Visiting the Smokies, Summer 2026

VISITING THE SMOKIES

Nothing Short of Magical

VISITING THE SMOKIES

KATHY

INSIDE

RAFTING SEASON UNDERWAY

Despite damages suffered from the flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, the rafting business has worked hard to rebuild. While some adjustments have been made, the 2026 rafting season is underway in full force.

Rafting is Cocke County’s top source of tourist revenue.

Cocke County Clerk Shaleé McClure, who serves as the county rafting agent, said the rafting community has worked diligently since the flooding to ensure safe, run trips down the river.

“They are open for business, and I believe they can have a great season,” she said. “We have excellent rafting companies with knowledgeable staff.”

The Pigeon River has been named the most rafted river in the U.S. on more than one occasion.

NINE RAFTING COMPANIES WERE ISSUED PERMITS TO OPERATE ON THE PIGEON RIVER IN COCKE COUNTY THIS YEAR:

• Rapid Expeditions, 3605 Hartford Road in Hartford.

• Five Rivers Adventures, 3144 Dorsey Road in Cosby.

• Big Creek Expeditions, 3671 Hartford Road in Hartford.

• Big Bear Rafting, 3615 Big Creek Road in Hartford.

• Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited, 3299 Hartford Road in Hartford.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center, 3485 Hartford Road in Hartford.

• River Rat, 3630 Hartford Road in Hartford.

• Outdoor Adventures, 3635 Trail Hollow Road in Hartford.

• Ober Whitewater Adventure, 3555 Hartford Road in Hartford.

COCKE COUNTY A&I FAIR

COCKE COUNTY - The 78th annual Cocke County A&I Fair is set for August 18-22 with the theme “Back to the Boots and Roots” for America’s 250th anniversary.

The fair will kick off with the Fairest of the Fair pageant, which is set for Saturday, Aug. 15. Admission to the pageant is $8 per person with all money going toward the pageant fund. Admission does not include rides. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with the midway opening at 5 p.m. Children 3 and younger are admitted free.

OPENING CEREMONY

The opening ceremony and senior citizens breakfast is set for Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 8:30 a.m. There will be breakfast, games, an exhibit tour, entertainment and the crowning of the Senior King and Senior Queen.

PAGEANTS

Other pageants include Teen Miss on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. The pageant is open to girls ages 13 to 15.

The Senior Princess pageant, for girls ages 10 to 12, will also be held on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.

The Junior Princess pageant, which is for girls ages 7 to 9, will also take place at the same time on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The Little Princess pageant is also set for Tuesday, Aug. 18. It is for girls ages 4 to 6.

Tiny Princess, which is for girls ages 2 to 3, is set for Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m.

Teeny Princess and Prince will also take place on Thursday, and is for boys and girls ages 13 to 23 months.

Baby Princess and Prince is set for Thursday as well, and is for boys and

girls from newborn to 12 months old.

For pageant information call Kellye Stokely at (423) 237-0827.

EXHIBIT ENTRY DATES

Poultry entries will be accepted Saturday, Aug. 15, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. only.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. entries for antiques, canning, fine arts, crafts, recyclables, sewing and needlework, field and commercial crops, flowers, farm eggs, honey, garden produce and homemade wines will be accepted.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. entries for several exhibitsphotography, canning, fine arts, crafts, recyclables, garden products, sewing, needlework and potted plants will be accepted.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, herb entries will be accepted.

On Monday, Aug. 17, entries for flowers, niches and mini delights and baked goods will be accepted.

Entries can be picked up after 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23.

BULL RIDING

Triple T Championship Bull Riding and Ladies Barrel Racing is set for Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

TUG OF WAR

First Responders Tug of War is set for Aug. 19 at the horse arena. Registration gets underway at 6 p.m. with the pulling starting at 7 p.m. All first responders are welcome. The event will consist of teams of six people, ages 14 and older. It is a single elimination tournament.

Left to right: The 2025 Cocke County Fairest of the Fair First runner-up Taelyr Ball, 2025 Cocke County Fairest of the Fair Emma Arrowood, Second runner-up and interview Winner Jesslyn Hembree and Third runner-up Hayden Graham stand together on the runway at the 77th annual Cocke County A&I Fair.

The 2024 Cocke County Fairest of the Fair Brookelyn Strange along with the 2025 contestants performed a dance routine prior to Fairest of the Fair Pageant at the 77th annual Cocke County A&I Fair.

The ferris wheel is shown awaiting passengers at the Cocke County A&I Fair.

HORSE SHOW

The annual fair horse show is set for Aug. 18 starting at 7 p.m.

SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT

A Journey tribute band, Journey to Jersey, will perform on Friday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m.

Three-year-old Ashlyn Clafin gets some glitter applied to her face painting by Ashley Bishop at the 77th Annual Cocke County A&I Fair.

ONE PRICE NIGHTS

On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21 and Aug. 22, one price night will be observed. All rides and events are included for $20 per person. If a child age 3 or younger is riding the rides, admission will be required. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the midway opening at 5 p.m.

