4 Must-Do Christmas Outings

Posted by Phil Rodgers in Pigeon Forge Attraction

If you've never visited the Great Smoky Mountains during Christmas, you should seriously consider making 2023 the year that you start a new holiday tradition. The mountains are magical this season thanks to the dozens and dozens of attractions and other businesses that not only put on their best Christmas décor but also host unique holiday-themed events that help get everyone into the spirit of things.

It should go without saying that we think Goats on the Roof is a fun place to spend some time this season. We're great for families any time of year, offering an eclectic lineup of attractions that includes live goats, an alpine coaster, gem mining and our new dinosaur-themed mini golf course.

But we also have a few other places to steer you toward if you decide to spend some time in the Smokies this Christmas, whether it's a day trip, a weekend getaway or a full-fledged Christmas vacation (Griswolds not included).

Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland

This drive-through tour of light displays is in a new location this year, Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville. Throughout the experience, guests encounter larger-than-life displays of animated lights, all of which are synchronized with a seasonal music track that plays via your vehicle's radio. The new tour is longer than in previous seasons and includes several additions, including majestic, 25-foot-tall, trumpeting angels and a star-studded pathway. There are also custom-built displays with a Santa's Safari theme, including eventful Jeep excursions and keep-away games with hippos and other guests from the North Pole. After the show, the Snowy Mountain Village inside the waterpark offers refreshments, souvenirs, kids' activities and visits from Santa on select dates.

Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas

The popular Pigeon Forge theme park really gets into the swing of the holiday season every year with this two-month-long festival celebrating Christmas and the winter season. The park is decked out in 6 million colorful lights and light displays, and the decorations - which vary from section to section - are geared to put everyone in the mood for the holidays. The many different live shows are all seasonally themed, and there are lots of special holiday dishes being served in the various restaurants and eateries of the park. Attractions and events like Santa's Village and the Christmas drone show are not to be missed, and all the other components of Dollywood that everyone loves - such as rides, attractions and shops - are going strong during Smoky Mountain Christmas.

Get A Mountaintop View

A special way to experience the Smokies during the Christmas season is to get an aerial view of things. To do that, you could take your pick of three different attractions overlooking downtown Gatlinburg - Anakeesta, SkyWalk Park or Ober Mountain (theoretically, you could visit all three). Each has its own unique lineup of attractions, activities and special events, but what they all offer are amazing views of the Great Smoky Mountains by day and the lights of downtown at night. Whether you travel to your mountaintop destination of choice by Chondola, Aerial Tramway or SkyLIft, you and yours are in for peak holiday fun.

See A Show

Just as all the live shows at Dollywood (mentioned above) take on holiday themes at Christmas, so do the many shows located along the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Venues like Dolly Parton's Stampede, The Comedy Barn, Country Tonite, Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud, Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show, and Paula Deen's Lumberjack Feud Supper Show (just to mention a few) pull out all the stops this time of year and present shows that celebrate Christmas and the entire holiday season. You see it in every aspect of these productions, from the music and costumes to the sets and holiday characters such as Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

This content posted by Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains. Visit our home page, goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com for more information on the goats and their coaster.

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