Something very odd about the tourists in Gatlinburg. The common attributes seem to be white beards, white hair and red clothing — generally but not always red hats.
I took some street photos of these tourists. They were everywhere! I am still shaking from the shock.
This is hilarious! They must not have gotten all the way up to “E level” (see the first picture)where they could have got biker jackets, boots, chaps, and saddle bags!
Some of those santas looked pretty mean to me
You probably don’t know this unless you are a member of the competitive bridge subculture, but Gatlinburg is the site of a gigantic bridge tournament every April. Maybe these white-bearded folks are bridge players who like to arrive early.
The Celebrate Santa Festival takes place in Gatlinburg. It was also on last year at this time so I am guessing it is an annual event.
More about the Santa invasion here: http://celebratesanta.com/