Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Play Ball!
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on April 3, 2018
One of the sure signs that spring has really arrived is the start of baseball season. From Little League to Major League, baseball fans all over the country are gearing up to cheer on their favorite teams, and those of us who live in the Smoky Mountains are no exception. Each year, we look forward to five months of exciting baseball action with the Tennessee Smokies, a AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
The Smokies kick off their season this week, on the road against the Mississippi Braves, on Thursday, April 5. The home season gets started on April 11, when the Smokies return to Smokies Park for a five-game stand against the Jackson Generals. First pitch for Wednesday and Thursday is 11:30 a.m., with starting times of 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
If you happen to be visiting the Great Smoky Mountains any time between now and the end of August, consider catching a game if the team is playing at home. They bill the experience as “a nine-inning vacation,” but it really is a lot of fun, even if the Smokies aren't necessarily your team of choice.
The stadium accommodates about 6,000 guests with a combination of reserved seating, general admission seating, luxury boxes, berm seating beyond the outfield wall and an area for party porches beyond left field. Even the highest ticket prices are pretty reasonable when you consider what some attractions in the Smokies cost these days.
The game-day experience there is memorable. There are two main concession areas that carry baseball staples like hot dogs, popcorn, soft drinks and pizza, and vendors typically walk up and down the aisles of each section. There's even a full-service Calhoun's restaurant on the premises, which also provides catering to groups who book the party porches.
Most nights, there's usually some sort of promotion going on as well. Examples include Dollar Dog Night, Taco Tuesday, All You Can Eat Wednesday and the Summer Fireworks Series, which includes a spectacular fireworks show set to music immediately following the games on weekends.
In between innings, there's always some sort of event or contest taking place throughout the stadium. These can include fan giveaways, trivia contests and head-to-head on-field competitions involving both kids and adults. And yes, there's a seventh-inning stretch, when the whole stadium joins in for a chorus of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”
The stadium also features a visitor center, a merchandise shop and an outdoor kids' area beyond the right field wall. And for those watching the game, there's a giant, animated scoreboard that keeps up with the score, stats and even video replay of key plays.
In addition to the Tennessee Smokies, our area is home to the Cal Ripken Experience a baseball complex that hosts tournament action for youth baseball teams from around the country. The state-of-the-art facility cost $22.5 million when it opened in 2015, and it's been designed to make youth athletes feel like pros. And its location makes it ideal for families traveling to support their favorite youth teams.
Another great way to spend a few hours in the Smokies? That would be hanging out with us at Smoky Mountain Ziplines. We're conveniently located just a couple of miles off the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, so we're easy to find, and we're home of the best ziplines Pigeon Forge has to offer.
Imagine coming to a place in the rolling foothills of the Smokies, where the views are unimaginable, and you get from point to point by soaring among the treetops suspended high above the air by a steel cable. It's fast, it's fun, it's exciting, and no other zipline vendor in the Smokies offers so much value for the money. Call us today or book your reservation online.
