PIGEON FORGE, TN – The ever-expanding Duggar family, stars of TLC’s “18 Kids and Counting,” is coming to Pigeon Forge May 5 –9 to explore what entertainment legend Dolly Parton and more than 10 million annual visitors already know—this Smoky Mountains town is ideal for families of all kinds.

“Just when you thought Pigeon Forge had everything, along come the Duggars,” said Mayor Keith Whaley.

At the invitation of Mayor Whaley, the Duggars will travel 750 miles from their hometown of Springdale, Ark., to participate in the upcoming Dolly Parton Homecoming Parade on May 8 and take in the many sights of this major tourist town.

The Duggar family trip to Pigeon Forge will be featured in a summer episode of “18 Kids and Counting,” which airs on TLC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).  Each episode chronicles the lives of an Arkansas couple, Jim Bob and Michele Duggar, and their 18 natural-born children, who range in age from four months to 21 years. The family includes two sets of twins. For more information, visit TLC.com.

Every year for the past 24 parades, thousands of Dolly Parton fans have lined a two-mile stretch of the Pigeon Forge Parkway to wave at and to be acknowledged by the entertainment superstar. Parton, of course, is the grand marshal. She is tied to the local tourism economy because of Dollywood, the theme park that is Tennessee’s most popular ticketed attraction.

This year’s Dolly Parton Homecoming Parade has special meaning because Parton is the official ambassador of the 75th anniversary of neighboring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the parade is expected to carry an appropriate theme.

Details of Parton’s float are a tightly held secret, a tradition throughout the parade’s history. The Duggars will participate with an honorary float the City of Pigeon Forge has crafted for them.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, whose nine million visitors make it the most visited of all national parks, has adopted six Pigeon Forge special events, including the parade, into its official anniversary celebration.

In days leading up to and following the parade, the family will enjoy numerous Parkway attractions during their five-day stay, including several live comedy and musical theaters, spiraling three-story go-cart tracks and North America’s only Zorb, the mountain-side free-fall inside a gigantic ball. All told, Pigeon Forge boasts more than 40 family-friendly attractions along its five-mile Parkway, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in America.

“I guess the Duggars will make it 10 million and eighteen visitors this year,” Whaley said, “and counting.”

Complete information about Pigeon Forge attractions and travel itineraries can be found online at www.MyPigeonForge.com or by calling toll-free to 1-800-251-9100.

If You Go:

The Dolly Parton Homecoming Parade starts at 6 p.m. on May 8 near Traffic Light #6 and travels north nearly two miles to Traffic Light #3 in Pigeon Forge, TN. Organizers encourage visitors to arrive in Pigeon Forge early in order to acclimate to the city and find Parkway space from which to view the parade.

Copyright 2009 Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. All rights reserved. From http://www.mypigeonforge.com.
To view the Internet Travel Monitor Archive, click http://www.tripinfo.com/ITM/index.html.