Important Smoky Mountain Travel News – May 9th
As the state of Tennessee is beginning its first stages of re-opening tourism and general business, much is going in during this initial transition: some places have opened, some places are beginning to re-open and some places will not be opening for a bit. Additionally, some events have been rescheduled and some have been cancelled for this year entirely.
Due to the nature of slowly transitioning out of social distancing, information on what and when for re-opening is highly de-centralized at the moment, so we would like to help pass on current news for openings and other pertinent travel information coming up this month and further for travel preparation and consideration.
* Gatlinburg 4th of July Parade Has Been Cancelled *
From WBIR.com:
“Gatlinburg officials said the city’s Fourth of July parade is canceled for a second year in a row due to public health concerns. The city will plan new patriotic events for families who want to celebrate while following social distancing guidelines, officials said in a Tuesday press release.”
See full article by clicking here.
* Gatlinburg Release on Re-openings *
From gatlinburgtn.gov, dated April 29th, 2020:
“Safety precautions and sanitization procedures will be handled at all City facilities to help keep the community, residents, employees and visitors safe. All City facilities will be heavily sanitized during the phased reopening.
The City has purchased foggers to help with sanitizing and disinfecting facilities and will regularly clean facilities to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed in public lobby areas in City facilities as well.”
The City has purchased foggers to help with sanitizing and disinfecting facilities and will regularly clean facilities to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed in public lobby areas in City facilities as well.
Plans are also in place to install signage throughout the City in visible areas outlining CDC practices on preventing the spread of COVID-19.
On Friday, May 1, the McMahan/Parkway parking garage in downtown Gatlinburg will reopen, as will the public restrooms at the garage. The public restrooms located at the Gatlinburg Convention Center will also reopen.
Also on Friday, May 1, the Gatlinburg Golf Course clubhouse will reopen. The course has remained open for play during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, May 4, the administrative offices located at Gatlinburg City Hall, including the City’s Finance Department, Building and Planning Department, Police Department and Fire Department, will reopen to the public. The administrative offices located at the Schilling Center, will also reopen on this date.
On Monday, May 18, all Gatlinburg City Parks – Mynatt Park, Mills Park and Herbert Holt Park – will open for public use. Upon initial opening, playgrounds and pavilions will remain closed at each park.
The Gatlinburg Community Center will also reopen to the public on May 18, with reduced operating hours and restrictions on the amount of patrons allowed in areas of the building. The Tone Zone portion of the building will be the only space open to the public, in accordance with the April 28 release of the Tennessee Pledge pertaining to gyms. Operating hours will be 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Anna Porter Public Library plans to reopen its facility in phases on Monday, May 18. The library will limit the number of patrons to 10 at a time through the end of May, and hold temporary operating hours of 10 a.m until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Staff will wear masks and gloves when interacting with the public and the public will be allowed to access computers for 30 minutes at a time, with social distancing practices applied. Desks will be sanitized after each use.
Rocky Top Sports World is actively following the guidelines and directions presented from the Governor’s office and CDC while coordinating with County and City offices. Because of the continued fluidity of the COVID19 situation, no opening date has been determined. Rocky Top Sports World is working diligently on events currently scheduled and continues to focus on venue cleanliness, safety and health.
The municipal parking garage located at Ripley’s Aquarium will be reopened at the same time as the Aquarium opens to the public. A resumption of Gatlinburg Trolley Services will be announced at a later date.”
* Pigeon Forge Local Business Opening Status *
The Mypigeonforge.com site hosts scheduled information in separate, downloadable files.
For Pigeon Forge attractions, click here:
For Pigeon Forge restaurants, click here:
For Pigeon Forge retail, click here:
For Pigeon Forge grocery store information, click here:
More information on Pigeon Forge’s re-openings, updated frequently, can be found at https://www.mypigeonforge.com/planning/travel-resources#business-closed.
* Sevierville Partial Re-opening of Parks and Recreations *
From https://www.seviervilletn.org:
“Sevierville city parks will reopen on May 18, 2020 with certain restrictions, including:
* All playgrounds, basketball courts, baseball/softball fields, soccer fields, and swimming pools remain closed indefinitely;
* Walking trails and tennis courts are open, social distancing of at least six feet will be enforced;
* Picnic shelters will be open, but groups must be less than ten persons;
* The PetSafe Dog Park is open, but each area (small dog and large dog) will be limited to less than ten persons and each person is limited to 45 minutes per visit; and
* Cemetery Park will be limited to less than ten people.
Some areas of the Sevierville Community Center will reopen on May 18, 2020 with certain restrictions. The gymnasium, swimming pool, locker rooms, and racquetball courts remain closed indefinitely. All children’s programs are suspended indefinitely.
The Bowling Center will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.”
See more details by clicking here.
As more significant information becomes available, we will post new information on our blog here. Thank you and stay safe!
