July 4th holiday activities in the Great Smoky Mountains.

July 4th is a popular time for families to take a vacation, and there is no more favorite destination for a family friendly vacation than the Great Smoky Mountains. This year the crowds came early and the weather is spectacular.

Pigeon Forge kicks off the July 4th celebration today with music, activities, food, a salute to veterans by cast members from the Grand Majestic Theater and the end of the evening at around 9:45 pm, a fireworks display set to a soundtrack broadcasted live on WIVK 107.7 FM!

All of the free fun in Pigeon Forge takes place for at Patriot Park and the July 4th in the Smokies celebration has additional parking in the city parking lot on Teaster Lane with a trolley shuttle available to Patriot Park. Be sure to bring sun screen and blankets - umbrellas are not allowed.

Starting at noon, nonprofit organizations start selling drinks and food with the proceeds to benefit local charities and the Kid's Karnival Area will open with free Inflatable's to play in, a Rock Wall, Euro Bungee, Slides and even a Mechanical Bull!

The music begins at 1:30 pm with the local four-member band Grafite, which plays 70,'s rock and pop rock songs that the whole audience will be able recognize. All of the members of the band range in age from 9 to 11!

At 2:20 pm country-rock the husband and wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson - the Thompson Square will perform songs such as "Let's Fight" and "Keeping up with the Joneses" with their unique and creative style of music.

The new group from Nashville named TelluRide will begin playing at 3:20 pm. TelluRide who has proceed an album named Four Square Miles, is comprised of musicians from all genres.

At 4:30 pm the Pigeon Forge Community Chorus will entertain everyone young and old.

Local music legend Jimbo Whaley and Greenbrier will start at 5:30 pm. Jumbos' roots run deep in the Smokies with deep ties to the Greenbrier area and music always being a part of his life. He is an accomplished songwriter of such songs as The Foundation, M.R.s Rolling Store, The Legend of Jack Huff, and the fan favorite, The Kings of Orebank and he and his band have perfected bluegrass, country and mountain music.

6:20 pm is when the music trio from Nashville Eden's Edge will play their country music.

Talented singer-songwriter Steve Azar had the top country hits "I Don't Have To Be Me 'Til Monday" and "Waitin' on Joe" will start at 7:15 pm.

The headliner for the day, Diamond Rio starts at 8:30 pm. Diamond Rio was wildly successful with their mainstream country music but made the transition to Christian music with hits such as "I Believe", "Mama Don't Forget To Pray For Me", and "One More Day".

After they close, the fireworks will light up the sky over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This winter and spring huge improvements have been made in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to areas such as Cades Cove, which has been completely repaved, Clingmans Dome Road, The Cosby picnic area and campground and the newly opens Sink parking area and trailhead.

The fish are biting in all the stream and rivers in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park and tubes are having a blast floating don the rivers on the warm summers day. You can tube in the Townsend area and well as the Deep Creek area for just a few dollars and have a day's worth of fun!

Black bear are extremely active right now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park so make sure that when you are dine with your fourth of July picnic or BBQ in the park you clean up all scraps of food and make sure that the lid to the bear proof garbage cans are closed tight. Remember by law you must stay 150 feet away from black bear and elk.

Speaking of Elk, these are the last few days of calving season for elk and white tailed deer. You should stay out of all fields with talk grass where fawns and calves may be hiding and if you do see a baby deer or elk leave it alone, it is not abandoned, this is just how mom projects her newborn from coyotes and black bear.

Finally, we want everyone coming to the Smokies to have a fun and safe 4th of July weekend, so local authorities will have perform enhanced traffic enforcement. Drive at posted speeds and do not drink and drive.

Hurry up if you don't have a place to stay in the Smokies as there are just 3 cabins left and they will be gone by the end of the day today.