If you’ve been wanting something super fun to do on St. Patrick’s Day in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, you’re definitely in luck this year. The city has finally jumped into the spirit to bring you not one, but four full days of awesome festivities. So, put the New Gatlinburg St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on your calendar this year and get ready to make it an annual tradition. Here’s what awaits you at this citywide event.
Kickstart the Fun on March 17th
All the fun and excitement begins early on March 17th, 2021, giving you a chance to explore Gatlinburg in a whole new way. The event will continue until at least 10 pm every night and start up again in earnest each day. The last day to come down and enjoy this event is the 20th, so make sure you don’t wait too long to join everyone. If you can swing it, plan to visit every day of the celebration to get the full experience.
See the City Turn Shamrock Green
To prepare the cityscape for this much-anticipated St. Patrick’s Day celebration, event organizers will work hard to cover every corner in bright green decorations. Expect to see lots of shamrocks and the like as well, especially as you draw near the venues participating in the event. If it’s a hit, the green hues may stick around for a bit longer than the event does, giving you plenty of photo opportunities that whole week.
Hear Celtic Music Flow Through the Air
In addition to the shamrock green decorations, Celtic music will flow through the streets all day and well into the evening hours. The joyful tunes will leave you hopping, skipping, and dancing through town, even if you’re just in the area for a little shopping or on a business errand. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to hear Kelly Shipe expertly play the Scottish bagpipes as well.
Watch the Irish Dancers in Sheer Awe
You definitely won’t be the only one dancing to the Celtic hits since the cast of Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales plans to hit the streets, too. Each evening, they will come out at 5 pm with Irish jigs and reels to remember. Then, they will continue showing off their fancy footwork all the way until 9 pm every night. Better yet, there’s a good chance that the cast members will bump into Shipe, resulting in a lively dance set to the hauntingly amazing tones of the bagpipes.
Enjoy Traditional Irish Food and Drinks
To help everyone celebrate, local eateries are rolling out traditional and imaginative Irish food and drinks for everyone to enjoy.
Awesome eats and tasty beverages to watch for include:
- Cream of Corned Beef soup at Tennessee Jed’s
- Mint Chocolate Fondue at the Melting Pot
- Shamrock green beer at TGI Friday’s
- Lucky’s Leprechaun cocktail at Ole Red Gatlinburg
- Irish beer and cider at Fox & Parrot Tavern
Most of the restaurants plan to offer all their traditional dishes, like corned beef and cabbage, for one night only on the 17th. But after that, you’re still likely to find pancakes, beer, and other fun offerings tinted green and ready for you to enjoy.
Get Awesome Deals All Evening Long
In addition to rolling out all the specialty food and drinks, local venues will offer many incredible deals to all the revelers.
Local companies planning on rolling out the deals include:
- River Edge Inn
- Mystic Moon Celtic Faire
- Appalachian Ghost Walks
- Iris Theater
You’ll also want to stop by Byrd’s Cookies to get shamrock crispies to gobble down on the go. These sweet treats promise to keep your energy levels up as you sing, dance, and take in all the beauty of Gatlinburg.
Catch the Fireworks Show on Friday Night
At the very end of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, gather around the Space Needle at 10 pm for a special surprise. They plan to cap off the event with the firework show of a lifetime complete with beautiful sights and amazing music. As the fireworks go off, you can reflect on everything you enjoyed most about this all-new event for March.
By the time you make it home from the Gatlinburg St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, you’ll undoubtedly jot this event on your calendar for next year. Although this is the first year of festivities, they plan to go big and come back year after year with even more fun. So, make sure to put it on your itinerary so you never miss out.
