Before or after your meal, browse through the 4,000-square-foot Paula Deen Store that’s located below the restaurant. You’ll find cookware and bakeware, linens, cookbooks, children’s items, candles, accessories, food products, and more, plus a replica of Paula’s kitchen from her Dogwood home. For a quick bite between shopping and exploring during the day, The Bag Lady, Paula’s newest restaurant at The Island, offers ready-made sandwiches, salads, and a few sweet treats, all made from Paula’s own classic recipes.
Dollywood
A visit to Pigeon Forge during the holidays simply would not be complete without going to Dollywood. The theme park’s Smoky Mountain Christmas festival features 4 million holiday lights and seven holiday shows, including traditional favorites like It’s a Wonderful Life and Christmas in the Smokies, as well as pictures with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his friends, and The Parade of Many Colors that runs through the park.
More than 20 of Dollywood’s rides and attractions operate in a festive environment designed to get everyone into the spirit of the season, especially the Dollywood Express. The coal-fired twin steam-engine locomotive takes visitors on a 30-minute, 5-mile journey throughout the theme park and is decorated with twinkling lights and plays Christmas carols for fun sing-alongs.
