PIGEON FORGE — Tradition is important at Dollywood, and it’s even more important during the Christmas holidays.

Dollywood will kick off its Smoky Mountain Christmas festival on Saturday. The award-winning event has become a tradition for many as a way to get their holiday celebrations off on the right foot. And like many traditions, once they are set, not very much changes about them.

Dollywood will be bringing back its most popular shows, including Babes in Toyland, Christmas in the Smokies, O’ Holy Night and the Carol of the Trees.

Although, there is something new about Carol of the Trees. The tree itself is new, and this will be the first year all of the lights in the synchronized display are LED lights, said Dollywood spokesman Pete Owens. The 15-minute production is repeated several times nightly.

Other than that, there are very few changes to the festival’s traditional line-up.

“When it comes to Christmas at Dollywood, things returning are a big deal,” said Paul Couch, the park’s entertainment director. “We don’t let go lightly.”

And it seems to be working. The Christmas festival was named the No. 1 Christmas event for the second year in a row by Amusement Today magazine.

“Collectively, Dollywood won the Golden Ticket award for best shows in the industry,” Couch added. “For us, bringing the shows back helps develop our reputation and helps achieve our status.”

The longest running production during the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival is the always-popular Christmas in the Smokies. The 45-minute production in Showplace Theater is original to the festival, and has been entertaining crowds with holiday tunes for 20 years.

“It wouldn’t be Christmas at Dollywood without Christmas in the Smokies,” Couch said. “There are people who don’t feel like their Christmas has begun until they see Christmas in the Smokies. On of the things people like about it is, it’s a very clear, celebration statement that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus.”

The production centers around a cabin where family and friends gather to hear holiday tales and traditions. Introduced in 2008 was a special effect with snow falling on the audience at the front of the theater. But they don’t walk out shaking snow from their hair; this chemical snow dissipates before it reaches the ground.

Babes In Toyland has become another favorite after its introduction in 2006. The one-hour production includes a cast of 20 and a fully-orchestrated musical score.

Before this year’s “Sha-Kon-O-Hey!” it was the most elaborate show the park had ever produced, Couch said.

“We really raised the bar,” Couch said of their version of the Christmas play. “It’s not a show a lot of people try to do.”

But it is a show a lot of people seem to enjoy, Couch said.

“It’s been this big, fun show that families with children can enjoy,” he said. “It’s sort of like our own version of Macy’s Parade. It’s a fun thing to go do at Christmas time.”

Appalachian Christmas continues the Smoky Mountain theme with traditional Christmas tunes performed by the Appalachian String Band featuring Naomi Wood. You’ll hear tunes like the Bill Monroe classic “Christmas Time’s A Coming.”

Other musical experiences include Christmas with the Kingdom Heirs, O’ Holy Night and Twas the Night Before Christmas.

“Twas the Night before Christmas, that’s our show about our own Miracle on 34th Street,” Couch said. The character of St. Nick works quietly to bring about a family’s Christmas miracle.

O’ Holy Night is a live Nativity that tells the story of Christ’s birth through the eyes of some of the people there to witness it.

“I think that’s what distinguishes us as a company — our willingness to celebrate the birth of Christ,” Couch said.

They also don’t mind celebrating different cultures, hence the awe-inspiring sight of the German Christmas Pyramid — the second largest in the world.

A thrill for almost all of the senses is the Polar Express 4-D Experience, where you can see, hear, feel and smell your way through a 12-minute adventure based on the popular Warner Bros. movie.

The final sense of taste can be taken care of at any of the park’s restaurants or food vendors. Try the sweet potato casserole, oven-roasted turkey, cornbread dressing and the holiday bread pudding at Aunt Granny’s All-You-Care-To-Eat Buffet. Aunt Granny’s opens 30 minutes before park hours so you can fuel yourself for a day on park.

Start the day with a special Breakfast with Santa at Aunt Granny’s, held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on specific dates.

After riding rides and enjoying the first-class shows, you can warm yourself up while enjoying beverages like hot chocolate, wassail and coffee.

Then take a stroll to take in the more than 4 million lights that are strung through the park, with the majority on display down Showstreet and into The Village where Santa’s Workshop is located. Find a good spot to watch the Parade of Lights, which features many of the park’s roving characters. It winds its way from the Heartsong Theater in The Village to The Chasing Rainbows Museum in Jukebox Junction.

If you just want to find a spot to sit and rest or just contemplate the reason for the season, there’s not better place than the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, which is outlined with twinkling lights and greenery, with a Nativity scene out front.

Visit www.dollywood.com to see the park’s operating hours and show schedules.