Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Gatlinburg Now Open
Exciting news, Blake Shelton fans! Shelton’s Ole Red restaurant and entertainment venue is now open in Gatlinburg! The week-long grand opening celebration for the restaurant and entertainment complex lasts from March 11 through March 17 and includes a scavenger hunt, live performances with special guests, and more. Visit My Smokies has all the details on Ole Red Gatlinburg:
Blake Shelton’s Live Performance at Ole Red Gatlinburg
Couldn’t make it to Ole Red Gatlinburg for the Spring Blake celebration? You can watch part of Blake Shelton’s live performance here:
The concert featured a 27-song setlist of the country star’s most popular songs, including the hit that inspired the name of the venue, “Ol’ Red.” Tickets for the show were sold through a charity auction that raised $29,214 for Gatlinburg Pittman High School’s music department, and Ryman Properties donated another $25,000, bringing the total to $54,214. During the show, Shelton talked about how much he loves Gatlinburg and the area. He mentioned that the Gatlinburg location is his favorite location because the music is the focal point.
Shelton hopes the stage at Ole Red Gatlinburg can become a launching point for budding country music stars. When you visit Ole Red, you will have the chance to hear incredible live performances from talented artists!
Ole Red Gatlinburg Grand Opening Spring Blake Celebration
It’s official! @OleRedGburg is open for business! See y’all tonight! – Team BS pic.twitter.com/CyBsaqMgOY
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) March 13, 2019
March 11 through March 17 has been named “Spring Blake,” and is a celebration of the grand opening of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Gatlinburg! Spring Blake features live music, a scavenger hunt, and even a private concert from Shelton himself. During the scavenger hunt, visitors followed clues leading to places around Gatlinburg, like Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, in hopes of winning tickets to Blake Shelton’s private performance Wednesday evening. Blake was joined on stage by Con Hunley, a Knoxville native and country icon.
At his grand opening press conference on Wednesday, March 13, Shelton said that Gatlinburg is his favorite of his 3 Ole Red locations from a musician’s perspective. He said that from an artist’s standpoint it’s perfect because of the way the stage is set up and what you can see in front of you with the two levels. Those who visit Ole Red Gatlinburg from March 14-March 17 will have the opportunity to see performances from former “Voice” contestants like Red Marlow and Emily Ann Roberts!
Here is the full schedule of the performances:
March 14: Lauren Duski
March 15: Pryor Baird
March 16: Red Marlow
March 17: Emily Ann Roberts
See Inside Ole Red Gatlinburg
How would you like to see inside Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Gatlinburg before you visit? Watch the Knoxville News Sentinel’s video below to get a sneak peek of Ole Red!
The soft opening of Ole Red is Monday, March 4, while the grand opening is March 11 through March 17.
Ole Red Gatlinburg Grand Opening Event
Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Gatlinburg has a week-long grand opening event! The celebration takes place from March 11 through March 17 and includes a scavenger hunt, performances from former contestants on “The Voice,” and even a private concert from Blake Shelton himself! Daily live music begins at 11:30 a.m. on March 11, and visitors can try the full restaurant menu, which includes Gatlinburg-only specialties like the “Ober Gatlin-burger” and Blake-approved cocktails. You won’t want to miss the Spring Blake scavenger hunt, which includes in-venue giveaways and prizes. You’ll even have the chance to win a ticket to Blake’s private concert on March 13, including a performance by Shelton himself and some special guests.
To get all the details on the week-long grand opening celebration of Ole Red Gatlinburg, visit their website.
Blake Shelton Visits Gatlinburg
Touring the site of @OleRedGburg… Can’t wait for y’all to see this!! ..Can I order a drink yet??
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) September 18, 2018
Country star Blake Shelton paid a visit to Gatlinburg on Sept. 18 to hold a press conference with Ryman Hospitality President and CEO Colin Reed at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. During the press conference, Shelton explained his vision for Ole Red and said he wants it to feel like a state of mind as soon as you walk in.
“It needs to feel like country music used to feel,” Shelton said.
Shelton also shared that when the proposal for him to open a restaurant in Gatlinburg came up, he immediately knew he wanted to do it. The goal is to fill a void and offer visitors and locals something fun to do at night.
There will be a special week-long grand opening event for the venue in March 2019, where Shelton and other guests will perform.
Watch WBIR’s video of Blake Shelton’s visit to Gatlinburg below:
Facebook Live Announcement
On March 21, 2018, Shelton and his partners at Ryman Hospitality Properties announced on Facebook Live that they will be bringing the Ole Red brand to East Tennessee.
“Gatlinburg is one of my all-time favorite places,” Shelton said. “This part of the country is full of people who love good food, great music, family and most importantly, a good time. That’s what Ole Red is all about.”
This will be Shelton’s third Ole Red venue. The first he opened in his hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and the second is expected to open in Nashville in May. Fans can expect the Gatlinburg location to open in February or March of 2019.
Watch the Facebook Live video to see the announcement for yourself!
About Ole Red Gatlinburg
Ole Red Gatlinburg is located at 511 Parkway, which was the vacant Riverbend Mall. According to Ryman Hospitality Properties, the renovations included turning it into a 16,000-square-foot multi-level attraction, with a two-story bar and restaurant, gift shop, performance venue, dance floor and an outside terrace.
The restaurant was inspired by Shelton’s No. 1 hit song, “Ol’ Red” and will be filled with both good music and good food. Shelton plans to bring his Southern roots to the menu with Nashville classics like Hot Chicken & Waffles, BBQ, burgers and more Southern favorites.
In his Facebook Live announcement, Shelton said choosing the location for Ole Red was a “no-brainer,” and he wants the venue to add more of a late-night party feel to Gatlinburg.
In a news release, Collin Reed, the chairman and CEO of Ryman Hospitality Properties, said part of their goal is to celebrate the country lifestyle and resonate with country music’s growing fan base.
“With 12 million annual visitors and a rich country music legacy, Gatlinburg is an ideal destination for the Ole Red brand,” Reed said. “We know the Smoky Mountain region is tremendously popular with country lifestyle consumers, and we believe Ole Red offers a unique entertainment experience that will attract even more visitors to the area.”
Shelton said he wanted to give his fans another place to have fun in Gatlinburg, and we know you can’t wait to visit!
Dining in the Smoky Mountains
The Smoky Mountains are home to so many delicious restaurants, and we’re excited to add Blake Shelton’s restaurant to the list. While you’re in town visiting the new Ole Red Gatlinburg, try some of the other delicious restaurants in the Smoky Mountains.
