Area Info – Page 3 – Inside Sevierville

Sevierville’s Winterfest Lights Garner Top Honor

Sevierville’s Winterfest Lights were recently named to The Top 10 Lesser-Known (But Just as Bright!) Holiday Lights in the U.S. This according to the the Society of American Travel Writers.

Besides Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg also display their share of Winterfest lights. It’s quite spectacular if you haven’t seen them for yourself. On the list, the town’s Winterfest lights rank 8th among the light displays which also include ones from Kauai, Hawaii; Charlotte, N.C.; Pine Mountain, Ga.; and Louisville, Ky.

Good news though, if you haven’t had a chance to see them yet, they’ll be up through February.

“Designs include snowflakes, rocking horses, waterfalls, trains, bears, a gristmill and toy soldiers, all lining the Parkway leading to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” the society notes.

Town officials aren’t surprised that such organizations are recognizing Sevierville’s aesthetics. The town welcomes thousands of visitors throughout the holiday season who come through to see the lighted displays. It was just a matter of time before word got out in this day of being socially engaged, that Sevierville’s Christmas display was one that should be recognized. Visitors have been flocking to the area for years during the holiday season.

Officially, the Society of American Travel Writers is an organization based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and founded in 1955, of journalists, public relations workers and other professionals that number in the thousands.

An honor like this appeals directly to the public. It comes from an unbiased source whose job is to recognize such areas because of factors such as public sentiment and popularity.

Sevierville has been recognized in years past for such spring and summer offerings as the Bloomin’ BBQ and Bluegrass Festival as well as Springfest, but the recognition of Winterfest is a first when it comes to the winter season. Winterfest, as well as the holiday shopping and tourism season, have been a real drawing point for Sevierville, as well as Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg over the recent years.

Aside from the lighting displays, Winterfest will really get going this month with such events as Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, the Tennessee Winter Special Olympics held at Ober Gatlinburg and the Rose Glen Literary Festival in Sevierville, held at Walters State Community College.

With all these winter offerings, Sevierville’s Winterfest lighting display won’t be the last nationally recognized winter event in the area. It seems it’s just a matter of time now.

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland Closes Sunday

You’ve got exactly one weekend to take in the best, and last, of Sevierville’s Christmas with Shadrack’s Annual Christmas Wonderland at Smokies Stadium in Kodak. After Sunday, that’s it until November. The lights come down and on to baseball season.

If you haven’t been this year, you’re in for a treat. Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland in Sevierville is packed with even more lights, and it’s all set to some of your favorite holiday tunes.

If you’re staring at a calendar, you have until January 6 to get over to the stadium in Kodak, just across the main road from Bass Pro Shops and right behind Cracker Barrel and McDonalds.

Officials with Shadrack’s have been impressed with the large turnout this year, aided by a whole new section lighting. In all, it’s been a record turnout so far and officials are already looking forward to next Christmas’ show. It promises to be even bigger and better, with few more wrinkles and additions.

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland at Smokies Park is located outside Smokies Stadium at Exit 407 off I-40. Besides the light show, there is an area set up for concessions as well as a petting zoo, animal rides, as well as other carnival-type rides with a holiday theme. All of these attractions do cost money in addition to the entrance fee for each car going through Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland.

Admission to Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland at Smokies Stadium is $20 per car and family van.

Sevierville Lawyers

Whether you’ve been injured in an accident, seeking legal representation in a suit, or whatever the case, there is no shortage of lawyers who practice and have offices located in Sevierville. From accident and injury lawyers to family to general council and business law, there is someone well-versed in the law of the land that will represent you.

A number of law offices can be found in the immediate downtown Sevierville area near the Sevier County Courthouse. Just a quick walk around any block downtown and you’re sure to walk past a couple handfuls of law offices.

