From gsmji.com:

Hosted once again at the spacious LeConte Center (2986 Teaster Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863), this three-day Jeep and Expo event will run Thursday-Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM offering enthusiasts and families a full-throttle experience of all things Jeep®.

Your daily admission grants access to:

• The indoor vendor area
• The outdoor vendor areas with specific vendors offering professional onsite installations
• The exciting Show & Shine event

Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6–12, and free for kids 5 and under. Tickets are available only at the event—both inside the LeConte Center and at the outdoor vendor booths. No presales are offered, so please be cautious of online scams.

^(Image source: event) ^(facebook page)

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Happening now:

Great Smoky Mountain Bronco Stampede (Aug 14-15)

Hope McAlee - WATE:

Dollywood unveils first-of-its-kind ride NightFlight Expedition

>Dollywood is unveiling its newest ride, NightFlight Expedition, to the media on Friday. Follow along as the park debuts the first-of-its-kind ride. Starting at 11 a.m., the unveiling event will be livestreamed in this story.

>The opening of the highly-anticipated ride comes after its debut was temporarily delayed. When the park first announced NightFlight Expedition, Dollywood shared that the ride was expected to open in Spring 2026. However, due to the complexity of the ride’s construction, the park shared in June that the opening was delayed until August.

>Following the event on Friday, the park will begin offering season passholders pre-scheduled preview rides of NightFlight Expedition. The ride is scheduled to open to the public on August 19.

Dollywood's most expensive investment

>While the park previously shared that NightFlight expedition would be the park’s most ambitious project the park has ever undertaken, it is now also the most expensive. In total, the attraction is more than a $50 million investment for Dollywood.

>NightFlight Expedition will be located very close to what was previously the most expensive investment at Dollywood. Before this new ride, Big Bear Mountain held the title of most expensive investment in Dollywood History with a cost of $25 million.

See the amphibious ride vehicles

>A large part of what makes NightFlight expedition so interesting is that it combines a rollercoaster with whitewater ride. To do this, Dollywood is using amphibious ride vehicles that are equipped with “bioluminators” that connect with the ride’s story line of taking guests on a journey to discover a hidden lake. The design of the vehicles won manufacturer MACK Rides multiple awards including the 2025 Amusement Today Golden Ticket for best new innovation.

>With 11 ride vehicles total, the park is expecting to be able to allow approximately 1,200 guests to ride the five-and-a-half minute long attraction.

A first-of-its-kind ride

>Since the first announcement, Dollywood has touted NightFlight Expedition as a “first-of-its-kind” ride, with the single indoor attraction combining elements of both a rollercoaster and a whitewater rafting ride.

>According to Dollywood, NightFlight Expedition will have nearly a quarter-mile of track and take riders up almost three stories high at its highest elevation. Riders will reach speeds of up to 29 miles per hour and travel through four different sections.

>Through the ride’s storyline, visitors will soar over the scenic Smokies, take a whitewater rafting excursion through over 500,000 gallons of surging water, climb a mountain ridge on a roller coaster and then navigate a mysterious shimmering lake by boat.