NEWPORT SPEEDWAY offers summer excitement

Newport Speedway roared back to life last year, bringing plenty of acclaim and notoriety as visitors and racers from all over the country have sought it out.

Before its official reopening last year, the track had not hosted a race since 2017. But since new owner Chuck Ward purchased the track in April 2024, the venue has seen a complete overhaul.

New paint glitters under the lights each weekend, as its return has generated comments from local racers and visitors and even NASCAR legends such as Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The speedway’s official reopening came on May 24, 2025, hosting the Ted Caldwell Memorial Race to great acclaim.

The venue has hosted the Food Country USA 300 — bringing the best late-model drivers from across the country — and hosted the speedway’s first ever concert when Sawyer Brown performed last June.

A packed racing schedule is set to unfold this summer at the 4/10 mile, high-banked paved oval track with grandstanding seating of 4,000.

Altogether, the jam-packed schedule offers a promising form of entertainment.

For more information, visit the Newport Speedway’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ thenewportspeedway.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRAIL MAP

HOT SPRINGS TRAIL MAP

PARKING IN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

There are three parking tag durations available for purchase. A daily pass is $5, a weekly pass can be purchased for $15, and an annual parking tag is $40. The prices are the same for all vehicle types and sizes.

PARKING TAG GUIDELINES

• Physical parking tags must be displayed in the vehicle, and digital tags will not be accepted.

• Each tag is only valid for a single vehicle and it must include the license plate number of the vehicle it is displayed in.

• Parking tags may be purchased online and onsite at locations within the park.

• Parking tags will be required anywhere within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for vehicles parked for more than 15 minutes.

• Parking tags will not be replaceable, refundable, transferable, or upgradeable.

• Annual parking tags must be displayed in the front, lower passenger side windshield.

• Daily and weekly tags must be placed face-up on the lower side of the passenger side dashboard.

HOW TO PURCHASE A PARKING TAG

There will be a variety of options for those who are looking to purchase their parking tags, including:

• Purchasing an annual parking tag through Great Smoky Mountains Association and having it shipped straight to your door.

• Purchasing both daily and weekly parking tags through recreation.gov and printing them off at home. Note that the park will not be able to print your parking tag for you.

• Purchasing all variations of parking tags onsite at welcome and visitor centers across the national park. The locations where you can purchase your parking tag in person include the Gatlinburg Welcome Center, Sugarlands Visitor Center, Townsend Visitor Center, Cades Cove Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont Store, Clingmans Dome Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Swain County Visitor Center, and Visit NC Smokies Visitor Center.

• Daily and weekly parking tags are available for purchase by credit card from automated machines available throughout the park. Guests will be able to access machines year-round, 24 hours a day.

Do parking tags guarantee a parking spot?

No, parking tags will not guarantee a parking spot at a specific location or for a specific time.

What are the consequences of failing to purchase a parking tag?

Failure to comply with the parking tag guidelines may result in a warning, citation, or your vehicle being towed at your expense.

When do daily and weekly tags expire?

Daily and weekly parking tags will expire at 11:59 pm ET on the date that is listed on the tag.

Are vehicles with disabled parking placards exempt?

Yes, visitors with valid, state-issued disabled tags are exempt from having to purchase a parking tag.

How are proceeds from the parking tags being used?

All revenue generated from the parking tags is being directly put back into the operational costs for managing and improving services for guests, including trail maintenance, trash removal, and staffing increases.

Will there be a limit on the number of parking tags sold?

No, the park does not limit the number of parking tags sold on any given day or week.

Information from smokymountainnationalpark.com

FORBIDDEN CAVERNS a look into the past and underground beauty

The State of Tennessee has more caves than any other state in the country with 8,350 caves registered. One of those caves, Forbidden Caverns, is located in Sevierville.

Visitors to Forbidden Caverns are provided with an entertaining and educational tour experience that includes sparkling formations, towering natural chimneys, multiple grottos and a flowing stream of crystal clear water.

The caverns feature special lighting effects and well-trained tour guides combine to make this the most enjoyable experience for all visitors. Trails are well-lighted and handrails are available at all necessary locations.

Hundreds of years ago Forbidden Caverns was known to the Eastern Woodland Indians who roamed the forests and mountains of East Tennessee in search of hunting grounds. The cave was a winter shelter and the river inside the cave provided constant water. Scientists believe the water source is an underground lake below English Mountain, which is now famous for its spring water. Flint is found here and was used to create knives, arrowheads and

scrapers. The cave is the home of many unique calcite formations that are still growing today. The cave also boasts the largest wall of rare cave onyx or dripstones that are known to exist.

An interesting Indian legend explains the fate of an Indian princess who was lost in “a hollow mountain of two streams”...”which is forbidden.” From the early 1920s until 1943 the cave was used for making moonshine. The constant water supply and the isolated location was ideal for moonshiners to make their homemade whiskey.

