Christmas in the Smoky Mountains 2026 starts in early November, with more than 15 million Winterfest lights, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas and three parades in three days. Here’s the full Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg holiday calendar, plus when to go to avoid the crowds.
Gatlinburg's New Year's Eve Ball Drop features the biggest and brightest New Year's Eve ball in the world — a 15-foot Mega LED Ball that drops 200 feet down the Space Needle, the longest ball drop anywhere. Add a choreographed drone show, fireworks launched from the rooftop, and 50,000 people on the Parkway, and you have one of the most distinctive free New Year's celebrations in the country. Here's everything you need to plan your December 31 in Gatlinburg.
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