Lawyers practicing in Sevierville and Sevier County, TN:

Scott D. Hall
Business Organization, Products Liability, Medical Malpractice, Eminent Domain, Collection
105 Bruce Street,
Sevierville, TN 37862

Charlie R. Johnson
Corporate, Business Organization, Commercial Leasing, Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums
150 Court Ave.,
Sevierville, TN 37862

Jeffrey R. Murrell
Banking & Finance, Corporate, Business Organization, Employment Discrimination, Employment
150 Court Ave.,
Sevierville, TN 37862

Travis J. Ledgerwood
Social Security — Disability, Family Law, Government Agencies, Antitrust, Constitutional Law
121 Court Avenue,
Sevierville, TN 37862, Free Consultation

Joseph Andrew Baker
Social Security — Disability, Family Law, Government Agencies, Antitrust, Constitutional Law
121 Court Avenue,
Sevierville, TN 37862, Free Consultation Continue reading “Sevierville Lawyers”

Salvation Army makes a big difference in Sevierville’s Christmas season.

With all the symbolism that comes with the Christmas season, it can be argued that few carry as much weight and touch as many people as the Salvation Army. That’s especially true in Sevierville and has been for years.

Fill the Truck for Local Kids is a nation-wide program, but all clothing and toys gathered at the Sevierville Walmart will go to Sevier County children.

“The important thing is the toys stay in Sevier County,” said officials with the local chapter of the Salvation Army.

Along with Fill the Truck, The Salvation Army is currently accepting donations with its annual Red Kettle Campaign, where volunteers ring bells outside 18 area stores to encourage shoppers to drop donations into their red kettles.

The campaign, which began around Thanksgiving and will end Christmas Eve, is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and has been since it was created 122 years ago.

Another holiday program The Salvation Army sponsors is the Angel Tree Program, where the organization identifies families in need and sets them up with sponsors to provide gifts, primarily clothes, for the angel of the family — a child of 12 years or younger.

Fill the Truck is designed to supplement the Angel Tree Program. The wish is to provide sponsors for 750 angels this year.

“We would love for people to sponsor angels, and if they have two hours to spare, give us a call to ring some bells,” said officials. “Again, the money stays in the county.”

The French Broad River

The French Broad River is one of the two rivers that combines to form the Tennessee River. This river that starts in Western North Carolina has been a huge influence on the economic advancement of the state of Tennessee and has had a huge impact on Sevierville itself. These rambling waters have been celebrated for years and have provided plenty of recreation opportunities, from fishing to boating.

As the French Broad River begins its journey in Tennessee, it flows through Cocke County (next to Sevier County). The Pigeon River and the Nolichucky both empty into the French Broad before the river meets Douglas Dam and forms Douglas Lake. This lake, formed by the damming of the river was a TVA project and has form ed one of the best sports fishing lakes in Tennessee. Dandridge, TN sits on the banks of the river and people visiting the Tennessee side of the Smokies find themselves drawn to Douglas Lake for its beauty and for the recreational opportunities that it offers.

Past the dam, the French Broad continues on its way and it is to the next 10 miles of the river that I would like to draw your attention. This ten mile stretch of water might be one of the best flatwater kayaking and canoeing rivers in the state. Using one of the public ramps right below the dam, if you time your trip with the times they are generating water, you can start your paddle down the river in style – with a push of water behind you. The first 5 miles of this float will take you through the full range of of the French Broad from narrowing turns and twists where the water moves relatively fast to broad sections of flatwater where you have to paddle to go anywhere. 5 miles form the dam, you reach a take out under the Hwy 66 bridge near the Smoky Mountain Knife Works. Stop here and plan for your trip back to your car or continue down the river for another 5 miles.

The second part of this 10 mile float starts with a set of rapids where the Little Pigeon River dumps into the French Broad. These are barely class 1 rapids but they are fun to play in. The river will again swell and narow as it winds around bend after bend. You will start to see big crappie in the water and notice that the bank on the right hand side of the river is dotted with eagle nest here and there. If you are lucky and take you time you might get to see some of the birds in action. About 1 mile before the Ellis take out (10 miles from the dam) you will come to a small island with a class 2 rapid on one side of the island and a very shallow portion on the other side. Right past the rapids are a great place to play in the water and enjoy the river.

