View of Dolly Parton statue at night, with the Sevier County Courthouse illuminated in the background.Sevierville, a town of about 17,000 that’s located less than 20 miles north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is known to many as a tourist town, but locals say it’s way more than that.
“We maintain that we’re a community that we share with others that come from out of town,” Sevierville resident Stefanie Johnson said. “Togetherness and community are an integral part of what Sevierville is.”
The quaint downtown commons offers restaurants, boutique shopping and events including movie nights and a weekly farmers market in the warmer months. The Tanger Outlet Mall offers shoppers an array of stores, and the historic Sevier County Courthouse boasts a much-visited statue of notable native Dolly Parton on its front lawn.
More Info
Food and drink> Courthouse Donuts: Located at the corner of Bruce St. and Courthouse Ave., this coffee and doughnut shop/event space opened earlier this year and features a unique approach to doughnuts. Customers choose from a chocolate, vanilla, glazed or “daily” dip, then top their doughnut with anything from coconut to Reese’s Pieces to Fruity Pebbles.> Wineries and Distilleries: There are many wineries in and around Sevierville, including Apple Barn Winery, Eagle Springs Winery, Hillside Winery, Mountain Valley Winery, Rocky Top Wine Trail, Sugarland Cellars, Thunder Road Distillery, Doc Collier Moonshine Distillery, Ole Smoky Distillery (Tennessee’s first legal Moonshine distillery), and soon-to-open Jake’s Creek Distillery.> Hickory Cabin Seasoning Company: This BBQ restaurant also sells its own brand of seasoning and sauces. Known for “The Squealy,” a 1/3-pound ground pork patty topped with grilled onion and Hickory Cabin BBQ sauce on a kaiser bun, Hickory Cabin is at 105 Joy St.
More Info
Sevierville CommonsAbout the commons, a grassy meeting place located at 136 Bruce St. downtown, Sevierville Commons Association volunteer Stefanie Johnson said, “It brings people together, and that’s what we’re about — community. To offer a place for people to come and enjoy themselves.” The commons is host to several events throughout the warmer months, including:> Farmers Market: Dozens of local vendors sell fresh, locally grown food and local artisans sell crafts every Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., through Oct. 9.> Back to School Movie Night in August> Art Crawl: A fundraiser sponsored by the Sevierville Commons Association to raise money for improvements to the downtown commons area, the Art Crawl features food and drink from local wineries, distilleries and restaurants, with live music and art displays from local artists. This year it happens on Sept. 24.> Halloween Double Feature: A spooky double bill of “Ghostbusters” and another film, to be determined, geared toward younger viewers screens Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
More Info
ShoppingSevierville rakes in over $1 billion in gross sales a year, Sevierville Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Brenda McCroskey says, and millions of that comes from shopping. The Tanger Outlet Mall, which features more than 300 clothing, accessory and specialty stores, is a big reason for that. McCroskey says the mall brings in the second-highest revenue in the nation among outlet malls. In addition, the Bass Pro Shops that Sevierville shares with Kodak, Tenn., is the third-most lucrative store for the outdoor goods company, and the Sevierville Wal-Mart Supercenter is the second-highest revenue generator among Wal-Marts. “For 17,000 people, that’s a lot of money that comes through here,” McCroskey says. According to McCroskey, most of that revenue comes from people on their way to visit the Smoky Mountains.“The big draw for us is and always will be the Smoky Mountains,” McCroskey says. “People stop here and enjoy themselves before they go to the Smokies.”
More Info
About Sevierville> Population: 16,011 in 2013; closer to 17,000 in 2015, according to the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce> Biggest employer: Sevier County Board of Education> Founded: 1795, by John Sevier, the town’s and Tennessee’s first governor> Landmarks: McMahan Indian Mound, a 16-foot-high by 240-foot-wide archaeological site that was built by American Indians between 1200-1500 A.D. Burials and numerous artifacts were unearthed at the site beginning in 1881. The Sevier County Courthouse, completed in 1896, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.> Famous residents: Country music legend Dolly Parton was born in Sevierville and still has a home there.