Jan 30, 2022
Peaceful Side of the 2022 Smoky Mountain Events
Welcome to our 2022 Smoky Mountain Events! We are thrilled to bring the Peaceful Side of the Smokies a year of inviting events from the Bigfoot Festival to Grains and Grits. Check out all of this year’s events below and book your trip now.
Bronco Truck Show (April 20 – 23)
Bronco Driver Magazine presents Super Celebration at Townsend Visitor Center. It has been hosted annually since 2006 in the quiet Smoky Mountain Town of Townsend, Tennessee (Just outside of Pigeon Forge).
This four-day event – is the world’s largest bronco enthusiast gathering: on-site activities, daily drives, awards, product giveaways, and more. Click here for Registration Info.
Bigfoot Festival (May 7, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm)
The Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Festival offers live music, vendors, food trucks, a bigfoot calling competition, oral history, famous bigfoot researchers, and so much more.
- The festival kicks off with a 5K and fun run.
- The Cryptopunkologist himself, Kenny W. Irish, author of AMERICAN CRYPTIDS In Pursuit of the Elusive Creatures, shares his knowledge.
- East Tennessee Bladesmith Christy Whitaker, featured in the Netflix show “Forged in Fire,” will be showcasing her skills.
Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games (May 21-22, 9:00 am – 9:00 pm)
Scottish or not, this event will give you and your family a glimpse into the rich traditions and history of our area’s Scottish and Scots-Irish settlers.
- Vibrant cultural and educational presentations
- Scotch tasting seminars
- Border Collies herding demonstration
- Kilted athletes compete in traditional Scottish competitions.
- Dozens of colorful Pipe and Drum band competitions
- Traditional and Modern International Celtic entertainers
- Specialty selected vendors offering Scottish, Irish, and Celtic goods and foods
- Highland dance demonstrations
- Clan tents with genealogical information
Click here for a complete Schedule of Events
Summer on Broadway & Big BBQ Bash (June 24-25, 10:00 am – 9:00 pm.)
The weekend-long Summer on Broadway celebration, set against the backdrop of the Smokies, offers exciting outdoor festivities such as a sanctioned BBQ Cookoff, Farmer’s Market and Craft Fair, and Hops in the Hills Craft Beer Festival. You can also enjoy the Car Show, Dock Dogs, Kid’s Zone, Food Trucks, as well as live music downtown. This summer festival offers a hometown atmosphere while attracting visitors from surrounding cities and states.
Hops in the Hills Craft Beer Festival (June 25, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Warm summer nights, good music, friendly conversation, and local craft beer – what else could you ask for from an evening in the East Tennessee Mountains? Our Hops in the Hills Craft Beer Festival isn’t just another regional beer fest; it’s an event planned with both patron and brewer experience in mind. Limiting ticket sales for the Hops in the Hills event helps keep lines short and allows brewers to discuss their process and product distinctions with an engaged crowd. Ticket prices get you beer tastings, food, an official event t-shirt, and great live music.
Hot Air Balloon Festival (August 20, 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Against the backdrop of a Tennessee Smoky Mountain sunset, watch as professional balloonists light up the sky with a kaleidoscope of color. Then, during the onset of dusk, the tethered balloons begin to inflate and glow through sundown into the night sky. You can expect a day of live bands and entertainment, activities for all ages, food trucks, a beer tent, and the grand finale at sunset.
Taste of Blount (September 8, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm)
Taste of Blount is a collection of savory food favorites from local restaurants, caterers, food trucks, and gourmet grocers who offer samples to event attendees. This friendly competition is back for its 20th year at the Theater in the Park in Maryville.
Smoky Mountain Half-Marathon (September 10, 7:00 am – 11:00 am)
Escape to the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies” with a gorgeous race through the woods. The race starts at 7:00 am in Maryville, TN, and ends at 11:00 am in Townsend, TN. This is a 13.1-mile course in Townsend, TN, United States. The route has a total ascent of 727.48 ft and has a maximum elevation of 1,156.23 ft. It will be an “open course,” meaning there will be cars on the road, as well as runners.
Townsend Fall Festival & Old Timers Day (September 23-24, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm)
The foothills of the Smoky Mountains come to life with Bluegrass music, arts and crafts, time-honored traditions, and Appalachian cooking at the Townsend Fall Festival. This free community event provides an atmosphere where family and friends of all ages can partake in time-honored Appalachian traditions.
Grains and Grits Festival (November 5, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
This event celebrates the legendary prohibition liquor distillers at our annual Grains & Grits Festival in Townsend, TN. It will be a festival of regional craft spirits and local gourmet cuisine tucked into the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. Along with a variety of seasonal gourmet foods, you can also enjoy live music, and the raved about “Ring of Fire.”