Tax-Free Weekend 2017

Next weekend, from July 28th to the 30th, is the coveting Tax-Free Weekend in the state of Tennessee. Although this event isn't exclusive only to the Smokies, it becomes a special event as many families use this as an opportunity to get school supplies from our outlet malls and have one last family vacation in the Smokies before the school season begins anew.

Between the two dates, shoppers can expect to take off any sales tax on school supplies adding up to less than $100.00, school clothes adding up to less than $100.00 and computer purchases of up to $1,500. Some of the best places for shopping for these items include:

* Tanger Five Oaks Outlet in Sevierville
* Red Roof Mall in Pigeon Forge
* WalMart Supercenter in Sevierville
* Governor's Crossing Complex (Across from WalMart) in Sevierville
* The Shops of Pigeon Forge
* Burke's Outlet in Pigeon Forge

See more information on the Tax-Free weekend at https://www.tn.gov/revenue/article/sales-tax-holiday.

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Summer Eclipse In The Smokies

Ooh, have we got some news for you! This coming August 21st for 2017, East Tennessee will get to see a partial solar eclipse taking place between 1:00PM and 4:00PM.

The National Park Service website writes:

"The entire western half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will fall under the path of totality for the eclipse, providing opportunities for viewing, weather permitting. The park is currently planning organized public viewing events at three locations in the park: Clingmans Dome; Cades Cove; and Oconaluftee."

"Visitors may view the eclipse from other areas of the park on your own, though due to the influx of eclipse viewers during the already-busy season, the Park Service may need to close certain areas on August 21st to reduce gridlock, which may include Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove.

Furthermore, our educational partner, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, is planning a special multi-day Science Camp for high school aged students over the eclipse weekend and event."

You can see more information from the National Park Service at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2017-solar-eclipse.htm.

You can also build a simple card projector using these instructions from timeanddate.com:

"DIY: Simple Card Projector
The simplest and quickest way to safely project the Sun is with a projector made from only 2 pieces of card or paper.

You Need:
* 2 pieces of stiff white cardboard, e.g. 2 paper plates
alternatively, 2 sheets of plain white paper
* a thumbtack, a sharp pin or a needle.

What to Do:
Diagram of a DIY pinhole projector.
The concept of a pinhole projector ©timeanddate.com

To make a quick version of the pinhole projector, take a sheet of paper and make a tiny hole in the middle of it using a pin or a thumbtack. Make sure that the hole is round and smooth.

With your back towards the Sun, hold 1 piece of paper above your shoulder allowing the Sun to shine on the paper.

The 2nd sheet of paper will act as a screen. Hold it at a distance, and you will see an inverted image of the Sun projected on the paper screen through the pinhole.

To make the image of the Sun larger, hold the screen paper further away from the paper with the pinhole.

A box projector works on the same principles, it requires a little more time and a few extra items to construct, but it is more sturdy.

Keep Safe! Never look at the Sun directly without protective eye gear. Even sunglasses cannot protect your eyes from the damage the Sun's rays can do to them."

And we also suspect you may be able to see them from our Deer Ridge complex in Cobbly Nob between Gatlinburg and Cosby, TN. We do have the BEST views of the Smokies after all, would it not logically follow we can have the best views of the eclipse too?

Only one way to find out: reserve with us today at www.deerridge.com!

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So Much Going On At Deer Ridge!

Not only do we have the Mother's Day Special above coming up soon at Deer Ridge, but we have much more to showcase too! Take a look:

New Weekend Breakfast at the Lounge
Beginning April 8, 2017, every Saturday and Sunday morning from 8:00AM to 10:00AM in our lounge area, Deer Ridge will be offering "the Best Blueberry Muffins" in town to our guests. These wonderful Blueberry Muffins, along with either cold milk or hot coffee, will be complimentary to all registered guest.

Muffins are made fresh daily and are available on a first come, first serve basis. Come join us for our new weekend breakfast at the lounge!

