Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Ole Red One Of Many New Businesses Coming To The Smokies In 2019
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on January 22, 2019
Remember when country music celebs used to frequently lend their names to business ventures in the Smokies? Back in the day, stars like Alan Jackson, Louise Mandrell and Lee Greenwood had entertainment/dining establishments with their branding on them in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. For that matter, Mandrell and Greenwood used to star in their own shows throughout the year.
In more recent years, however, that trend has fallen by the wayside, except for Dollywood, of course, and celebrity cook Paula Deen, who now has a restaurant and a lumberjack-themed dinner attraction with her name on the shingle. Now the Smokies are about to welcome another familiar name to the tourism mix – Blake Shelton, whose Ole Red restaurant and entertainment venue will be making its debut in Gatlinburg some time in March.
The Grand Ole Opry star, in conjunction with Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., will soon be opening his business in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg. The $9 million, multi-level, 16,000-square-foot venue will feature a two-story restaurant and bar, retail area, performance space, dance floor and exterior terrace.
Shelton fans will know that the business's name is taken from the singer's breakout hit, “Ol' Red,” and Gatlinburg's Ole Red will carry on the music tradition with a state-of-the-art performance hall that will showcase country music's rising stars seven days a week. In fact, the talent will be handpicked by the Ole Red's Nashville team, so patrons will be able to see plenty of up-and-comers and maybe even some surprise celebrity guests from time to time.
The menu offers a little bit of everything and with some interesting twists. Starters include pickle-and-bacon deviled eggs, Southern tater tot poutine and Redneck Nachos – a whole lotta good stuff piled onto kettle chips. Elsewhere, look for burgers and sandwiches, while entrees like the Champagne of Fried Chicken are sure to be popular. And yes, it's fried chicken served with buttermilk biscuits in a champagne bucket. Salads, shareable sides and desserts (we're intrigued by the Lucky Charms banana pudding) round out the menu.
Ole Red is just one of many new things to look forward to in the Smokies this spring. In fact, we'll be introducing more new attractions and restaurants in this blog in the weeks to come, so keep checking back with us from time to time to learn more about what's new in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.
Of course, spring is also when all of us at Smoky Mountain Ziplines will be back for our 2019 season. Ziplining in Gatlinburg will be a fantastic and fun way to spend a beautiful spring day. We have multiple ziplines that make for one of the longest and most exciting zipline experience in the Smokies, and we have views up here that rival some of the best views in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You could even make a whole day of it by ziplining in the morning or afternoon and then making your way to downtown Gatlinburg to check out Ole Red.
Remember, however, that you don't necessarily have to wait until March to enjoy yourselves in the Smokies. There are plenty of other attractions, theaters, restaurants and shops going strong throughout the off-season, not to mention lots of Winterfest special events continuing through February. And to paraphrase a Motel 6 commercial, we've even left the lights on for you – Winterfest lights, that is – millions of them, colorfully glowing and twinkling through the end of February.
