Christmas comes to life at Dolly Parton’s Stampede

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The holiday season comes to life as toys dance and a live nativity comes together to tell the story of Christmas.

It’s all inside Dolly Parton’s Stampede in Pigeon Forge. While the show opened in November, host Jay Teter said they’ve been practicing since August.

“Of course, it’s Christmas at the Stampede. We have totally transformed our arena into a Christmas wonderland. We’ve got the North Pole versus the South Pole friendly competition,” said Teter.

Teter has been the host for 25 seasons. He said this is his favorite time of year.

Laura Childers is an aerialist in the show. She flies around as The Sugar Plum Fairy and the angel watching over Bethlehem.

Adults and children alike will enjoy “The Magic of Toys,” an amazing musical fantasy starring The Sugar Plum Fairy and a number of toys she magically brings to life in a musical celebration that includes a stunning aerial display set to the unforgettable music of The Nutcracker.

“It’s a lot of fun to fly around, and I wake everybody up, and they all come to life and then at the end, we realize the clock struck midnight. It’s time to go back to sleep,” said Childers. “The nativity is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show, and I really enjoy being the angel because I get to come down from the ceiling and see the entire story.”

Guests will be awed by the birth of Jesus re-enacted with Mary, Joseph, the wise men and a living nativity of camels, donkeys and sheep. This touching scene is a reminder of the importance of the Christmas season.

“Of course, our kings coming in on live camels’ don’t miss that scene,” said Teter.

Christmas at the Stampede runs through Dec. 31.

Copyright 2022 WVLT. All rights reserved.