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Ripleys Aquarium Gatlinburg Penguin Playhouse Now Open

The new Penguin Playhouse exhibit at Ripleys Aquarium is now officially open. The exhibit has 30,000 gallons of saltwater for the penguins to explore as well as tunnels and an outdoor area.

The highlight of the new Penguin Playhouse exhibit is the clear, acrylic bubble/tube that allows patrons to get virtually nose-to-nose with the penguins. It sits in the middle of the African blackfooted penguins’’ indoor habitat. This is a unique feature that is not featured at any other penguin exhibit. Acrylic portions of the floor also provide unique photo opportunities.

There are currently 18 penguins at the Gatlinburg Ripley’s Aquarium with 12 more expected at some point. The new Penguin Playhouse is located at site of the former Veranda Restaurant.

Ripleys Aquarium Gatlinburg tickets are on sale now.

Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival Features Art & Entertainment

The Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival is scheduled for May 15 & 16, 2010. The two-day street fair will take place at Ripley’s Aquarium & River Road, alongside the beauty of downtown Gatlinburg. The FREE is open to the public and will feature artists in categories ranging from ceramics to watercolor to woodworking.

Participating exhibitors are chose by a jury in 16 categories and they compete for $10,000 in cash and prizes. The event is a great opportunity for the artists to be lauded for their works and is also a great opportunity for visitors to explore the best in fine art.

On May 14, there is a special “Night with the Artist Party” planned at the Mills Auditorium. The party does require a $50 ticket, but the ticket price is returned to attendees in the form of a voucher that can be used at any artist’s both during the Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival.

The 6th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival is also the kick-off event for the popular Gatlinburg Tunes & Tales. These acts will perform at the Artist Party on May 14 and throughout the two-day festival.

Gatlinburg Scottish Festival & Games Scheduled for May

The Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games returns to the Smoky Mountain area May 14-16, 2010. The event is part of Gatlinburg Springfest and will feature entertainment, food, history, parades and games.

The 29th annual Scottish games will take place at Mills Park on May 15 & 16. The games will begin at 8:30am on both days and will feature professional and amateur athletes competing in traditional Scottish event like tossing the Scottish haggis, turning the caber, highland wrestling and the manhood stones.

The parade, scheduled for May 14, will begin at 6pm and the route will be on the main parkway in Gatlinburg. There will be a Gala reception at the Quality Inn Creekside following the parade.

Entertainment is also a big part of the Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games. Cutthroat Shamrock, Colin Grant-Adams, Albannach and Thistledown Tinkers are scheduled to perform. A variety of Pipe and Drum Bands will also be competing in event s, as will Highland dancers. For those interested in their Scottish heritage, more than 30 Scottish clans will be on hand to assist visitors in finding their heritage. Scottish foods and wares are also going to be available.

There is a small admission for the Scottish Festival and Games.

Family Fest in the Smokies Returns to Gatlinburg

The 20th Annual Family Fest in the Smokies returns to Gatlinburg May 28-30, 2010. The event is hosted by Bill & Gloria Gaither and will be held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.

The three day musical celebration will feature Collingsworth Family, Down Home Horns, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Michael English, Gaither Vocal Band, Buddy Greene, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, The Isaacs, Mark Lowry, Gordon Mote, Ivan Parker, Janet Paschal, Karen Peck & New River, David Phelps, Lynda Randle, Charlotte Ritchie, Logan Smith, Ben Speer, Russ Taff, Voices of Lee, and Kevin Williams.

On Friday, May 28, the concerts will begin at 7pm.

On Saturday, May 29, the concerts will begin at 6pm. Earlier in the day, at 10am, there will be a special session with speaker Ravi Zacharias.

On Sunday, May 30, the concerts will begin at 6pm. Earlier in the day, at 10am, there will be a special session with speaker Andy Andrews.

Tickets are $120 per 3-day ticket for adults and $30 per 3-day ticket for children 12 and under.

Gatlinburg hotels are ready to reserve your stay for the Family Fest in the Smokies.

Music of the Mountains in Gatlinburg Celebrates Appalachian Culture

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosts its 6th Annual Music of the Mountains festival on April 10, 2010 in Gatlinburg. This year’s festival will feature a series of free performances by various artists during the day at the Park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center followed by a local performer Jimbo Whaley and his band Greenbrier at W. L. Mills Conference Center.

Music of the Mountains is an event that showcases the musical traditions of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

There will be a kick-off event for Music of the Mountains April 9th at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend and 7pm. The music of the Good Thymes Deilidh Band will be featured.

The event will begin at 10am Saturday. All concerts are free but seating is limited.

This year’s performers include Tony Thomas, Matt Morelock, Brian Vollmer, Boogertown Gap, Lost Mill String Band, as well as Lisa Free.

The line-up is as follows:

10am-11am: Lost Mill String Band

11am-Noon: Lisa Free

12pm-1pm: Boogertown Gap

1pm-2pm: Tony Thomas

2pm-4pm: Matt Morelock & Brian Vollmer

4pm-5pm: Mountain Strings

The Jimbo Whaley and Friends Concert will cap off the event at 7pm. There is a charge of $20 for this concert for advance tickets and $25 for day of concert tickets.