If you continue on down the French Broad past the Ellis take out you will eventually run into the Holston. It is at this point, that the Tennessee River is formed at the convulsion of these two rivers. The Tennessee then continues on into Knoxville and heads south. The French Broad is a great place to play int he water and take in the sights. Rent a canoe or a kayak and get out to the great outdoors.

Sevier County Farmers Co-Op

The Farmer’s Co-Op in Sevier County is a great all around co-op. Co-Operatives like this one are a dying breed. Full of everything you need to run a farm, get a tractor fixed and buy supplies for your animals (big and small), or maybe just come in to find those special items that fit the bill when you are shopping for that special someone, that someone that likes there hats in John Deere green and their work boots with a little camo on the side.

Farmer’s Co-Operatives were established during the early part of the 20th century. The idea is that a co-operative would help farmers by providing the itesm that they needed to run their farms at a cheaper price. Being a part of the co-op back in the day gave you the ability to buy your seeds on credit, get a tractor fixed when it broke down during harvest and a group of people, including the local extension agent to call on when you had questions. The co-op provided literally everything that you needed to keep a farm running, to go from planting to harvest and back again. Bins full of seed, aisles with feed on one side and tack on the other were the norm for people visiting the cop-op. In Sevier County when so many of the people lived an agrarian lifestyle, before the economy changed with the influx of tourism, the co-op kept the people of Sevier County going.

The co-op still benefits the farmers of the area. It provides discounts on the goods they need to keep their family farms going, but it is much more then that as well. The co-op is also a really great place to shop. From farm clothing like Carhart jackets and work pants to boots, the co-op can be a great place for those people that like that country-look when they are buying clothes. And if you have a John Deer collector in your house, they have that merchandise for you as well. And as far as supplies for your pets goes, the co-op might be one of the best pet stores in all of Sevier County.

And, if you need another reason to go to the co-op, think about the history of our country. There are many towns that n longer have a co-op, there are many young people that have never been through the doors of a co-op and would have no idea what one is. Take that young person in your life to the co-op. Let them walk around the store, let them explore a store that was established for a different time in our country’s history. Let them see how a different segment of our society lived and shop, let them shop at the co-op.

Holiday Weekend Great for Sevierville

To say that Thanksgiving weekend is a cash cow for Smoky Mountain towns like Sevierville would be putting it very lightly. This past long weekend, which included Thanksgiving and the quasi-holiday of Black Friday saw long lines, long waits, and even longer receipts in stores and restaurants.

Area cabin rentals and hotels had been sold out for weeks – an encouraging sign in these economic times, all that was left was for people to return to their buying habits of years past. And oh did they. Restaurants like the new Joe’s Crab Shack at Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Mall, Red Lobster, and the Applewood Farmhouse reported waits over the weekend as long as an hour and many local eateries even stayed open to serve Thanksgiving dinner. Thousands people came through Sevierville restaurants over the weekend be it locals and visitors alike.

It helped that it was a holiday weekend, but with all the Christmas events and shopping opportunities, the Smokies are just coming into their busy season. Most, being it cabin rental companies, hotels, or just retail stores, mark Thanksgiving as the start of the busy shopping/traveling season in the Smoky Mountains.

Even officials with the University of Tennessee in nearby Knoxville have gotten in on the act, predicting a strong year economically for the area as compared to 2011.

Sevier County, considered the engine that powers the East Tennessee tourism machine, saw an 8.4 percent increase in hotel room sales from January to September 2012 compared to the same nine month period last year. This from UT officials. After this weekend, it’s likely that the trend will continue through the end of the year. A great way to start the busy holiday season in the Smokies and an even better way to end it.

Winter Weather in Sevierville

Break out the big coats because winter weather is back in Sevierville!

