Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
People around here are big on Pigeon Forge/Gatlingburg/Dollywood, so I finally went to Gatlinburg with my kids a few years ago to see what all the fuss was about. Man the traffic was insane, the town itself was nothing but overpriced food places and tourist shops.
Few people realize the connection between Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They're twin cities in their tackiness. Dolly Parton doesn't actually own Dollywood. The amusement park is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment. This company first developed Silver Dollar City, and amusement park in Branson. About 15 years later they got into a marketing scheme with Dolly Parton to open Dollywood, which is really "Silver Dollar City, Part 2" but Dolly's name draws them in.
I hate to admit this, but I am actually related to one of the singing hillbilly families on the Branson strip. They've owned a theater, hotel, and restaurant in Branson for more than 60 years. It was nice to go to Branson in 1960's and 1970's to see them before the town exploded and went nuts. (There were just 5 theaters and Silver Dollar City.) Today I avoid Branson at all costs. It's just hell on Earth. Branson went crazy after "60 Minutes" ran a feature story about it about 30 years ago. The story included an interview with one of my hillbilly cousins, who admitted that he was pulling down more than $1 million a month by singing country and bluegrass in sleepy little Branson. After word got out, everyone who could pick a banjo or saw a fiddle tried to open a theater there and get their piece of the action. It became a tacky boom town (hell on wheels) practicality overnight.
When thinking of what defines kitsch, Las Vegas clearly takes the cake. What other cities in the US could be characterized as kitschy? Cities, tourist towns, or particular neighborhoods that could be considered garish but paired with nostalgia. Places littered with bric a brac, neon, and cheeky attractions. Reno and Atlantic City also come to mind but beyond that I'm just curious what other cities would you consider to be kitschy?
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Kitsch capital of the Upper Midwest.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