A group of business professionals began planning the vast undertaking of opening the natural attraction to the public in 1964. After three years of development and excavation, Forbidden Caverns opened in June 1967. The entrance to the caverns is through a picturesque valley that allows for a majestic view of the LeConte range as well as English Mountain of the Smoky Mountains.

A quaint grist mill museum, primitive farm houses and a trout farm are among the points of interest on the way to the caverns. Forbidden Caverns is a 35-minute drive from Gatlinburg and a 45-minute drive from Knoxville.

It is also within a few minutes of the Bush Brothers Visitor Center, which is by the factory where the world famous beans are canned.

The average guided tour takes about 55 minutes. Free parking is available for cars and small RVs. There is a picnic pavilion and a souvenir shop.

Forbidden Caverns is open April 1 through Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The caverns are closed on Thursdays and Sundays, Thanksgiving Day and November 29-30.

Ticket prices, which are subject to change, are $20 for adults ages 13 and older and $12 for children ages 5 to 12. Children 4 and younger are free.

Because of staffing shortages and a lack of designated parking, Forbidden Caverns is not accepting buses or organized groups at this time.

Call (865) 453-5972 for additional information. The tour is not

recommended for those with mobility and/or respiratory issues because of typical slippery surfaces and tight places you encounter in most caves.

There is a part of the tour that involves 50 steps that go down a narrow pathway, which can be difficult for some to maneuver.

The cave can be wet, can have water puddles and is 58 degrees Fahrenheit year round, so please dress accordingly.

ROARING FORK Motor Nature Trail in Gatlinburg

An exuberant mountain stream gave this area its unusual name. Roaring Fork is one of the larger and faster flowing mountain streams in the park. Drive this road after a hard rain and the inspiration behind the name will be apparent.

The narrow, winding, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail invites you to slow down and enjoy the forest and historic buildings of the area. The 5.5-mile-long, one-way, loop road is a favorite side trip for many people who frequently visit the Smokies. It offers rushing mountain streams, glimpses of old-growth forest, and a number of well-preserved log cabins, gristmills, and other historic buildings. Please note that the road is closed in winter.

Before entering the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a stop at the Noah “Bud” Ogle self-guiding nature trail offers a walking tour of an authentic mountain farmstead and surrounding hardwood forest. Highlights include a streamside tubmill and the Ogle’s handcrafted wooden flume plumbing system.

Just beyond the Ogle farmstead is the trailhead for Rainbow Falls,

one of the park’s most popular waterfalls. The hike to the falls is 5.4 miles roundtrip and is considered moderately strenuous. If you plan to attempt this hike, be sure to wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and carry plenty of water and snacks.

The entrance to the motor nature trail is located a short distance past the parking areas for Rainbow Falls.

Several homes and other buildings have been preserved in this area. The trailhead for Grotto Falls, another of the park’s most popular waterfalls, is located along the route. And a “wet weather” waterfall called Place of a Thousand Drips provides a splendid finale to your journey. An inexpensive booklet available at the beginning of the motor nature trail details landmarks along the route.

DIRECTIONS

To access Roaring Fork, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light No. 8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. Just beyond the Rainbow Falls trailhead you have the option of taking the one-way Roaring Fork

Please note that buses, trailers, and

RHYTHM ON THE RIVER

NEWPORT — The Cocke County Partnership and the Chamber of Commerce popular “Rhythm on the River” is back for another fun summer of music.

A series of concerts will be held along the City of Newport’s Riverwalk, located directly behind Newport City Hall. This is the 12th year bringing family fun and music to downtown Newport.

“Each year increases in popularity, and we are happy to welcome the community to join us again,” said Chamber of Commerce Director Lynn Ramsey.

All concerts are free to the public with concessions and drinks available. This year’s festival opened on Thursday, May 28, and will continue every other Thursday through July.

Rhythm on the River remains a free event and features band performances, games and food vendors.

Director of the Cocke County Chamber of Commerce Lynn Ramsey said Rhythm on the River “is a tradition we look forward to every summer.”

This year’s lineup includes:

• Mountain Edge (May 28th): Kicking off this year’s concert series is a favorite local band.

• Lost Creek Band (June 11th): An award-winning band which has shared the stage with legends such as Paul Williams, Doyle Lawson, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, The Osborne Brothers, Quicksilver, Kentucky Thunder and many more.

• The Get Up (June 25th): One of Knoxville’s premier party bands that plays dance/funk/rock/pop/soul.

• Knox Boombox (July 10th): Knox Boombox will be playing rock and roll and pop tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

• Legacy (July 23rd): Legacy is back performing the best of classic rock “Get Ready to Rock!”

Food and games will be set up at 6:30 p.m., and music starts at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket, grab supper at the event and enjoy a relaxing evening on the river with some great music.

“I would like to give a special thank you to the City of Newport for this beautiful location and all the

encouragement and support they give the Partnership to make this event happen. In addition, we also want to thank our sponsors who are businesses that care about our community and are a crucial part of this event,” added Ramsey.

For more information, contact the Chamber office at 423-623-7201.