Ober Mountain Will Begin Their Own Fall Festival in September
Before the leaves begin to get that clearly noticeable color spectrum, the decorations in Gatlinburg will consist of pumpkins—albeit the more artificial kind due to the City of Gatlinburg’s seriousness crackdown on being BearWise—the usual leafy stuff, and the gradual sprinkling of Halloween items. Fall is also the time when the attractions usher in the Oktoberfest mimicking festivals where the beer flows freely. I’ve already touched upon the Bear-Varian celebration happening at Anakeesta next month. But with this post, it’s time to pumpkin spice it up with the Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober Mountain.
Beginning on Friday, September 20 and ending on Sunday, October 27, Ober Mountain will become a sea of the fall spectacular. While I may have mentioned the alcoholic barley beverage, that’s far from the only thing to enjoy about this festival. Once you venture the 2-mile trip up to Ober Mountain via the tram—the only way to truly take in the whole experience, in my opinion—you’ll be treated to a family-friendly extravaganza worthy of your time and money.
The wristband you purchase at the Tramway Mall includes all the activities—except Mountain Biking—at Ober Mountain: Wildlife Habitat, Tennessee Flyer, Scenic Chairlift, Ice Skating, Ice Bumper Cars, Smoky Mountain Bobsled, Rock Wall, Carousel, and Chair Swings. In honor of the season, there’s a hay mountain you can climb up and slide down, and also, live music will be filling the cooler air with tunes from Rock to Country, and Bluegrass to Folk.
You didn’t think I wouldn’t mention the food, did you? Of course I’m not leaving out the best part, in my humble opinion. Despite my abhorrence of sauerkraut, I actually have grown to like many German offerings which will highlight the Oktoberfest-lite fall festival. Of course much of this is favorable—and also quite American—to most people’s tastes. Bavarian Pretzels, Roasted Corn, Turkey Legs, Bratwurst, Caramel Apples, and Pumpkin Spice Fudge are just a sampling of the options available on Ober Mountain during the duration of this event. Also, beverages will include craft brews from East Tennessee Brewery, Yee-Haw Brewing Company, among a variety of other non-alcoholic options of course.
More miscellaneous activities slated for the Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober Mountain will be a memory-makers for you and your family. Sunday through Thursday nights will feature a family flick on a 22-foot LED screen, and you can create your own by making the beautiful fall scenery your backdrop for a photo-op you won’t want to spend a full day here without capturing.
While I can’t attest to this particular event, maybe I’ll do my own first personal review here! What I can tell you is just how beautiful the Smoky Mountains area is during the fall. We are busy in October for good reason. Last year, I witnessed the changing of the leaves here I never appreciated in Ohio. It was breath-taking, and I can’t wait for the sequel this year!
Thank you all for reading and subscribing to my publication! I will have more events and reviews coming up, so be to stay tuned for the latest information from right here in Gatlinburg!