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Splashing around in the cool waters underneath the warm Tennessee sun, enjoying cold drinks while hanging out with family and friends, and taking in the glorious sights of America’s natural beauty. All of this and so much more is why commemorating the independence and freedom of America with 4th of July in Gatlinburg is the best way to celebrate this year! Make it a family vacation or celebrate with a few families in our large group cabins to toast to America’s birthday under the expansive starry skies at night.
Discover fun ways to stay cool in the day by splashing around one of the community pools accessible with many of our cabins or ride the waves of the rapids in the Pigeon River before heading downtown to watch the famous Gatlinburg fireworks show. Make this a truly memorable holiday for the whole family and attend the numerous festivities during 4th of July in Gatlinburg. From midnight parades to unmatched fireworks shows, join in on all the fun and excitement of America’s freedom celebrations in Gatlinburg!
The Midnight Parade
Gatlinburg prides itself on being the pinnacle of every holiday celebration as a top destination in the country, and the 4th of July is an especially spectacular time! At the stroke of midnight in the beginning moments of July 4th, Gatlinburg wastes no time waiting for the festivities to kick off. After perusing the shops filled with delicious treats and eating savory Ogle Dogs at Fannie Farkle’s, snag a good spot for the parade along the streets of downtown Gatlinburg. Find a good area anywhere from Traffic Light 1A on East Parkway all the way through the turn onto Parkway at Light 3 and up to Light 10! Bring your fold-out chairs and cushions to settle into your place along the sidewalks early on the evening of July 3rd in preparation for one of the nation’s most popular Independence Day festivities, known for bringing as many as 100,000 attendees!
The crowds will get you into the spirit of celebration as hundreds of small American flags wave back and forth and music fills the air. The kids will ooh and aah as light-covered floats glow in the night and the clacking of horse hooves rhythmically pass as the equestrian team waves to the crowds. The twang of banjos and strums of acoustic guitars fill the air in a blue grass appreciation you will want to clap along to! Name all the costumed characters with the kids as they point out each one as the parade travels along its 1-mile trek.
Once the midnight parade has passed you by, the drive back to the cabin will be easy when you book one of our beautiful Gatlinburg cabins located within a short drive of downtown. Some are even walking distance! Get the sleepy little ones back into bed so you can have some soothing, quiet times on the back deck in the hot tub before drifting off to sleep in the comfort of your cabin bedroom. Or you can kick back on the couch in front of a big screen TV before planning out your post-4th of July fun for the next day!
4TH OF JULY FUN
River Raft Regatta
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge keep the festivities going with some unique pastimes that have become cornerstones of 4th of July in Gatlinburg! Before taking on the whitewater rapids of the Pigeon River in the afternoon with Smoky Mountain Outdoor Adventures, watch handmade rafts made of rubber duckies, toothpicks, and other odds and ends attempt to float through the finish line to claim first place!
Don’t just be a spectator; make it a team effort with the family and build your own peculiar boat to float and enter into 1 of 4 categories: Trash, Treasure, Smallest, or Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Tons of prizes stand to be won for creativity and youngest or oldest craftsman! Find out about Registration and more details here! Before the fun race ever begins, attend the Registration in front of Christ in the Smokies, because there are tons of games, food vendors, and unique tents to be explored!
Pigeon Forge Patriot Festival
Gatlinburg isn’t the only town pulling out all the stops for the 4th of July. Nearby Pigeon Forge has its own noteworthy festive events to celebrate freedom! Patriot Park in The Old Mill district hosts musical shows, food trucks, and family friendly fun for the entire day on the 4th of July. Use the convenient and cheap Fun Time Trolley to skip the hassle of finding parking, which makes entering and exiting the Pigeon Forge Patriot Festival a lot less stressful.
Chow down on some delicious grub from the food trucks before the kids go to have their faces painted. Hoist the little ones on your shoulders so they can get a clear view of the musical acts on stage as the sound of carnival games fills the air! The grand finale to this freedom festival would not be complete without a show-stopping fireworks show, which begins around 9:45 p.m. Pack a light blanket and watch some of the biggest and brightest fireworks fill the sky above you, commemorating the birth of this great country.
Fireworks! Fireworks! Fireworks!
4th of July in Gatlinburg ends with a bang, literally! Don’t worry about missing the fireworks show. If you are anywhere in the downtown area, this show is so big and bright you can catch it from numerous viewpoints. Featured as one of the Top 20 Events by the Southeast Tourism Society, the beautiful, boisterous display of fireworks continues to be a crowd favorite among Tennessee locals and visitors to the Smoky Mountains.
Fireworks for New Year’s Eve
The year flew by faster than the previous, so it seems, and you want to find a way to bring in the next year to be filled with all kinds of memories in the most appropriate way possible. Look no further than Gatlinburg’s historically spectacular New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show! Gather with friends and family for a party like no other under the neon lights shining from the Gatlinburg Space Needle. As each year has passed, since 1987, this event has gotten bigger and better with age – making Gatlinburg a go-to for New Year’s Eve celebrations!
With DJs bumping great tunes with the majestic Smoky Mountains as the backdrop, this is the best way to bring in the New Year on the right foot! As the clock strikes midnight, the ball will drop and, as it hits the base, the spectacular fireworks show begins. The sky will light up above you and your special someone as you sneak in your New Year’s kiss and each rocket sings into the night sky before bursting and fizzling with dazzling beauty.
New Year’s Eve & Fireworks in Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge also ushers in the New Year with games, music, face painting, and a fireworks show, all free at The Island! Dance along to live music and watch the hypnotic lights display of the fountain while preparing for the end of your memorable year with you family. Catch glimpses of other nearby fireworks glowing in the night from atop the highest point of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel before snacking on delicious sweet treats from one of the many candy shops!
Share toasts in the hot tub on the back deck of your perfect cabin hideaway, if you like to avoid the crowds, as fireworks crackle in the distance. Wherever you want to be for your midnight kiss, make it the most magical New Year’s kiss, yet, under the bright light shows of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg! With fun downtown and comfortable cabins where you can stay cool and relax in both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, it will be a 4th of July to remember!
At-the-cabin Fun for 4th of July in Gatlinburg
- Making fun 4th of July-themed treats in your full kitchen
- Swimming in your private indoor (or outdoor) pool
- Watching movies in your own movie theater
- Creating 4th of July crafts with the kiddos
- Sipping sweet tea and lemonade on your cabin’s back deck while enjoying mountain views