New Merchandise in the Lounge
We're happy to announce we have new Deer Ridge logo merchandise available in our lobby area.
* New Deer Ridge Men's Polo Shirts
* New Deer Ridge Men's Rugby Shirts
* New Deer Ridge Women's Tee Shirts
Come see our new line of merchandise.

Memorial Day Corn Hole Tournament
Deer Ridge will be hosting its 2nd Annual Corn Hole Tournament for all registered guest on Saturday May 27, 2017. No entry fee, just sign up when you arrive. We are looking for teams of two to compete against other guest teams with a chance of winning a return trip to Deer Ridge for 3 nights and 4 days. Corn Hole tournament rules will apply.

Following the tournament, Deer Ridge will be grilling up $1.00 hot dogs and $2.00 hamburgers for all guests. Tournament players eat for free. The tournament will start at 9:00AM with the final room around noon. Lunch will begin at 11:30AM.

Reserve at www.deerridge.com for any of these and more! Read More!

Last Weekend For Festival of Nations!

Howdy folks. As the topic title says, this is the last weekend Dollywood's 2017 Festival of Nations is going on. On April 10th, it will be done for the year and "Spring Break At Dollywood" will begin immediately after.

If you're staying with us this weekend and would like to see the festival before it leaves for the year, remember we sell Dollywood tickets at our front desk (as well as many others). Take advantage of this and enjoy the multi-cultural thrills in Pigeon Forge!

Here are some photos of this year's Festival of Nations, courtesy and copyright of Ge'ne Kea-Lawhead.

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Spring News From Deer Ridge

We're going full force in offering the best Smoky Mountain vacation you can find in the Spring time. Let's dive right in for all the new things we're offering in the coming months of April and May:
New Special Break Special:
From April 7th to April 23rd for 2017, you can get 25% off any condo or cabin rental if you rent two or more nights.

Reserve this special by going to www.deerridge.com or by calling 877-333-7743.

New Weekend Breakfast at The Lounge:
Beginning April 8, 2017, every Saturday and Sunday morning from 8:00AM to 10:00AM in our lounge area, Deer Ridge will be offering "the Best Blueberry Muffins" in town to our guests. These wonderful Blueberry Muffins, along with either cold milk or hot coffee, will be complimentary to all registered guest.

Muffins are made fresh daily and are available on a first come, first serve basis. Come join us for our new weekend breakfast at the lounge!

Mother's Day Package:
Is there any more special a concentrated holiday than Mother's Day? Show that good woman you love her by spending Mother's Day with us at Deer Ridge where have a Sunrise Bucket food combination available. The Sunrise Bucket offers coffee service and light breakfast items you and Mom are sure to love.

Prices start at $249.00 plus tax and is valid between May 12th to the 14th. This will buy you the best Mother's Day Getaway Package ever. This package includes a two night stay at Deer Ridge in a 1 bedroom, 1 bath fully equipped condo, a Mother's Day Welcome Bucket and a $50.00 dinner certificate.

Memorial Day Corn Hole Tournament:
Deer Ridge will be hosting its 2nd Annual Corn Hole Tournament for all registered guest on Saturday May 27, 2017. No entry fee, just sign up when you arrive. We are looking for teams of two to compete against other guest teams with a chance of winning a return trip to Deer Ridge for 3 nights and 4 days. Corn Hole tournament rules will apply.

Following the tournament, Deer Ridge will be grilling up $1.00 hot dogs and $2.00 hamburgers for all guests. Tournament players eat for free. The tournament will start at 9:00AM with the final room around noon. Lunch will begin at 11:30AM.

New Merchandise in the Lounge:

We're also happy to announce we have new merchandise available in our fabulous lounge area at the main office:

* New Deer Ridge Men's Polo Shirts
* New Deer Ridge Men's Rugby Shirts
* New Deer Ridge Women's Shirts

Come see what we've literally got in store for you! www.deerridge.com.

