Gatlinburg Names Grand Marshal For The Fourth of July Midnight Parade
Gatlinburg will kick off the Fourth of July holiday early by celebrating just after midnight with their annual parade. For the 49th time, the Fourth of July Midnight Parade is sure to be a hit, as they have announced who will be serving as the distinguished Grand Marshal for the event.
Conner Smith is a Gold-selling Country music hitmaker who was nominated as New Male Artist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. He has been named the Grand Marshal, highlighting this year’s Fourth of July parade in Gatlinburg. Smith is a fresh-faced 23-year-old singer songwriter with three charted hits under his belt already. He was born and raised in Nashville, and no doubt got some local attention with his debut album, which was aptly named, Smoky Mountains. That album was released early this year, with his single “Creek Will Rise” making history as the first number one on the newly minted UK Country Airplay chart.
The First Independence Day Parade in the Nation has received many national praises among various publications. National Geographic Travel Magazine listed it as a Top 10 Parade to See in the U.S; Livability.com named it as one of 5 Best Fourth of July Celebrations in Smaller Cities.
Before the Parkway is lined with larger-than-life balloon displays, marching bands, flamboyant floats, and thousands of waving, happy people, Conner Smith will be doing a little pre-show Meet & Greet with the attendees. Smith will be at the Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler at 2 P.M. on July 3rd signing autographs and welcoming guests with exclusive photo opportunities. This meet-and-greet will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get here early if you want access to all the excitement that’ll be brewing the day prior.
That’s not all, though! Visit Gatlinburg is offering an amazing sweepstakes for a Smoky Mountains vacation featuring Conner Smith! This giveaway will include a 2-night cabin stay with Mountain Laurel Chalets, (an excellent company to book your stay with, by the way!) a VIP meet-and-greet with Conner Smith, VIP parade seating, exclusive merch from Ole Smoky Moonshine and Visit Gatlinburg, a Gatlinburg attractions pass, and finally, a dinner certificate to one of the finest steakhouses in Gatlinburg, The Peddler. Click here to enter! You have until June 7th to put your name in for this grand prize!
Sounds like a festive time, doesn’t it? I am hoping to attend this patriotic event myself, as I think it will be worth the late night for this show of pride. The Christmas Parade was even better than I imagined, so I have good reason to believe this won’t disappoint either. Hope to see you all there! Thank you for reading and subscribing, and I appreciate the privilege of your busy lives. Stay tuned!