dinner show – Smokies Guide

Dixie Stampede

The Most Fun Place to Eat in the Smokies!

If there is one show that has made itself a stop for visitors to the area each and every year it is Dixie Stampede. Dixie Stampede became the second big attraction from the owners of Dollywood and Dolly Parton herself. The show is very simply a competition between the two sides of the audience with a faire amount of horsemanship thrown into boot. They also happen to serve one of the best meals that you will find in Pigeon Forge. Dixie Stampede is more than an attraction it is a destination

Dixie Stampede was the first dinner show in Pigeon Forge. Opening in 1988, it has been in the same location since that point and was one of the attractions that opened up the south end of Pigeon Forge. Before that point, the Herschend Company, that owns both Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country, decided that dinner show would go along well with the burgeoning attractions in Pigeon Forge. As Dollywood grew they decided to throw their hat, and the experience that they had with the live shows at Dollywood, into the growing live entertainment field on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. From the time they opened, Dixie Stampede has become one of those places that thousands of visitors to the Smokies make part of the trips to the Smoky Mountains.

Here is the premise behind the show. Once you walk in the door you will realize that you are in an indoor riding arena. The horseshoe shaped seating area covers three sides of the dirt covered ‘ stage.’ The crickets chirping and the man-made stars in the sky lend to the atmosphere. Once the action kicks off though you don’t have time to think about the scenery anymore, this high energy show will keep you on the edge of your seat. Horses, trick riding, games, competitions and plenty of music makes the time fly by. And the competition is the biggest part of the night. The idea is that the two sides of the audience are competing. Throughout most of the year, it is a competition between the North and South, during the winter months it is still the north and south but this time it is the North and South Poles. And not only is the cast involved in this competition but the members of the audience get brought down into the arena itself.

But let’s not forget the food. The food is just as big a highlight as the show. And because it is Dixe Stampede, the food is as big as the show. You get a whole rotisserie chicken, pork tenderloin, corn-on-the-cob, potato wedges, creamy vegetable soup, a biscuit and dessert. I know this sounds like a lot of food, and it is, but if you don’t finish everything they will bring you a doggy bag so that you can take the leftovers back to your hotel or cabin. The food is amazing and the fact that they can serve more than a thousand people while putting on a multi-million dollar show means that you get to watch two shows in one: the show in the arena and the show that the servers put on in the audience.

Make sure that you and your family have been to Dixie Stampede. Make it a tradition, make sure that you have fun eating in the most fun place to eat in the Smokies.

Dixie Stampede
3849 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN
865-453-4400

Hatfield & McCoy’s Dinner Feud

Everyone loves a dinner show. You get to see world class entertainment and you get to eat a great meal at the same time. One of the most successful dinner show locations in the Smokies is the Hatfield & McCoy’s Dinner Feud. Taking its story from the mountain families of the Hatfields and McCoys, there is lots of comedy, lots of music, lots of dancing and lots of food. This is the perfect evening in the Smokies – good family fun in the Smokies with great people and great food.

Most people know the story of the Hatfields and McCoys. Two mountain families that found themselves embroiled in a feud that lasted generations. The show takes a tongue in cheek look at this feud and add a competition between the families to see who can entertain the people at the show more. Singing, dancing, clogging and lots of comedy are brought to you by one of the best casts in Pigeon Forge. This multi-million dollar production brings the fun and the glitz of a live show to thousands of families each season.

It is a dinner show so, of course, we have to talk about the food. Here is what they bring each and every person that comes to show each night:

Feudin’ Fried Chicken
Open Pit Pulled-to-Pieces Pork Barbeque
Southern Style Creamy Soup
Smashed Mashed Taters
Bust Y’er Jeans Pinto Beans
Keep It Comin’ Cornbread
No Tellin’ What’s In It Coleslaw
Granny’s Famous Specialty Dessert

You will have a table full of food. You will find that you are full by the time you are halfway through with your chicken. Arrive hungry and prepared to eat because there is no shortage of food at the Hatfields and McCoys Dinner Feud.

And talk about easy to find. When you first pull into town at traffic light ‘0,’ you can see the Hatfield and McCoys theater at the top of the next hill. Look for the Titanic and turn before you get to it and you are at the Hatfields and McCoys Dinner Feud. Call and make reservations so that you get the best seats possible. Let the courteous staff help you plan your evening and get you prepared for a great night out in the Smokies. If you have been coming to the area for a number of years, you will know this location and theater as the old home of the Black Bear Jamboree. The same folks still own the theater and they are still bringing the funny and the talent to the stage each and every show. Come feud, come eat, come enjoy!

Hatfield & McCoy’s Dinner Feud
119 Music Rod
Pigeon Forge, TN
865-908-7469
http://www.hatfieldmccoydinnerfeud.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hatfieldmccoy

Lumberjack Feud Dinner Show

Lumberjack Feud is now Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Adventures. Information is maintained below for historical purposes.

One of the newest entertainment venues in Pigeon Forge, TN is the Lumberjack Feud. The Lumberjack Feud is one of the first non-musical shows in Pigeon Forge and it’s a dinner show to boot. Their state of the art theater is located right off the parkway between traffic lights 3 and 4. The theater is divided into seats for the dinner and show and seats that are just for the show. As you enter the theater, you get your picture taken with your entire party and then you are escorted to your seats. You will find that the cast you will see in the show later is helping to seat the audience. There of course is an opportunity to get plenty of snacks at the concession stand, if you chose not to do the dinner and show, as you make your way to your seats.

As the lights go down and the show starts, you are entertained by Danny Black – the ‘world famous lumberjack of the Smokies.’ Danny is the host for the show and helps move the action along and make sure that everyone is following the plot. Besides that he is extraordinarily funny, a talented juggler and physical comedian and he masterfully works the crowd. The crowd interaction starts immediately as well, with people in the crowd being brought onto the stage and made part of the show.

The plot is a feud between two logging families in the Smokies. The show takes place right around the time that the Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been created by President Roosevelt. The time of logging in the Smokies is almost over and the two families can see that they are not going to be logging in the Smokies anymore so there is a competition to decide which family has the best lumberjacks and lumberjills in the Smokies.

The competition portion is great. These are professional lumberjacks that are participating in traditional lumberjack sports. The events that are featured include: the standing shop, cross-cut saw pull, log rolling and much more. The hot saw is a crowd favorite. They fire up the saws, let the engines warm up and then make two of the fastest cuts you will ever see made at a dinner show. Of course, seeing lumberjack games at a dinner show is a little odd anyway. They even get their family pets into the action with a series of dog games including a long jump into the pool that is the center of the stage.

The main action in that pool is the log rolling event that ends the evening and decides the winner of the nights show. As you cheer on your family (the audience is divided in two halves to cheer on the different families) two of the lumberjacks take to the log and began to roll against each other. The feet are flying and the water is splashing and you are waiting for someone to go into the drink. They do a best out-of-three competition and it really is the highlight of the show.

Make sure that you check out the Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. It is brand new, it is completely different and it will make memories for your family that you will never forget. The facility is amazing; there is a great cast and something completely different from the traditional variety show that you usually see in Pigeon Forge.