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Romance At Deer Ridge Mountain Resort

Our visitors will be looking towards the next weekend and February 14th for romance in the Smokies and Deer Ridge would like to be your nesting ground for Valentine's love in Gatlinburg.

We currently have condos and cabin units available for rent and we can offer the following specials:

Valentine's Special:
* 2 Nights In A One-Bedroom Condo *
* Welcome Bucket *
* $50 Dinner Certificate *
* Best View in the Smokies *
* Two Bundles of Firewood and 1 Bundle of Kindling *

This package starts at $259.00 (plus tax and fees). Additional nights can also be purchased through our reservation system.

Couple's Golf Package:
$86.00 per golfer, per night plus taxes and fees

Peak Season April 1st thru October 31st
2 night minimum, 2 golfers per 1 BR condo
Golf at Bent Creek Only
Couples Special includes Breakfast.

Reserve either of these today by visiting www.deeerridge.com.

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Celebrate New Years Eve in Gatlinburg!

After a wild year with many ups and downs, we are soon to commit 2016 to history and transform it as 2017 - and one of the best ways to do that here in the Smokies is to enjoy the festivities on December 31st in downtown Gatlinburg not far from us!

Downtown Gatlinburg on the 31st will be bustling with activity and positivity throughout the day in anticipation for the party to come. As the night comes on, more entertainment comes out from the many establishments surrounding the Space Needle. Then at 10:00PM, live entertainment will begin near Stoplight #8, which is Airport Road and where Bubba Gump is located at. It will definitely keep the energy electric as it gets closer to the magic hour.

Then, just before it turns midnight, the ball begins to drop from the top of the Space Needle and once it turns Midnight, January 1st, 2017, we celebrate the first 15-20 minutes of the year with fireworks that light up the night sky, shot from the tower itself. It's an amazing sight.

You can see more on this at www.gatlinburg.com. We hope we get to see you in 2017!

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Three Jimmy's Thanksgiving in Gatlinburg

We would like to post this on behalf of Three Jimmy's in Gatlinburg.

"Introducing Three Jimmy’s Thanksgiving Feast!
Join us for a tradition dinner on Thursday, November 24th between 11:00AM to 10:00PM.

Our menu includes:
* 12-14 lb. turkey
* Cornbread stuffing
* Creamy mashed potatoes
* Rich turkey gravy
* Green bean casserole
* Fresh yeast rolls
* Candied yams
* Pumpkin Pie

All homemade!

Adults - $17.95
Kids - $9.95
Children Ages 6 and under are FREE.

You can take all the fixins' home by having it delivered! You will need to order in advance as quantities are limited.

Place your order by calling 865-325-1210."

See more on Three Jimmy's at www.threejimmys.com.

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Winterfest Kickoff Events For 2016

We had a lot of fun with Sunset Festival this year and we were lucky enough to have FIVE of them to celebrate the season and leaf changing with. Now we say goodbye to the Harvest Festival for another year and move on to Winterfest, of which Gatlinburg will officially be kicking off this week with the Gatlinburg Chili Cookoff/Winterfest Kickoff on November 9th from 5:00PM to 8:00PM.

As is tradition in Gatlinburg, we celebrate Winterfest with a Chili Cookoff in downtown Gatlinburg between Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. This event is so big that the city of Gatlinburg shuts down a whole section of the downtown parkway just to hold it. The first part of the event is the chili cookoff where dozens of tables featuring dozens of local restaurants (as well as those from abroad) set up to serve all-you-can-eat chili. The purchase of an admission "spoon" is you all need to enjoy the best chili in the Smoky Mountains. Then later the switch will go on and BOOM, Gatlinburg will finish putting on the last of the Winterfest lights with their own trolley tours to follow.

See more on this event at http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=11.

Two Nighter Getaway Special:
Book now and stay between March 1st – December 18th! Stay any 2 nights in any size condo or cabin and receive 10% off our regular nightly rates.

