From flapjack feasts on suspension bridges to chainsaw-sculpted bears, Gatlinburg’s 2025 events calendar is packed with experiences you won’t find anywhere else in the Smokies.
This round-up of the best events in Gatlinburg goes beyond the expected, highlighting the quirky, surprising, and only-in-Gatlinburg details that make each festival worth the trip.
Annual & Holiday Festivals
Pancakes in the Park
July 26, 2025 | Gatlinburg SkyPark
This isn’t your average breakfast buffet—at Pancakes in the Park, guests dine on unlimited flapjacks while walking 350 feet in the air across the SkyBridge, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America. It’s a surreal, syrup-drenched start to your day with one of the best views in town.
Gatlinburg Harvest Festival
Sept 1–Nov 1, 2025 | Downtown
While many towns decorate with hay bales, Gatlinburg goes bigger—literally. The Harvest Festival features whimsical “Pumpkin People” sculptures, some of which tower three stories tall, that also serve as immersive selfie stations. Look for hidden themes in their outfits (yes, that one is dressed like Dolly).
GatlinBURGER Week
Sept 15–21, 2025 | Citywide
This burger celebration is more than a bite—it’s a citywide competition where diners become judges. Collect stamps from 20+ restaurants, taste wild creations (elk burgers or candied jalapeño glaze, anyone?), then vote for your favorite. The cook-off finale has become a local cult favorite.
Ripley’s Trick-or-Treat Kick-Off Karnival
Oct 31, 2025 | Aquarium Plaza
This isn’t just candy and costumes—inside the aquarium’s shark tunnel, scuba-diving “mermaids” hand out glowing trick-or-treat bags underwater. It’s spooky, safe, and surprisingly magical for younger kids.
Winter Magic Kickoff & Chili Cookoff
Nov 6, 2025 | Parkway
As Gatlinburg flips the switch on five million winter lights, the real heat is in the chili pots. Sample dozens of recipes, but don’t miss the collectible People’s Choice tasting spoon—it changes design each year and is quietly becoming a local collector’s item.
Festival of Trees
Nov 25–30, 2025 | Convention Center
While most come for the holiday cheer and 75 themed trees, the hidden gem is the silent auction’s “Wish Tree,” adorned in hand-blown glass ornaments by regional artists. Bids go fast—arrive early if you’re hoping to bring one home.
Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade
Dec 5, 2025 | Parkway
This beloved holiday parade draws thousands, but the showstopper is “Snowflake Lane,” a 300-foot-long LED float that pulses to synchronized holiday music. Reserve a grandstand seat and you’ll score parking perks that make the experience even merrier.
New Year’s Eve Ball Drop & Fireworks
Dec 31, 2025 | Space Needle
It’s not just fireworks. This bash includes a synchronized drone sky show—200 drones forming shapes like a bear, a heart, and a moonshine jug—all before the midnight ball drops from the Space Needle.
Love Is In The Air
Feb 1–28, 2026 | Gatlinburg SkyPark
February turns romantic at the “Tunnel of Love”—a pink-lit SkyBridge where couples walk hand-in-hand through hearts overhead. Friday nights include giveaways like vow renewals or “SkyBridge Sweetheart” photo ops.
Sweet Week
Feb 9–15, 2026 | Citywide
What’s better than chocolate? Watching chocolatiers sculpt it live into dragons and high-heeled shoes at Ole Smoky’s courtyard showdown. Don’t miss the pop-up dessert menus across town—many are one-week exclusives.
Smoky Mountain Wine Fest
Mar 7, 2026 | Arrowmont Campus
Sip more than 100 Tennessee wines while enjoying seminars like “Chardonnay & Cheese Pairing for Beginners.” The barefoot Grapestomp finals—complete with squeals, spills, and wine-stained legs—are the grand finale.
St. Patrick’s Week Celebration
Mar 13–17, 2026 | Downtown & SkyPark
Gatlinburg goes all in for St. Paddy’s: think green waterfalls, Celtic bands, and the SkyBridge glowing emerald at night. Spot the roaming bagpiper who’s known to serenade solo travelers with a jig.
