The iconic Harlem Globetrotters will return to East Tennessee this summer to lead the 49th Annual Gatlinburg Fourth of July Midnight Parade. Gatlinburg officials announced Tuesday that the world-renowned exhibition basketball team serve as Grand Marshals of the first Independence Day celebration in the nation this year.
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Tracey Burns of Greenville, South Carolina, made her raft to look like the Bearskin Lodge, which is where she usually stays when she visits the city. Burns is a regular at the regatta and known for her artistry. One year she created a raft that looked like the Ripleyâs Aquarium of the Smokies, which she gave to the aquarium rather than float it down the river.
Photos by Cindy Simpson/The Mountain Press
Hailey Rickleff of Arizona placed third in the most creative category. She made her floatable in memory of uncle Bobby Hagy, a three-time cancer survivor who served in the U.S. Army with her father. Hagy, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died a few months ago.
Gatlinburg s midnight parade ushers in Fourth of July celebrations
EmiSunshine, a rising country music star, will lead the parade honoring first responders, veterans and frontline healthcare workers. Author: WBIR Staff Updated: 12:40 AM EDT July 4, 2021
GATLINBURG, Tenn. A full day of events is scheduled in Gatlinburg, starting at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning with a parade led by a rising country music star.
Officials said that EmiSunshine, an American Idol contestant, will lead it as Grand Marshal. She is an East Tennessee native who was showcased on season 19 of American Idol after she previously performed at the Grand Ole Opry and several national television shows.
Jul 3, 2021 / 12:00 AM EDT
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) Visitors are already packing into Gatlinburg ahead of the 4th of July weekend as businesses and city officials prepare for the festivities.
The city of Gatlinburg is hosting its annual 4th of July celebrations, which include the midnight parade, the River Raft Regatta, a patriotic concert with the 100
th Army Band from Fort Knox, Kentucky and a fireworks show from the Space Needle.
The city is going big after everything but the fireworks were canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Visitors are coming in from all over the country; from Ohio and Pennsylvania, to Mississippi and other parts of Tennessee–all to enjoy a good time with family and friends in the mountains.