Gatlinburg's Upcoming Events: Running With the Bears...and Jeeps?

Gatlinburg has a few events on the agenda in the next few weeks. One of which will be held downtown, and the other will be a spillover event from Pigeon Forge. Here are some of the details you might want to know if you’re in town.

On September 9th, Gatlinburg will be hosting the 3rd Annual Running With the Bears 5k. Runners and walkers of all skill levels are invited to join the event which kicks off bright and early at 7 in the morning. The race starts at NOC next to the National Park at light #10, and you’ll travel all the way down to light #1 and back for the finish.

The cost is just $25, and the proceeds will benefit the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which works with the Friends of the Smokies, and the Gatlinburg Goes Green initiative, along with other programs that assist this great community.

My son and I were hoping to do this when we first heard about it a few years back. It was difficult because we didn’t necessarily want to plan a visit from Ohio solely on a 5k run. Well, now that our dream has been realized, we have no excuse not to!

The Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Club Invasion is celebrating 11 years, and even though it is held at The LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, you’ll see plenty of them in Gatlinburg from August 24th through the 27th.

We were unaware of it last year when we arrived for the weekend. If you have plans, sure it’ll be a bit busy, but it’s no more difficult to navigate through town than a normal weekend. The locals have a favorable impression of this group, in general. They come here to enjoy themselves, spend money, and don’t cause a ruckus like a few other groups I won’t mention. That’s just what we’ve heard, but I can tell you from experience, these Jeep owners seemed very respectful.

There’s your upcoming events round-up. If I’ve missed anything, I’ll be sure to share it with you for your information purposes. Have fun, and I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my publication to stay current on Gatlinburg events and more! Thank you very much!