Tourists shop, eat in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg after reopening

Cooped-up tourists headed to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on Friday as shops and restaurants reopened their doors for the first time since Gov. Bill Lee ordered non-essential businesses across the state to close.

Despite Tennessee’s rising case count, people shopped and ate freely at The Island and along the main drag in Gatlinburg. Restaurants offered reduced-capacity seating, but retail stores were allowed to open without restrictions. Attractions are not yet permitted to open.

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Remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic were apparent, though. The Island posted signs that encouraged safe practices like social distancing and sanitizing hands, some stores would only allow a certain number of people inside and other stores didn’t open at all.

Robert and Patricia Maw, both 72, were visiting Pigeon Forge from Greenville, S.C., for a late anniversary celebration. Both had recent health problems, which delayed their trip, but they told Knox News that they weren’t worried about the virus.

“I’m glad things are opening back up,” Robert Maw said. “About a month ago, all of this was necessary, but I think it’s time to ease up.”

Savannah Bee Company was one of the stores at The Island with some of the strictest restrictions, only allowing people who wore masks and no more than four people at a time in the small space.

Janice Adams, manager of both of Savannah Bee Company’s local shops, said that the precautions were decided collectively by The Island, her store’s corporate leaders and managers. She was eager to have more customers after the month-long shutdown.

“This is our livelihood,” Adams said. “(Tourists) are the ones who keep us going.”

On the Gatlinburg strip, people ate outside on patios, walked with large shopping bags and tasted moonshine. Reed Copeland, manager at Sugarlands Distilling Company, said he was “cautiously optimistic” that the town would come back to life as it was before the coronavirus. Only 30 customers were allowed to come in the store, and seven people could taste moonshine at once to keep with social distancing standards.

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