Labor Day is one of the best times of year to visit the Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and surrounding areas offer natural beauty as well as entertainment and historic sites. The weather is ideal for hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities. Let’s look at some of the events that will be taking place in the Smokies this Labor Day.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Labor Day is ideal for spending time outdoors and exploring one of the nation’s most beautiful national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is part of the famous Appalachian Trail, which attracts thousands of hikers each year. One of the nice things about visiting the park is that it gives you a break from the crowds and gives you the chance to visit spectacular waterfalls and vistas with amazing views of the region.
There are all kinds of activities in the park, including hiking, fishing, boating and wildlife viewing. You can find short and easy hikes or you can spend a whole day on some of the more challenging trails. If you enjoy fishing or boating, you can visit spots such as Fontana Lake. If you want to see the region on horseback, Cades Cove Riding Stables offers horseback riding as well as carriage rides and hayrides.
Dollywood, one of the most popular attractions in the Smokies, is always a fun place to take the family over Labor Day weekend. In addition to Dollywood Theme Park, there’s Splash Country, the water park. Dollywood is full of rides, entertainment and exhibits. You can easily spend an entire day enjoying the festivities. Dollywood always has a special show for Labor Day. This year, you can see Rock the Smokies, which features Newsboys, Third Day, For King & Country and other leading Christian rock groups. This show will take place at the Celebrity Theater in Dollywood on September 3, 2016. Shows will be at 1, 4 and 7 p.m.
The 46th Smoky Mountain Folk Festival gives you a chance to experience some of the region’s rich musical traditions. It will be held at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center September 2-3, 2016. The festival will feature banjo players, ballad singers, fiddlers, square dancers and traditional instruments such as bagpipes, harmonicas and dulcimers. Some of the featured acts include Lee Knight, Southern Appalachian Cloggers, Folk Heritage Smooth Dancers and The Cockman Family.
The 110th Canton Labor Day Festival, which is the oldest running Labor Day event in the entire South, will take place on September 4-5 in downtown Canton, North Carolina. The schedule includes a farmer’s market, vintage car show, handmade crafts expo, a kid’s village and a parade. You can also visit the Canton Historical Museum while visiting.
These are just a few of the events you can enjoy in the Smoky Mountains this Labor Day weekend. This is your last chance to enjoy summer festivities in this beautiful region. The weather is still warm, but temperatures are starting to cool off by early September. This is the perfect time to visit one of America’s most beautiful and culturally rich regions.