The Fifth Annual Smoky Mountain Songwriter’s Festival will take place August 24th through August 28th 2016. This is four days of one hundred twenty free live music shows in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Songwriter’s Festival celebrates the talented writers behind some of the biggest hits by the biggest names. Many of these writers celebrate their origins in the Appalachians of eastern Tennessee and want to share their talents with everyone. Their motto is “there would not be a song without a songwriter.”
Saturday night, August 25th, there will be a ticketed concert at the Glenstone Lodge, 505 Historic Nature Trail Road in Gatlinburg. Tickets for this concert will be twenty dollars each for adults and ten dollars each for children ages five to twelve. This concert will feature three of the writers of Garth Brooks’ hit songs, including Pat Alger, Kent Blazy and Tony Arata. Singer and Songwriter Sylvia “Nobody” will be performing the pre-show. The doors of the Glenstone Lodge open at 6PM sharp and the show starts at 7PM. Tickets will be available at the door unless they sell out online.
Alger, Blazy and Arata will also be part of “Songwriter Advice from Hall of Famers,” a live panel that will be part of the Festival. Those interested in attending this workshop panel should register online and are welcome to bring their own songs with them during the question and answer portion of the workshop.
Another ticketed show will take place on Friday, August 26th at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge. Emi Sunshine and her band the Rain will be performing at a limited-seating event that begins at 8PM. Doors will open at 7PM and tickets will be available if they do not sell out online first. Tickets for this show will be fifteen dollars for adults and eight dollars for kids ages six to twelve. Emi and her mother, Alisha Hamilton, also welcome anyone to their workshop for aspiring songwriters called “Inspired Beginnings in Songwriting.” This workshop will take place at ten in the morning and runs until noon on Saturday, August 27th at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort.
Also at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, the Farm Hands Quartet will be performing in concert on the night of Saturday, August 27th. This award-winning band will start their show at 8PM and the doors open at 6PM. Like the other shows, unless it sells out online tickets will be available at the door.
The Opening Ceremonies for the Festival will kick off at the Historic Gatlinburg Inn on Thursday, August 25th starting at 7:15 PM. An upcoming talent, Karen Waldrup will be hosting the pre-show and Keith Anderson will be hosting the Kick-off Show. Keith has written songs for Big & Rich, Garth Brooks and George Jones. He has been nominated for CMA and ACM awards.
Anyone who will be visiting Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge for the 2016 Songwriters Festival is encouraged to make it known when they reserve their lodgings for their stay.