Uploaded September 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
My favorite thing about Dollywood isn’t the rides or the shows.
It can’t be found on a platter in a restaurant and it can’t be bought in a shop or from a stand.
Dollywood is many things, of course, to many people. But to me, what Dollywood captures is a feeling deeply associated with my youth, specifically the excitement and euphoria that arises in a small Midwestern town during fall festival time.
It’s a feeling of community – even among strangers – of common purpose, that should be really quite impossible in a giant theme park.
FULL ARTICLE:
thesmokies.com/dollywood-food
My favorite thing about Dollywood isn’t the rides or the shows.
It can’t be found on a platter in a restaurant and it can’t be bought in a shop or from a stand.
Dollywood is many things, of course, to many people. But to me, what Dollywood captures is a feeling deeply associated with my youth, specifically the excitement and euphoria that arises in a small Midwestern town during fall festival time.
It’s a feeling of community – even among strangers – of common purpose, that should be really quite impossible in a giant theme park.
FULL ARTICLE:
thesmokies.com/dollywood-food
![A sneak peek: Dollywood HeartSong Resort [2022]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nvR1X2-u3Kw/mqdefault.jpg "A sneak peek: Dollywood HeartSong Resort [2022]
It’s not uncommon to wonder what happens during the winter months at Dollywood.
🏨 RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY
00:04 - Heartsong Lodge and Resort: https://go.stay22.com/gAapNyrnsf
00:41 - DreamMore Resort: https://go.stay22.com/3_3FehAIW4
But for many employees across the company’s properties, the “off season” means anything but time off.
Heres a sneak peek at Dollywoods newest resort, HeartSong.
New sights will greet guests when the park opens to season passholders on Friday, March 11, 2022.
The park opens Saturday, March 12 to the general public.
Buy one-day Dollywood tickets: https://www.thesmokies.com/offer/dollywood-tickets/
Read the full article: https://www.thesmokies.com/whats-new-at-dollywood/
Disclosure: This blog (and YouTube channel) will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you.")
![Footage offers an up-close look at the massive wildfire in Wears Valley, TN [2022] (Tom Lucas/WCVFD)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vM_9KJPqPK4/mqdefault.jpg "Footage offers an up-close look at the massive wildfire in Wears Valley, TN [2022] (Tom Lucas/WCVFD)
On Wednesday morning, March 30, 2022, officials with the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) reported a fire near Hatcher Mountain Road and Indigo Lane in the Wears Valley community.
What started out as a brushfire was quickly upgraded to a forest fire after multiple structure fires were reported in the area.
By 9 pm, The Tennessee Department of Agriculture reported that the Wears Valley fire, which is named the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire, had grown to encompass 1,000 acres and was 0% contained.
This video was shot in the Waldens Ridge area of Waldens Creek overnight by local firefighter Tom Lucas. Lucas works for the Sevierville Fire Department but was volunteering for the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department last night when he captured the footage.
Evacuations were ordered for the affected areas. And those evacuation areas grew overnight as crews continued to battle flames.
Lucas credits early evacuation notices for saving lives and preventing people from being caught off guard.
By morning, officials on the ground were reporting that weather conditions had somewhat improved giving crews a much-needed assist.
Rising humidity and rain calmed the fire and lowered the heat early this morning. Winds also calmed a bit.
During a press conference this morning around 10 am, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters reported that the now 3,700-acre fire was 5% contained.
There have been no fatalities and no missing persons. One hundred structures have been affected.
Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson says that more hours of work are going to be required before they can declare the fire contained.
#WearsValley #TN #Fires #2022")
