Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road at the 2025 Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies – photo © Bill Warren
Lorraine Jordan was thrilled with the largest turnout of her 13 year run at the 2025 Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival, held in the convention center in Gatlinburg, TN.
The promoter and host expressed, “We were totally sold out at this festival for the first time ever! I’m so excited. We get close some years, but we’ve never completely done it. It was packed and everyone had a great time! We had the best weather, the best bands, the best seating, the best sound, and the best festival ever! It was wonderful!”
The numbers don’t lie. Over 25 states were represented, plus three Canadian provinces. The festival featured seventeen different acts over three days, and each day presented different and unique performances.
Thursday opened with Williamson Branch presenting a mixture of Christmas and bluegrass tunes. After an afternoon and evening of acoustic music, the first day closed with the Lonesome River Band performing some of their most well-known tunes, with a little Telecaster guitar thrown in at the close of their set.
Friday offered a surprise special guest. Bluegrass legend, Paul Williams, took the stage to sing a couple of his well-known songs that he penned, Prayer Bells of Heaven and Fraulein, that he made famous with his brother-in-law, Jimmy Martin. Williams was backed by a powerful ensemble of pickers: Warren Blair on fiddle, Allen Dyer on guitar, Garrett Newton on banjo, Anthony Howell on mandolin, and Edgar Loudermilk on bass.
After receiving a standing ovation for Williams’ performance, Jordan stressed, “You never know what we’re going to do! How do you like Gatlinburg now?” The audience responded in thunderous applause.
Williams was followed by another legend, Larry Sparks, who has spent over 62 years in the music industry. He performed many of his hit songs including Blue Virginia Blue, John Deere Tractor, and Tennessee 1949, plus Sparks’ current single, Way Back When.
Rhonda Vincent closed out Friday featuring many holiday classics that will comprise part of the Rage’s month-long, three-show-a-day sets at Silver Dollar City in Branson. A crowd favorite was a bluegrass rendition of Maria Carey’s All I Want For Christmas, performed by young Rage guitarist, Zack Arnold, who Rhonda fondly referred to as “Zachariah Carey”.
Saturday ranged from bluegrass gospel with the Gospel Plowboys to classic country and comedy with the Malpass Brothers. Carolina Road presented their annual tribute to veterans. Each service person in attendance was presented with a monogrammed hand towel. Four Fender guitars were given away raffle-style for hose who signed up for 2026 advanced tickets. All winners were present to receive their guitars.
There were somber moments, too. Lorraine read a dedication to the memory of Ruth Bruno, a devoted volunteer and supporter of the festival. Everyone felt the loss for fiddler, Adam Burrows, whose mother passed while they were in Gatlinburg before he could perform with Larry Efaw. Carolina Road’s lead guitarist, Wayne Morris, announced that he would be stepping down from the band to take more responsibility with his church. His presence will be sorely missed.
Lorraine’s 95-year old dad, Royce Jordan, and HWY 40’s Doug Whitley served as MCs throughout the weekend of music. David and Traci Chichester of GBS Productions provided excellent audio. There were plenty of vendors in the foyer of the auditorium, including Ami Ricci’s Bluegrass Road Trip and merchandise from all the performers. Each performer received Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies wares.
Jordan concluded, “Folks, if you want to come with us next year at Bluegrass Christmas in Smokies, I’d go ahead and get a reserved seat and be ready. We’ll be back here next November 2026.”
Dates are set for November 19-21, 2026. The holiday-themed bluegrass festival will return to the Mills Auditorium in the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Bands already booked include Authentic Unlimited, Junior Sisk, the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, the Larry Stephenson Band, Williamson Branch, and many others, with Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road once again serving as host band.
For ticket info, call 919-609-6740, email them, or visit Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival online.
