00:28Good morning, Sue, can you hear me?
00:30Yes, I can.
00:31Wonderful.
00:32Good morning.
00:33I've always enjoyed Pigeon Forge.
00:35I mean, obviously, I've been up to Dollywood and done all that, but there's so much that
00:39this city has, you know, food, you know, traditions, celebrations.
00:44Could you sort of talk about going into this season?
00:47What is the most interesting for you, but also what you think might be most interesting
00:52for both families and, say, couples?
00:56Sure.
00:57So, in Pigeon Forge this fall, we're really excited about all the things there are to
01:02see and do.
01:02And the best part is you can choose to do as little.
01:05You can have that quiet getaway, or you can have just an action-packed getaway to Pigeon
01:10Forge with more than 100 attractions.
01:12That include, of course, Dollywood, and they have a great fall festival called Great Pumpkin
01:17Lumenites, and actually have added a candy corn country for this year.
01:22And then, if you can see my background, I'm at the island today, and they have the Jurassic
01:25Adventure.
01:26There are 22 animatronic dinosaurs, full-size, throughout the park, and they are, they'll talk
01:33to you.
01:33They will, in their dinosaur voice, of course.
01:37But all free, so a great opportunity.
01:41And then we have great new attractions throughout Pigeon Forge.
01:43We have a racing coaster.
01:44So, you and your most competitive friend, you can jump on the coaster and race down the
01:49mountain and see who has the fastest speed.
01:52But add that into Great Smoky Mountains National Park as our backdrop.
01:55And take time to go into the park, whether it's a hike, or even this time of year, you can
02:00take a hayride, horseback riding, or just that, that great picnic, you know, enjoy the park
02:07during the splendor of the beauty of fall.
02:39We'll see you next time.
02:48Now, can you talk about the balance between, obviously, there's a lot of adrenaline, there's
02:53a lot of outdoor, but also the relaxation aspect of it, because obviously, there's so
02:57much great food, stuff like that.
02:59Can you talk about, you know, the balance?
03:01Because a lot of this stuff is new, too.
03:04It's a lot of stuff that's come out most recently.
03:07Yes, it truly is.
03:08You know, that's like I said, you can be as quiet, whether it's enjoying that weekend
03:12and enjoying the spa.
03:14We have great spas in Pigeon Forge, but also those quiet walkways.
03:18We've got greenways along the river here in Pigeon Forge.
03:21And just taking that experience, we have new bike rentals.
03:24So, you can rent a bike for your family and enjoy that bike ride down the greenway and
03:29throughout Pigeon Forge.
03:30Or you can, if you're that adrenaline junkie, then you can.
03:33We have Mountain Monster, which is a 200-foot drop that you can enjoy, along with all of
03:39the quietness that you can find at the Old Mill Historic District, enjoying that blacksmith,
03:45you know, making that knife from scratch with your family and creating those memories that
03:51last a lifetime.
03:52Can you talk about the balance of, like, history?
03:54Because Pigeon Forge, there is so much history, but yet it, you know, for people who don't
03:58know, could you sort of describe geographically where it is and, you know, how it's nestled
04:03right where it is?
04:04So, we are, we're just right off Interstate 40, just a short drive, within a day's drive
04:12of two-thirds of the population east of the Mississippi River.
04:15So, we're a short drive to many destinations.
04:18And there is that balance.
04:19We're just right off the interstate.
04:20So, it's an easy way to get into a quiet getaway.
04:26Or, like I said, if you want to, in all the action, then, you know, it's totally up to
04:32you on what you plan for your getaway.
04:50You know, what have you found people have responded most to in Pigeon Forge?
04:55And maybe, what would you like them to sort of check out that maybe they haven't discovered
04:58yet?
05:00Well, we have new attractions in Pigeon Forge.
05:02We have the Truth Traveler, which is an arc encounter experience.
05:06And you travel back in time all the way to the Garden of Eden.
05:10And so, that's a, it's a new experience in Pigeon Forge.
05:14At Dollywood, they've added, they've added new items for their Great Pumpkin Lemonites.
05:19And as we go into the season, just throughout the town, they really take fall into consideration.
05:24And they create menus.
05:26They fix their shows to where they're more fall-oriented.
05:29And then, just great shopping and craft shows.
05:32So, it gives you that feel of being, I like to say, it's our home away from home for our
05:37visitors.
05:38Now, just looking behind you, because I know we talked about it briefly with the island.
05:41But can you talk about, because it seems that so many different things there.
05:45It's, you can find what you want to do.
05:47Could you talk a little bit more about that and when that came to be?
05:50Yes, I can.
05:52So, the island is actually 13 years old.
05:54And it is a great mix of retail, of great dining, and attractions.
06:00So, the great thing about here, they have, if your kids, young or small, have something
06:05to do here at the island.
06:07And you can walk into the island and it's free of charge.
06:10So, whatever you elect to do, you can choose your own budget-friendly vacation or spend,
06:15you know, enjoy everything that there is to see and do throughout Pigeon Forge and the
06:19island.
06:42And my last question to you, thank you very much.
06:44You know, we've talked about all these different places, and you've talked a little bit about
06:47the celebrations.
06:47You talked about the one at Dollywood.
06:49Could you talk about ones that are maybe coming up?
06:51Because people are starting to plan, obviously, they're October, they're November.
06:54Is there some great festivals during that time that you would suggest people come out
06:58and see?
06:59Well, of course, Dollywood has great pumpkin luminites during fall.
07:03And then, as we enter right into November, with Smoky Mountain Winterfest that's in Pigeon
07:08Forge, between us, Dollywood, and the island, and many other businesses that decorate, we've
07:14got almost 10 million lights, including that is our Greenway experience, which is a mile
07:19and a half of lights that you and your family can walk through, take great photo opportunities,
07:25great ways to create memories during that holiday season.
07:28Add in the shows that we have, great Christmas shows, dinner shows.
07:32There are so many options.
07:33It's a great way for your family to create the experience based on what you like to do.
08:07We'll see you next time.
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