If you’re looking for a fun new, family show with something for all ages, check out Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. Located in Lumberjack Square just north of The Island, this family-friendly show opens with a rivalry between the McGraw and Dawson lumberjack families.
Be sure to get there early for a great seat and be sure to choose your spot carefully because the seats are sectioned off by the rival family. You wouldn’t want to cheer for the wrong side! Plus, this is probably one of the few shows (if any) that actually encourages you to bring in outside food and drinks. In the Square you’ve got quick access to Smoky Mountain Brewery, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and Calhoun’s.
Before the show, “Jills” (female lumberjacks) fire up insults to each other and pick kids from the audience to teach everyone a “Yo ho” cheer. And then your master of ceremonies, Uncle Bud, gets everything started!
- Standing Log Chop
Four men stand on a log and have to chop through. It simulates a standing tree and the first to get through is the winner. - Axe Throw (Otherwise known as Darts for Men)
Lumberjacks stand 20 feet away from the target and throw with a double-sided axe. - Crosscut Saw (Misery Whip)
Lumberjacks team up to cut slices from the log, known as cookies. The lumberjills join up and show their prowess. Both of them are training at the competitive circuit. - Underhand Chop
Lumberjacks stand on a 13-inch block of wood chopping under their feet with a 7-inch blade. - Obstacle Race
Lumberjacks team up using a hook that in the industry is used for pushing/pulling/grabbing. - Stock Saw
Jacks have to cut two cookies sawing down first and then up. - Springboard Chop
Lumberjacks use springboards to climb up a log and chop the top off. In the industry, it’s used as a way to get up to the old growth timber and remove it. - Climbing Trees
Jacks in the forestry business climb up halfway and put in a safety belay to cut off branches. For the show, there is no belay and no stopping! They climb 60 feet up in the air and come sliding back down. - Team Event
Both the lumberjacks and lumberjills compete. It starts with a cookie toss by two lucky kids from the audience and then finishes with a Jack and Jill cut. - Hot Saw
This modified chainsaw is loud and the lumberjacks use it to cut three cookies off a log. - Boom Run
Jacks have to run across the boom, which is logs strung end-to-end. Traditionally, lumberjacks needed to corral the cut lumber in the mill pond and used booms to slow the logs. - Log Roll
Two Jacks face head-to-head and try to knock each other off with distracting splashes while keeping their balance on a spinning log. The first unofficial log rolling world championship was held in 1898!
Throughout the show, you’ll be cheering, clapping, and laughing. At the end of every event, they give a cookie branded with the logo to a cheering fan. Make the most noise to secure your cookie. If you aren’t rowdy enough, that’s okay. You can buy a branded cookie at the end of the show for $5 as well as get it autographed by the Jacks and Jills.
Looking for an affordable photo op? Bring your kids down to the front at intermission and you can take a photo of them sawing with the help from the crew.
Looking for something exciting to do before watching the show? Check out our combo packages or pick one of our awesome family-friendly activities!
