Dolly Parton’s Stampede in Pigeon Forge, TN will host the 13th Annual Fun-Filled “Whoadeo” Kids’ Event. “Whoadeo offers the perfect chance for families searching for great kids activities, festive fall decorations, food, mascots and storytelling. Activities include costume contests, mascot characters from a variety of Smoky Mountain attractions, stick horse competitions and a free outdoor carnival from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Area attractions as well as law enforcement, fire and rescue partners also are part of this special event, adding to the family atmosphere and offering information in an entertaining way.
The popular celebrity storytelling stage returns this year highlighting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Guest storytellers include Knoxville TV personalities, Stampede emcee Jay Teter and his sidekick Skeeter, Pirates Voyage very own Blackbeard and performers from Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud, The Comedy Barn Theater and Smoky Mountain Opry.
Everyone is looking forward to the costume contest and stick horse competition. Children will participate in three age groups: ages 3-5; 6-9 and 10-12. Every Whoadeo participant (ages 3-12) receives a free Stampede admission ticket to the 3:30 p.m. dinner show on Sept. 21. Children may register for the Whoadeo on Saturday, Sept. 21 beginning at 8 a.m. at Dolly Parton’s Stampede located at 3849 Parkway in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
The only requirement to compete in the competition is a stick horse which can be homemade or purchased. Free stick horses also will be provided at the event, while supplies last. Participants will compete in a series of Whoadeo competitions, including a cowboy costume contest, a “parade of stick horses” and “stick horse barrel races.” These contests all will take place inside the Stampede building, offering a rare chance for children to actually participate on the main arena floor. Contestants compete for first, second and third place prizes in each of three age brackets (ages 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12) for each competition – including bicycles and tablets.
Stick Horse Competition Times
*Registration ends 45 minutes prior to each competition.
“This is Food City’s 13th year to join Dolly Parton’s dinner shows for this family-friendly Whoadeo event,” said Steven C. Smith, President/CEO of Food City. “From returning competitors to first-time participants, this event celebrates creativity in an atmosphere that’s fun for everyone.”
All children must be accompanied by a parent and/or guardian. Families are invited to attend the free Whoadeo carnival from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Stampede parking lot. Food City will provide complimentary snacks for participating children and Coca-Cola® will provide free soft drinks. Each Whoadeo participant also will receive a Kid’s Club backpack from Food City (while supplies last), a voucher for one free child’s ticket to The Comedy Barn Theater and a complimentary one-day child’s ticket to Dollywood (valid for children ages 3-9 years old).
For more information on the Whoadeo Kids Event, call 865-453-4400 or visit DPStampede.com/KidsEvent.
“Coca-Cola” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.
The swashbuckling adventure that is Pirates Voyage officially opened during a mid-day media event today in Pigeon Forge, with Dolly Parton on hand to introduce the thrilling dinner and show. She shared her excitement about her latest entertainment offering for families.
In addition to the initial investment in the property, the Pirates Voyage construction phase for the new show was $9 million, bringing the investment in the property to a total of $28 million. The dinner and show truly is an unbelievable adventure with sword fights, cannons and pirates scaling high above two pirate ships fighting to win Davy Jones’ coveted sunken treasure. A rowdy crew of characters combines heroics and high-flying fun that will have guests cheering and experiencing thrills around every corner in an epic battle for lost treasure on land, on deck, and in the water of the show’s 15-foot-deep indoor lagoon.
Since its soft opening on May 24, the crew has performed three sold-out shows every day with extraordinary guest feedback.
“Our guests have been telling us that Pirates Voyage is unlike any other family fun attraction they have experienced,” said Leah Hicks, Director of Sales & Marketing for Pirates Voyage. “Where else can families have fun together creating memories of a lifetime – with ship-to-ship battles, cannons blazing, acrobatics and a delicious feast? It’s perfect for swashbucklers, pirates and mermaids, and the food alone makes the show one-of-a-kind!”
The adventure actually begins in the Pirates Village, where younger swashbucklers as well as parents and grandparents can “Join the Crew” and be transformed into mermaids and pirates before the main show begins. The four-course pirate feast straight from Captain Blackbeard’s galley makes Pirates Voyage the most unique place to eat in the Smokies. The meal begins with voyager creamy vegetable soup and a buccaneer biscuit. The feast fit for a pirate continues with cracklin’ pan-fried chicken, a bone-in pork chop, matey’s mac ‘n’ cheese, and Jolly Roger sweet potato souffle. Walk the plank peach turnover and unlimited Coca-Cola® products, tea or coffee complete the meal. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available by request.
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Visit Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show To See Show Dates And Times
Ships fit for holding plenty of pirates’ loot have begun arriving in Pigeon Forge as Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show continues to take shape.
After eight weeks of construction by the creative team, everything is looking ship-shape and making its way to East Tennessee aboard 10 semi trucks. The first truck pulled into “dock” at the entertainment venue on April 2, and parts of the two 28-feet-tall pirate vessels have begun to be assembled as they arrive. The process will continue through most of April. After the enormous ships were designed, they had to be taken apart for shipping, then be reassembled inside the Pirates Voyage facility.
After assembly, each ship will be painted for its role during the dinner show as “home” for the teams of Crimson and Sapphire pirates. The large center platform in the middle of the lagoon is the final large piece of the floating pirate set, where much of the swashbuckling action will take place.