Gatlinburg Ribfest & Wings Returns this April

Ribfest & Wings returns to Gatlinburg April 22, 2010. The event will feature the area’s best ribs and wings as well as live entertainment. The hours will be from 5pm-9pm with musical entertainment starting at 5pm and food sampling from 6pm-9pm. There will also be eating contests, children’s activities, hot wing eating contests and an ice cream eating event.

This year’s event will be located on the Parkway between Traffic Light 6 and Riverside Motor Lodge/Reagan Terrace Mall and for one low admission pric, visitors will be able to take part in this exciting street fair. The entertainment line-up features Beat Daddys, a soulful rock ‘n roll blues group, and Soulfinger, a neo-classical soul group.

Sure to serve up some delicious dishes, Ribfest and Wings will have a panel of judges awarding the best ribs or wings in seven categories. There will also be a People’s Choice Award. A few of the scheduled vendors include All Sauced Up, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Corkys BBQ and Texas Roadhouse.

General admission prices are $12 for adults and $5 for kids.

Smoky Mountain Springfest Blooms in Gatlinburg

The Smoky Mountain town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee has announced the line-up of events for Smoky Mountain Springfest, an event that celebrates Gatlinburg’s transformation to spring, complete with beautiful, blossoming flowers, overflowing greenery and activities that appeal to visitors of all ages. Smoky Mountain Springfest begins March 11 and lasts through June 7.

The Easter Arts & Crafts Show is planned for Wednesday, March 31 through Saturday, April 3. Members of the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community will display handcrafted wares at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. It’s a great opportunity to pick up unique gifts and collectables.

On Easter morning, April 4, Ober Gatlinburg is hosting is 12th Annual Easter Sunrise Service. Free tram rides to the mountain top begin as 6am and continue in 15 minute intervals until the service begins at 6:30am. A breakfast buffet will be available at the Ober Gatlinburg Restaurant from 7am-10:30am.

Gatlinburg’s Ribfest & Wings presents deliciousness from across the Southeast on Thursday, April 22. The festive street party will feature live entertainment, tasty barbeque ribs and wings and a wide variety of interactive fun.

The 60th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage & Greener Living Expo is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21 through Sunday, April 25. It is a great event for hiking and nature enthusiasts and is hosted by the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the University of Tennessee Botany Department. The five-day program will feature more than 150 different hiking tours of trails, exhibitions, demonstrations, lectures and motor excursions.

Come May, Gatlinburg continues Springfest with the Gatlinburg Scottish Festival & Games. Events begin May 14 with the Grand Parade at 6pm, and continue on May 15 &16 in Mills Park where the clans meet and compete in highland athletics, bagpipe competitions, highland dancing, border collie demonstrations, whiskey tasting and food and merchandise vendors.

Coinciding with the Scottish Festival & Games is Gatlinburg’s Fine Art Festival, an art event featuring juried artists from around the country. The two-day street fair will take place in downtown Gatlinburg at Ripley’s Aquarium and River Road. The Sixth Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival will present the debut of the 2010 version of the popular Gatlinburg Tunes &Tales. Those acts will perform at the Night with the Artist Party on May 14 at Mills Auditorium as well as throughout the festival.

Gatlinburg Named Top Five Bargain Destination by USA Today

Gatlinburg was recently named one of the top five bargain destinations for Spring 2010 by USA Today. Gatlinburg was chosen as a best bargain value vacation destination based upon vacation trends, industry news and sale patterns.

The USA Today article picked Gatlinburg as a vacation destination for those that want a vacation that combines small-town charm with outdoor adventure at an affordable price. Plus, Gatlinburg has new attractions planned for spring, a flower festival and new air service to new nearby attractions.

Starting April 6, American Eagle is starting seasonal service between Dallas & Asheville, North Carolina, which is about a two-hour drive from Gatlinburg. Last year, in 2009, AirTran started flight service between Orlando and Asheville as well. AirTran also provides service between Orlando and Knoxville, Tennessee, which is about an hour drive from Gatlinburg. Great rates on Gatlinburg Hotels keep vacation stays affordable for travelers, as do specials on Gatlinburg attractions.

This March the attraction scene expands with Gatlinburg opening a $5 million penguin exhibit at the Ripley’s Aquarium. In April, the Nantahala Outdoor Center will open and will offer a climbing wall, rope bridge, outdoor gear, clinics, classes, and an outdoor concierge to help guests choose which outdoor activities in the Great Smoky Mountain region are best for them. A new shopping, dining and culture complex named Carousel Gardens opens in March, and the Smoky Mountain Springfest and 60th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is also planned for this spring.

Earthquake in Haiti

The situation in Haiti is growing worse and worse by the minute.

Tuesday's earthquake has affected three million people, and the Red Cross estimates as many as 50,000 may be dead. Survivors are doing what they can to rescue those who are trapped, but they need help.

If this happened here, we hope people would give anything they could to help out.

Please take a minute to donate to these reputable charities that are providing care to fund their emergency efforts:

Doctors without Borders
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Oxfam America
https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3560&3560.donation=form1

The Red Cross
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_subsrc=RCO_ResponseStateSection

And a super-easy way to donate with your mobile phone:
Donate $10 to the Red Cross to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999."

Thanks for your time.