This past weekend in Pigeon Forge was marked by a major event—the Slammedenuff Car Show—held at the Sevierville Convention Center and spilling over into Pigeon Forge. The car show drew huge crowds that escalated into chaotic situations. At one point, hundreds gathered at Jimmy's Market gas station parking lot with engines revving, tires spinning, and loud music, which led to public safety concerns. Police had to intervene with strong crowd control measures, including use of tasers, to disperse the crowd. The chaos and disturbances prompted authorities to cancel the remainder of the Slammedenuff event. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Gatlinburg police, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, responded to these gatherings. No shots were fired or tear gas deployed, but the situation was described as having "Hold my beer" energy with some comparisons to riots. The event escalated from what began as a car meet into a public safety incident with fights and refusal to disperse by some attendees. The Slammedenuff organizers issued a statement denouncing the behavior and announced ticket refunds for the canceled part of the event. Pigeon Forge Police had issued warnings prior to the weekend cautioning about safety risks and discouraging unsanctioned gatherings related to the car show.
In addition to this incident, regular fall events such as the Bear-Varian Fall Festival at Anakeesta, Jurassic Adventure at The Island, and Apple Harvest Festival at SkyLand Ranch continued as planned, but the Slammedenuff car show chaos was the main headline and disruption in Pigeon Forge over the weekend.
