S Enterprise beams down for an appearance.
During the day of the 4th many of the bands in the parade will perform in town. A fun and free event for the entire family is the River Raft Regatta. This unmanned raft race of “anything that floats” starts at Christ in the Smokies, and finishes up by Ripley’s Aquarium. Registration for the event is 10am until Noon with the race starting at Noon. To end the day, Gatlinburg hosts a fireworks extravaganza at 10pm.
In Sevierville, the Tennessee Smokies host the Huntsville Stars at Smokies Stadium. Following the game will be a special fireworks celebration.