The lagoon from which these two ships will “set sail” also is in the midst of being constructed. The 15-foot-deep lagoon soon has begun to be filled with 300,000 gallons of water. Teams also are setting up the extensive rigging for the multitude of stunts performed throughout the show that will have audience members believing in magical mermaids and amazed by pirate feats. Another 10 trucks are beginning to deliver scenery pieces for the theater’s interior that will play an integral part in the adventurous ambiance of the Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show.
“Our pirate set really is taking shape, and we can begin to see these pirate ships become ready for a family adventure with a dinner and show that will become a favorite for visitors to East Tennessee,” said Corporate Director of Marketing Steve Cruz. “After the set is finalized, we’ll welcome our cast of colorful pirates to begin their practices aboard ship in our lagoon. After extensive training in Myrtle Beach, they are excited to begin practicing the show and all the exciting stunts in this arena where guests will begin to see their performances late next month (in May.)”
Set to be complete in May, the construction phase is a $9 million project, in addition to the initial investment in the property for a total of $28 million.
Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show located in Myrtle Beach, SC and Pigeon Forge, TN
It’s no secret when Dolly Parton puts her name on something, success follows. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Tyler Reddick hopes the same holds true during Saturday’s Alsco 300 (TV coverage on FS1) at Bristol Motor Speedway.
For the event, the hood of Reddick’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro will be adorned with Parton’s likeness and her record company, Dolly Records, while the rest of the car prominently features the logos from each of Parton’s Pigeon Forge-area attractions. He hopes the addition of the entertainment icon to his car serves as catalyst to put him in Victory Lane for the first time in 2019.
“It’s an honor to represent Dolly Parton and her variety of businesses on our No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said the California native. “Dolly is an icon and has had a lot of success in her career, which is something I admire while trying to build my own success in NASCAR. Hopefully, we can take Dolly and the No. 2 Camaro to Victory Lane this weekend in her home state of Tennessee. I think that would be really special for everyone who is a fan of hers.”
Reddick is the 2018 Xfinity Series champion and enters the event in Thunder Valley with RCR as the current series leader. He is fresh off a second place finish in last weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway.
The car, which appropriately is trimmed in pink, includes the Dollywood theme park logo on the rear quarter panels, with the DollyParton.com website across the rear roof. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library receive placement on the car’s rear fascia, and the logos of Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction, Dollywood’s Splash Country and the soon-to-open Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show each are included on the car’s deck lid. Saturday’s race marks the first time Parton and many of her businesses have been featured as a primary sponsor on a race car.
Dollywood theme park currently is celebrating its biggest season ever with the largest addition in the park’s storied history, Wildwood Grove, opening on Friday, May 10. The area features 11 thrilling new experiences for guests to enjoy together in the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Pigeon Forge Pirates Voyage is slated to open this summer; a sister Pirates Voyage is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Learn more about Dollywood’s 2019 season and the addition of Wildwood Grove, or call 1-800-Dollywood.com
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BMS Photo Credit: Bristol Herald Courier, David Crigger
Ahoy mateys! Dolly Parton is making good on staking her claim in Pigeon Forge with the construction of the Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show, her newest attraction in the Smokies, and the treasure – buried and otherwise – already has begun to arrive and take shape at the venue.
Construction on the Pirates Voyage building, located on the Parkway adjacent to The Island in Pigeon Forge, began the first week in January. The first – and biggest – task was to “build” the lagoon, the centerpiece of the set that will house the two pirate ships where the action of the entire show takes place. The digging of that foundation required removing more than 281 loads of dirt via dump truck for more than a month (that’s 4,500 cubic yards or 7,500 tons of dirt!); that part of the project was completed on Feb. 22. That 15-foot lagoon soon will hold 300,000 gallons of water. The installation and finishing of 600 cubic yards of concrete and 50,000 lbs. of steel in the 30,000 square foot arena began the week of Feb. 25.
When Dolly Parton opens her new Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show in Pigeon Forge later this spring, the fun and adventure starts when guests first arrive at the entertainment attraction. The elaborate exterior of the building gives people just a small glimpse of the excitement that awaits during the show, which includes magnificent pirate costuming and special effects. Visitors will walk underneath a waterfall on their way to pick up their tickets to begin their Pirates Voyage.
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An extensive nationwide talent search began as soon as this entertainment project was announced last fall, and the cast of 20 has already begun show rehearsals and intense training for the acrobatic and diving skills required of pirates and mermaids alike in this show. One of the most anticipated phases of construction will happen in late March when the exterior starts to take shape and the large Pirates Voyage sign is placed outside the building.
“Among our ‘pirates crew’ here for our new Dinner & Show, we like to say that we are going ‘overboard’ with the details as we prepare everything – from the show elements to the new four-course menu to the exterior,” said Corporate Director of Marketing Steve Cruz. “This is going to be a show that guests to our Smoky Mountain area are not going to want to miss. People have been asking for details, so we thought now would be a good time to share some of those.”
Set to be complete in May, the construction phase is a $9 million project, in addition to the initial investment in the property for a total of $28 million. Now Booking Online for all 2019 shows. Guests can also call 865-505-AHOY (2469).
Follow Pirates Voyage on Facebook for the latest updates!
