Review of Black Bear Jamboree Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Black Bear Jamboree Musical Show and Dinner Theater
119 Music Rd.
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Phone Toll Free: 800-985-5494
Phone Box Office: 865-908-7469
Email: info@blackbearjamboree.com
Online: www.blackbearjamboree.com/
Tickets prices:
Adults, $39.95
Children $9.98 (age 11 and under)
Ticket prices do not include tax or gratuity.

The Black Bear Jamboree puts the energy into the term "high energy." It is a music show and dinner theater in the heart of Pigeon Forge. It is right on the parkway next to the Titanic Museum. You can't miss it.

The first time I went to Black Bear Jamboree in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee was a few years ago. It was retreat weekend. Our group had reservations for the dinner show. Frankly, I had a few reservations of my own.

It had been described as an animatronics bear show with dancing. In my mind I pictured images created from a carnival. I expected a few large plastic and metal bears dancing on some sort of animated surface. This seemed to be an odd choice. Our group leader who orchestrated the reservations normally had good taste. I felt compelled to give the Black Bear Jamboree a try and enjoyed the evening.

That was several years ago. I'm happy to say that the Black Bear Jamboree still provides a good musical show.

This summer, my daughter received two free tickets. She wanted to use them before resuming classes in the fall. Neither Hubby nor my daughter had ever attended before so we all decided to go. Reserving the extra ticket took only a credit card and a phone call. You can save $2 by ordering online or by using your AAA membership card.

Even though the parking lot is large it fills up quickly before show time. We arrived 40 minutes before show time. Even though we were there for the early performance the lot was almost full.

When you arrive at the Black Bear Jamboree you enter into the gift shop. It's packed full of all kinds of merchandise. You'll find everything from little stuffed black bears to high dollar souvenirs.

What you won't find is room to move around. The lines for tickets and will call snake their way through the gift shop. It can get crowded before the show. We arrived about 40 minutes before showtime and the place was packed. Those on walkers had trouble navigating the tight aisles and crowded spaces.

Since it was so crowded, Hubby went in to take care of the tickets and called us when it was time to enter the theater. Since the gift shop was warm and crowded we were glad to wait outside. This was the only place we found to sit and wait.

Once seating began the line moved quickly. The food at the Black Bear Jamboree was just as good but not spectacular.

Your first course is a cup of hot creamy soup. We received oven roasted chicken, barbeque ribs, rolls, vegetables, red potatoes and corn on the cob. Dessert was a simple chocolate pudding with whipped topping. The beverages were iced tea, Coke or coffee.

The hot foods were served hot and the pudding was cold. Despite this, our server was friendly and did a pretty good job serving our large section.

Tipping the servers is expected and promoted throughout the pre-show entertainment. Black Bear Jamboree in Pigeon Forge placed signs on the dinner tables to tell you how much to tip. I assumed it was built into the ticket price and was caught off guard. It's definitely something to keep in mind when factoring in the cost.

The dinner show is built around the idea that the bears gather in the woods annually for a musical festival. Two main characters interact with the bears and take you through the storyline.

You'll be taken on a musical tour of hit songs from the 50's up to now. The end is capped off with the song "He's Alive" followed by a tribute to our armed forces. The closing song is "I can only Imagine". The choreography at the Black Bear Jamboree in Pigeon Forge and music come off without a hitch.

Parents should be aware that there will be some suggestive and risque comments from the character named "Dexter." To me, these detracted from the show and may not be appropriate for young children.

I would be willing to visit the Black Bear Jamboree in Pigeon Forget again. It was a good place to visit for a fun evening out.

Source:
Personal experience
Black Bear Jamboree