Mist and Mountain Adventures

Looking for things to do in Pigeon Forge in December? Christmas week and New Year’s week are two of the best times to be up here, with the lights on everywhere and the whole family under one roof. They’re also the first weeks to fill, so here’s how we’d plan both, from Saturday, Dec 19 through Sunday, Jan 3: our picks in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville, a winter park day, and where to ring in 2027.

Gatlinburg vs Pigeon Forge (and Sevierville, which belongs in the mix): for a big group, the town you pick decides how you spend your mornings. We host a cabin for 10 in each one, so here’s how we’d choose, what each town is really like, and the back roads we’d use to get around.

This week’s deals lean toward big-group fun: $6 off Anakeesta, $21 off the Pirates Voyage dinner show, a variety show and a trampoline park for less, and the Ober Fun Pass for $15 under the window price if you buy a day ahead. We checked every price on the booking, official or Groupon page on Wednesday, and we’ve noted the town and which of our cabins each one is closest to.

The Winterfest lights are back for 2026-27. Gatlinburg flips the switch on Thursday, November 5, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville follow on Friday the 6th, and the lights stay on into the new year. Here’s our town-by-town guide: what’s free, what’s ticketed, the big nights to plan around, and how we’d see it all from one cabin without spending the whole trip in traffic.

This week’s deals lean toward big-group nights out: a dinner-show coupon, a magic show for two at half price, a morning zipline tour and two mountain coasters. We checked each one on the business, tourism or Groupon page, and we’ve noted the town and which of our cabins it’s closest to.

The leaves are still hanging on in the valleys this first week of November, and then, one evening, the switch flips. On Thursday, Nov 5, Gatlinburg’s Winter Magic lights come on, and by Friday night all three of our towns are glowing. Here’s everything happening in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville this month, week by week.