Three Nighter Long Weekend Special:
Book now and stay between March 1st – December 18th! Stay any 3 nights in any size condo or cabin and receive 15% off our regular nightly rate.

Weekly Special:
Book now and stay between January 1st – December 31st! Stay a week (7 consecutive nights) and pay for only 5 nights. Valid on any size condo or cabin.

See more on our specials at http://deerridge.com/specials/.

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Gatlinburg Special Event - Scenes of the Nativity

We received a request to post this on behalf of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Gatlinburg, TN.

"Our Savior Lutheran Church invites you to celebrate the season at its Scenes of the Nativity Open House held at the church on Historic Nature Trail road in Gatlinburg. Scenes of the Nativity will be open on Saturday, November 26th from 10:00AM to 2:00PM and on Sunday, November 27th from noon to 2:00PM.

Member and friends of the congregation will display their own Nativities. There will be one-of-a-kind Nativity sets from around the world, pieces, and collectibles like the Hummel and Willow Tree, hand-carved, humorous, new and old, papier-mâché and more.

“Many of these displays are family treasures,” says Robin Whiting, event organizer. “These Nativities have been in our homes passed down through the family or gifts from special friends for ages. This open house is our gift to the community and to our Gatlinburg visitors. We hope that the thirty or so minutes you spend here viewing these artistic  expressions of the Christmas story will renew a spirit of Christmas and christian tradition for you.”

In addition to the Nativities, there will be cookies and hot apple cider, and childrens’ activities centering on the Christmon Tree and the Season of Advent. A Nativity scene will be given away each day. Parking is free at the church. There is no admission charge but donations will be accepted for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Smokies. We encourage everyone to also attend the Gatlinburg Festival of Trees at  Mills Auditorium, which also benefits the Boys and Girls Club.

Please visit our website at www.gatlinburglutherans.com for additional information or contact Robin Whiting at whitingr@bellsouth.net.

Our Savior Lutheran Church is located at 423 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 and their phone number is 436-5641."

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Free Lunch For Veterans on November 11th.

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Sunset Festivals For 2016

What are the three best things you can get from the Smoky Mountains during Autumn?

1. Views of the full Autumn bloom.
2. Top restaurant-quality food from local favorites at a special event.
3. A self-sufficient luxury resort with everything you need to get the Smoky Mountain vacation you deserve.

And what luck, Sunset Festival at Deer Ridge provides all three for NO extra cost!

The Sunset Festival is Deer Ridge's long-running tradition of holding a fun little party every Saturday evening with free food and all the views of the full bloom of the Smokies your camera can hold. The night air is crisp and dignified, and it's an excellent way to unwind and get the true Appalachian experience the mountains provide in this season.
   
This year, our food is being provided and sponsored by high-class restaurants in nearby Gatlinburg. Our sponsors for this year include:

* Three Jimmys
* Friendly Falls
* Texas Roadhouse
* Brainstorm Cafe

Our availability for Sunset Festival accommodations, as of writing, are as follows:

October 1st    ***** Available ***** 
October 8th   ***** SOLD OUT *****
October 15th   ***** SOLD OUT *****
October 22nd   ***** SOLD OUT *****
October 29th   ***** Available *****

And be sure to ask about our Past Guest Discount at the time of your reservation booking!

Reserve a condo or cabin for Sunset Festival today or call us for more information at 877-333-7743. www.deerridge.com
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Labor Day Weekend and the Upcoming Rod Runs

Labor Day Weekend starts today! And we're thankful for the break. It's been QUITE a summer here in the Smokies with blazing hot temperatures, a lot of activity and a lot of work needing to be done. There's no better place in the South to enjoy a 3-4 day weekend than the Smokies and we hope you all come out to visit us!