Gatlinburg SpringFest
Mar 20–June 1, 2026 | Downtown
The star here isn’t just the 150,000 blooming flowers—it’s the light-up kinetic sculptures that shimmer after dark, creating a surreal after-hours garden walk right in the heart of town.
Music & Food Experiences
All American Summer
Nightly through Aug 31, 2025 | The Village
This family-friendly concert series unfolds on the porch of a quaint shopping village. Saturday nights feature “Patriot Pickers,” a bluegrass trio with a washboard soloist who’s become a local legend.
Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales
Nightly through Jul 26, 2025 | Parkway
More than a music fest, this nightly storytelling walk blends folklore, puppetry, and a closing puppet parade led by the “Appalachian Critters”—a raccoon band that plays handmade instruments.
United Tastes of America
Daily through Aug 10, 2025 | Anakeesta
This culinary passport takes you across global cuisines without leaving the Smokies. The Nepali momo dumplings usually sell out first, so head straight there. New in 2025: the “Spice Passport” stamp challenge.
Ober Mountain Whole Hog BBQ
Daily through Sept 1, 2025
This isn’t just BBQ—it’s a mountain-top feast with country karaoke and the Golden Pig Pull, a bark-only tasting challenge judged by scent, texture, and crackle. Winners earn a year of bragging rights.
Bear-Varian Fall Festival
Sept 13–Oct 31, 2025 | Anakeesta
Where else can you sip pumpkin beer beside a 22-foot animatronic bear in lederhosen? Oktoberfest meets the Smokies in this quirky mountain mash-up of polka, crafts, and beer flights.
Astra Lumina Night Walk
Oct 7, 2025–Jan 4, 2026 | Anakeesta
This immersive forest walk transforms into a celestial dreamscape with holographic meteors, glowing trees, and ambient music. It’s a photographer’s dream—and an unforgettable date night.
Craft & Art Shows
Summer Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair
Jul 17–20, 2025 | Convention Center
This is where you can buy a dulcimer and learn to build it on the spot. With 200 juried booths, the fair blends shopping with hands-on Appalachian heritage.
Fall Craftsmen’s Fair
Oct 2–19, 2025 | Convention Center
Beyond the pumpkins and pottery, this fair is known for its “Crafts on the Spot” demo zone where artisans create live—from wheel-thrown mugs to feather painting.
Smoky Mountain Gift Show
Nov 5–8, 2025 | Convention Center
For boutique buyers, this is Christmas in November. The trade-only show offers a “Sneak Peek Espresso Hour” each morning—because decisions are easier with caffeine and curated giftware.
Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Thanksgiving Show
Nov 25–30, 2025 | Convention Center
Holiday shoppers can watch chainsaws turn logs into whimsical bear sculptures in real time. Bonus: Thanksgiving Day often brings free parking and smaller crowds.
Specialty Events & Car-Culture Shows
Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference
Jul 26, 2025 | Convention Center
This quirky conference sells out fast. Hear TV-famous cryptid hunters, browse Bigfoot plushies in kilts, and grab a “Squatch Watcher” patch for your backpack.
Smoky Mountain Rod Run
Sept 11–13, 2025 | Pigeon Forge
More than 1,000 hot rods roll in—but the Friday Top 25 cruise steals the show with choreographed lighting, rev-offs, and music timed to engine roars. Pro tip: ride Gatlinburg’s 441 shuttle and walk in.
Jeeptoberfest
Oct 10, 2025 | Gatlinburg SkyPark
It’s not just a Jeep meet. It’s the only time Jeeps parade across the SkyBridge lit in neon, creating a glowing, growling convoy in the clouds. Riders get SkyBridge access; spectators park and ride up via SkyLift.
Let Your Planning Begin
Ready to plan your trip around the quirkiest, tastiest, and most memorable events in Gatlinburg? These festivals aren’t just dates on a calendar—they’re full-sensory experiences that make the mountains even more magical.