Sevierville, Tn is an ideal destination if you’re looking to experience all of nature’s seasons in full – especially winter. And with each new Sevierville winter and following season, one seems to outdo the other as spring blooms into life with its wondrous flowers and wildlife, and summer brings on the warm, sunny days – perfect for taking a dip in the pool, lake, or one of the many mountain streams. Trees of spectacular color, the numerous local festivals, foods, and that sweet lil’ nip in the air make fall the most popular time to come to the Smokies. Meanwhile, the winter season often covers the mountains with a thick, white layer of snow. That’s the best time to be in a cabin up in the Smoky Mountains, right in front of a big fire. When you sit back and look at it, there isn’t a “bad” time to visit the Smoky Mountains and Sevierville. There’s always something to do, regardless of the weather!

For all you planners and trip advisers, we’ve posted the average daily temperatures below as well as a link to find the current weather conditions and forecast in Sevierville, Tn:

Average temperatures in Sevierville, TN

Month	Avg. High	Avg. Low
Jan	46°F	25°F
Feb	51°F	27°F
Mar	61°F	34°F
Apr	69°F	43°F
May	77°F	53°F
Jun	84°F	61°F
Jul	87°F	65°F
Aug	86°F	64°F
Sep	81°F	57°F
Oct	71°F	43°F
Nov	59°F	35°F
Dec	50°F	27°F

Sevierville Weather Forecast, TN (37862)

Insider tip:
Get weather and road condition information in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN by calling:
Using your cell phone in TN: 511
Nationally: 1-877-244-0065
Locally in Pigeon Forge: (865)436-1200

Walters State

Walters State Community College in Sevierville is a public community college aimed at educating East Tennessee residents and improving the overall economic offerings of the Smoky Mountain region.

Walters State offers an educational curriculum that prepares students to earn associates degrees in Arts, Science, Science in Teaching, and Applied Science, or certificates in programs of study of one year or less. Walters State also supports non-credit programs that offer workforce development.

Established in 1970, Walters State serves around 7,000 credit students and over 4,000 non-credit students between its campuses in Sevierville, Morristown, Greeneville, and Tazewell, TN.

Currently, Walters State fields 6 nationally competitive intercollegiate athletic teams in the sports of baseball, softball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, golf, and volleyball.

The Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center hosts over 60 events annually including horse and livestock shows, BMX racing, boat and RV shows, concerts, high school and college graduation ceremonies and rodeos. Located in White Pine, TN, the expo center is a 98,000 square-foot pavilion with a 300′ x 150′ show ring and seats 3,900 comfortably. Also included the Ray and Barbara Bible Equestrian Center, which includes four horse barns (100 stalls each), a covered warm-up ring that connects to the pavilion and an outdoor ring. A campground for RV’s with 32 parking spaces that include water and electric hookups is located on the property as well.

Walters State Community College is currently presided over by Dr. Wade McCamey, president.

Walters State Community College
Sevierville Campus
1720 Old Newport Hwy
Sevierville, TN 37876
865-774-5800

Sevierville Visitors Center

What’s going on in Sevierville? Find out at the Sevierville Visitors Center.

What is there to do in Sevierville, Tennessee? Ever wondered, or asked someone that question? There’s an easy answer. Actually there are many answers and they can be found in one place: the Sevierville Visitors Center.

If you’re wondering what to do, who do you ask? New things to do are being scheduled all the time. Stop at the Sevierville Visitor Center located at 3099 Winfield Dunn Parkway just 1.5 miles from I-40 Exit 407 when you arrive in town to find out if there have been any great events scheduled recently or any new attractions that you can add into your trip.

Spend the day visiting exciting attractions and the nights attending spectacular shows. Eat everything from home cooking to exotic dinners at a wide variety of restaurants and shop at the best malls in the Great Smoky Mountains. Relax for a day with a massage and body wrap at one of our full-service spas or say “fore” on the 18th hole at the Sevierville Golf Club. Sevierville even offers outdoor adventures from fishing and hiking to trail riding and whitewater rafting.

While there are always exciting things to see and do in Sevierville, there are also special events that add extra fun to any visit. Stop by the Sevierville Visitors Center on your way into town and find out what’s going on today.

You can also call ahead to 1-888-SEVIERVILLE (738-4378) and speak with an information specialist.