EXPLORING APPALACHIA IN PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE

Pigeon Forge is a small town in East Tennessee that is home to approximately 6,400 people, though an estimated 10 million people visit it each year. The “Las Vegas of the Southeast,” Pigeon Forge is anchored by country music, churches, and the Smoky Mountains, while also home to thriving nightclubs, CBD stores, and Dollywood.

Amy Fletcher

In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee-located less than half an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—a large, white cross sits serenely on a hillside, visible from multiple vantage points in the town. Designed by the Reverend James Potter, the structure is 110 feet high and weighs an estimated 60,000 pounds. I visit Pigeon Forge frequently, and the cross always makes me think of the contradictions embedded in this small town, where a lively mix of amusement parks, thrill rides, clubs, and CBD/Delta-8 shops co-exist with historical churches that date back to the mid 19th century. The easiest way to get to Pigeon Forge is to take I-75 north from Knoxville to exit 407 in Sevierville, where a gleaming Buc-ee's gas station anchors plans for regional development. Following the signs down…

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ROVA (Digital) - 1 Issue, Thirty-Nine: October/November 2023

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