One thing to note particularly is that Dollywood will be having a brand new special event going on tomorrow on park. "Rock The Smokies" will provide several rounds of Christian rock artists throughout the park that perform at 1:00PM, 4:00PM and 7:00PM. There will also be fireworks going off to celebrate Labor Day on September 3rd and 4th. See more on this at http://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Festivals/RockTheSmokies.

And then, you guessed it, it's Rod Run season in Pigeon Forge! Shades of the Past Rod Run XXXIII rolls into town from September 9th to the 10th and the Pigeon Forge Fall Rod Run begins the next weekend between September 15th and the 17th. The Shades of the Past Rod takes place up at Dolly's Splash Country while the Fall Rod Run takes place at the LeConte Conference Center in Downtown Pigeon Forge, but you can still expect the entire town to be in automotive party mode during the nights on those two weekends. See more information on that at www.mypigeonforge.com.

There's more events coming up in September and we'll be back in a little while to tell you about them. Reserve a condo or cabin today at Deer Ridge to capitalize on a Fall getaway to the Smokies with a luxury vacation rental that offers the BEST views in the Smokies! www.deerridge.com.

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Lots to Talk About in August

 Well sir, it's the last month of the summer season, but even though folks will be going back to school, our early August blog entry is full of things to talk about. Let's look:

* Our 30th Anniversal Special for August *
End of Summer Special – stay 4 nights and only pay for 3 nights or stay 7 nights and pay for only 5 nights. Let us know you are a Past Guest and receive an additional 5% off. (Valid on any condo or cabin, cannot be combined with any other special or promotion.)

* Special Events *
We actually have quite a few for this month and they're less of the "party" variety and more of the homegrown local flavor for something more potentially and personally enriching. These events include Stringtime in the Smokies in Pigeon Forge on August 6th (Old Mill Square), the Smoky Mountain Singer-Songwriters Festival between August 24-28th (all throughout Gatlinburg) the Heroes Tribute to Veterans and First Responders in Pigeon Forge between August 15-18th at the Smoky Mountain Resort Convention Center and, finally, the Welcome Home Veterans Parade on August 27th.

More information on these events can be found on www.mypigeonforge.com/events and www.gatlinburg.com/events with the latter two being part of Pigeon Forge's Celebrate Freedom - which leads us to:

* Celebrate Freedom *
Throughout the month of August, the city of Pigeon Forge initiates "Celebrate Freedom", where many businesses offer discounts to current and former military personnel as well as currently employed emergency personnel/first-responders. The full list of what which businesses are offering discounts can be found here.

And of course, Deer Ridge continues to offer the best military discount (27% off!) for lodging in the area whether it's August or not. See our military discount here.

* Sunset Festival *
Not an August event here, but it's good to talk about it anyway as we're already taking reservations for our famous Sunset Festivals here at Deer Ridge. Sunset Festival is each Saturday of the month of October where we host a small soiree on our big sun deck and bask in the changing colors of autumn with the Best Views of the Smokies spread miles in front of us. We offer free dinner for this event and it's every bit as wonderful as it sounds. Reserve today to get your place in time for Sunset Festival!

Wow, that's a mouthful. Don't let August be the final authority on the end of your summer, come see what the month could offer you at Deer Ridge.

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317th Engineers' Battalion

Over the weekend of June 24-26, we were privileged to be the reunion headquarters for the 317th Engineer's Battalion that were deployed during the Desert Storm of the Gulf War.

And this is a video taking of the reunion doing a 25th anniversary formation as well as a bugler playing "Taps".

Thank you, 317th Engineers' Battalion for making Deer Ridge your group headquarters for this reunion! We hope to see y'all again. www.deerridge.com

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Fourth of July in Gatlinburg for 2016

The 4th of July is coming up very soon and we wanted to keep you up to date on the events going on here in the Smokies.

In Gatlinburg, the events start as soon as the 3rd of July ends with the 4th of July Midnight Parade on the main downtown street where you and your whole family can see some of the best, brightest and most patriotic floats in the country for over an hour of fun.

