Gatlinburg's Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales® - Downtown Gatlinburg, TN

Imagine…it’s early evening in the Smokies. You are strolling along the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg and see a gathering of people just ahead. As you draw closer, you begin to hear the distinctive sounds of a dulcimer. Curious, you stop to watch and listen. A dulcimer player gracefully strums an upbeat mountain melody as those around him clap rhythmically in time.

After listening for a few minutes, you continue on your evening Parkway stroll and soon come upon yet another gathering. Here you find a group of people performing old fashioned clogging. The audience is laughing as a few onlookers who undertake an impromptu dance performance along with them soon learn just how difficult the steps of authentic Appalachian dance really are.

These are two of numerous entertainment mini-performances you will experience every evening from June 9 through August 12 as you stroll in downtown Gatlinburg. It is Gatlinburg’s Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales® – a new event for 2006, featuring costumed musical performers, storytellers and artisans portraying various time periods from the 1800s to today. Nearly a dozen acts involve the audience as they each perform in simultaneous ten-minute performances throughout the night.

“The goal of Gatlinburg’s Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales® is to bring evenings of entertainment surprises to the traditional summertime Parkway stroll experience in Gatlinburg,” says George Hawkins, Manager of Gatlinburg’s Office of Special Events.

“At 6 p.m. each night, a horse-drawn wagon will carry the performers to their designated locations for the evening. The rotating cast of 14 acts including storytellers, musicians and crafters will share their stories and skills during the nine-week MountainFest® event,” Hawkins elaborated.

Gatlinburg’s Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales® is an official activity of the City of Gatlinburg Department of Tourism and produced by JBP Entertainment Group of Orlando, Fla., who specializes in entertainment packaging for theme parks and locations.

Auditions for the characters and entertainers will be held locally in mid-April. The goal of the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism and JBP Entertainment Group is to fill all of the acts with local talents.

For more information on this and other MountainFest® events, contact the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce at (800) 56-VISIT or visit www.gatlinburg.com for mountains of information.

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