Ole Red Gatlinburg is Blake Shelton’s namesake honky-tonk right on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg, three floors of live country music, Southern food, and a rooftop bar with mountain views. It’s one of the higher-energy nights out in the Smoky Mountains, and it sits close enough to walk from a lot of our downtown Gatlinburg-area rentals.
Live music runs on multiple stages most days, from local acts to occasional bigger names, and the vibe shifts from family-friendly earlier in the day to a full-on bar scene after dark. There’s no cover most of the time to walk in and look around or grab a table for dinner, though the main stage area can have a cover or require reservations on busier nights and around big events, worth checking ahead if you have a specific night in mind. The rooftop bar is 21-and-up after a certain hour, while the lower floors stay family-friendly for dinner.
Parking in downtown Gatlinburg is tight, especially on weekends, so guests staying in our cabins outside downtown often park once and walk the Parkway rather than drive in and out. It pairs naturally with a day at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies or a stroll through downtown shops, then dinner and live music at Ole Red as the evening winds down, a solid one-stop night out for a Smoky Mountains stay.
