Elyse Tedeschi
After a long eight hour bus ride, the marching band and choir finally arrived in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on April 24, 2025. This trip was a three day trip that the Peters Township Music Department took to showcase the talents of the marching band and choir from almost 500 miles away from home.
Starting Thursday morning, once they arrived in Tennessee, the group all had breakfast together and then made their way to Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg. Spending a few hours in the area, all had opportunities to take the tram, ride the mountain coaster, see some amazing views, and plenty more. Later on in the day after unpacking and settling down at the hotel for a bit, the group went out to a pirate show and theme dinner. The show included dancers, acrobats, acting, all sorts of animal features, interactive parts, and more. To end the day, everyone gets some down time to hangout with friends, swim, or just chill at the hotel before curfew.
Friday, the second full day in Tennessee, was a big day for everyone. Starting out the day, the group spent a few hours in Dollywood. There, they got to break off into groups and just enjoy the morning/ early afternoon in the park. Once leaving the park, everyone immediately changed into uniform to get ready for performance. Both the Marching band and choir showcased their talents at the Islands in Pigeon Forge. Starting with the marching band, they got to do a parade and show off some of their best songs to the audience. After that was the choir’s turn. With multiple groups within the choir, they all got to sing their best songs to a great crowd! Once everyone’s performance was over, everyone had a group dinner and then got to spend the evening at the islands having fun!
Last full day in Tennessee, Saturday. Everyone spent the whole day in Dollywood. Spending time with friends, riding roller coasters, eating new food, and making great memories! After the long day in the park, everyone returned to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave in the morning. Sunday morning everyone drove the eight hours back and arrived in Peters right around 5pm.
Throughout the trip, with performances, countless amounts of roller coasters, themed dinners, long bus rides, and so much more, everyone had so much fun and made memories that are unforgettable. Trips like these are such great ways to spice up the music department and try new things.