Then, the morning after, The River Raft Regatta starts at 10:00AM and is another fun activity for the whole family, particularly younger kids, as you can watch all manners of small objects race down the river to cross the finish line first at Ripley's Aquarium. You can see more information on that at http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=33.

Finally, the big show begins at 10:00PM with the Independence Day fireworks you've all been looking forward to, and you don't have to go anywhere but the main sidewalk in downtown Gatlinburg to see the fireworks overhead. Gatlinburg has been celebrating the 4th of July this way for years and it just gets better each time it comes around.

We hope to see you this Independence Day and we'd like you to see our specials and packages at www.deerridge.com to save on your Smoky Mountain vacation while adding even more to it. Hope to see you soon! Read More!

Tax Free Weekend 2016 Info

We received this email some time ago and felt it was relevant to share here.

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Deer Ridge Wins The Certificate of Excellence From TripAdvisor

We are happy to announce that, like our title indicates, Deer Ridge Mountain Resort has received the Certificate of Excellence Award from TripAdvisor due to our consistently high reviews as reported by the many visitors we have provided for over the course of the year.

Just listen to some of our recent visitor reviews to see how we came upon this award:

Joseph M
Hialeah, Florida
Reviewed yesterday.

We stayed at one of the cabins at this resort community during the last week of 2015 into 2016. The cabin was very nice and fit us 6 comfortably. It's about 30 minutes from Downtown Gatlinburg and The smokey mountains . There are a few close restaurants and a grocery store 20 minutes away. The drive up to our cabin was scary as we've never been up so high specially at night. The resort has a common area you can use but we didn't because there's so much to do around you won't be in the cabin only to sleep.

Janice14
Indianapolis, IN
Reviewed last week.

We had just stayed at Deer Ridge in January and booked a unit for next January then, but decided to return in the spring again, as well! They did not disappoint us at all; once again. Everyone is so friendly and eager to assist you with whatever you needed help with. The unit was very clean, and we love the views of the mountains! Enjoyed sitting on the balcony, drinking coffee in the mornings, and just letting the world go by. It is a bit of a drive to Gatlinburg, but we bought our groceries and didn't need to venture into that busy town at all. The unit had plenty of pots/pans/dishes/etc that one can cook your own meals. We enjoyed hanging out at the pool and the hottub every evening. They have a nice patio area outside the pool, of which we would sit there with a good book and read, taking in all the views. They have tennis courts, but we did not use them. Can't wait to return in January!

Wendy C
Chicago Illinois
Reviewed 2 weeks ago.

We stayed at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort the last week of March during our visit to the Smokey Mountains. The view from the condo was beautiful. It was a perfect distance from Gatlinburg and away from all the crowds, which were substantial that week. The indoor pool and hot tub were perfect after our long days of hiking. We used the washer and dryer a few times that week which were reasonably priced and worked very well.

We have been satisfying visitors like these for 30 years and we don't have any plans in sight to stop! See more reasons you should consider Deer Ridge for your vacation destination on our TripAdvisor page. Read More!

Black Bears At Deer Ridge - Spring 2016

Look who decided to pay us a visit:

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May Specials and Special Events

30th Anniversary specials continue at Deer Ridge! Here's our special for this month.

During the month of May, Wednesdays are only $30.00 plus tax with a minimum 3 night stay.

Valid on any condo or cabin, cannot be combined with any other special or promotion. Valid the month of May 2016 only.

Some additional reasons to consider staying at Deer Ridge during May? Take a look:

* Gatlinburg Beans and Cornbread Festival
May 12th, 2016
www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=138

* Dollywood Barbeque & Bluegrass
May 13th to May 22nd, 2016
www.dollywood.com

* Wilderness Wildlife Week
May 18th to May 22nd, 2016
www.mypigeonforge.com/events/wilderness-wildlife-week/

Hope to see you soon! www.deerridge.com. Read More!