CHRISTMAS IN THE SMOKIES

PIGEON FORGE – Santa Claus marched into his shiny, new workshop at Dollywood.

And he looked mighty pleased.

"It’s very exciting," he said. "It’s very exciting."

This year, Santa’s place has been spruced up with new decorations, new fixtures – all new kinds of glisten and glow.

And that includes new, oversized toys, like a nine-foot-tall Jumbo the Elephant, plus an 18-foot-tall Christmas tree.

‘TURN IT OVER’

That change – with the all-new Santa’s Workshop – is all part of Dollywood’s "Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival," an annual event that features a display of more than three million lights.

"Santa’s Workshop is normally what we call Celebration Hall," said Dollywood spokesman Pete Owens. "It’s normally an area that we use for groups ... But, from about the first weekend of October, we turn it over to the elves, and they turn it into Santa’s Workshop."

Then, the festival begins.

Running through Dec. 30, the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival at the Pigeon Forge theme park features two nightly "Parade of Lights," plus "Tinker the Talking Christmas Tree" and the country’s tallest German Christmas pyramid.

The wintertime festival also includes the return of the popular "Babes in Toyland" production at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theatre.

"Christmas is more about the entertainment – the family togetherness," Owens said. "There are seven holiday shows and a lighted Christmas parade."

‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’

Heralded as the park’s most elaborate stage production ever, the "Babes in Toyland" show stars 21 toy soldiers and features a surprise finale, Owens said.

"And I consider this a special experience because it’s an opportunity to touch so many lives," said 24-year-old actress Erin Frick, formerly of Lynchburg, Va.

Frick is one of several actors employed by the park this season.

"Whether it’s performing, whether it’s the Christmas spirit, whatever it happens to be, people come to a theme park … and they have the opportunity to experience a show," Frick said. "And it’s an hour out of their lives to get away."

Amy Tallmadge, another actress, promised the "visual effects" in "Babes in Toyland" are "absolutely amazing."

"Everything is so precise," said Tallmadge, a 2003 graduate of East Tennessee State University. "And it’s so exact."

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YOU SHOULD KNOW

n What: Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival

n When: Runs through Dec. 30

n Where: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

n Info: (865) 428-9488

n Web: www.dollywood.com

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Holiday activities set for Knoxville, beyond

BY JOE TENNIS
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

KNOXVILLE – From Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to Sevierville and Knoxville, you’ll find lots of Christmastime activity going on in the Smokies. The Smoky Mountain Winterfest features millions of sparkling lights around Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The light show, running through Feb. 29, has traditionally been a way for merchants to draw customers to the area’s many outlet malls.

But, there’s more. You can now stop at the Sevierville Visitor Center, near I-40 Exit 407, and pick up a free pair of "Winterfest in 3-D Glasses" that will change every point of light into a snowflake.

Up in Gatlinburg, you can also take an old-fashioned hayride through town, starting at Traffic Light No. 6 at Mountain Mall. Proceeds from the hayrides benefit the United Way.

Down in Knoxville, meanwhile, you can check out the "Fantasy of Trees," a festival at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Running Nov. 21-25, this event features a variety of children’s activities like "fun stations" with face-painting and a giant, talking snowman.

Special events include a "Babes in Toyland" parade at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 plus a "Santa’s Senior Stroll" on Nov. 23, from 9-10 a.m.

This year’s theme, "Holiday Cheer Down South," showcases decorations and designs that celebrate the traditions found in southern states. All proceeds from the "Fantasy of Trees" benefit the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

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FOR MORE

Fantasy of Trees: www.etch.com/fantasy.cfm

Winter-fest: www.visit-sevierville.com

Gatlinburg: www.gat-linburg.com