Gatlinburg SkyBridge celebrates Fourth of July with massive American flag

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Gatlinburg SkyLift Park kicked off the Fourth of July holiday weekend by unveiling a giant American flag along the SkyBridge Thursday night.

The drop of the 60-foot flag marks one of the first Fourth of July celebrations in the U.S.

Eight volunteers were needed to drape the flag over the SkyBridge.

“We understand that not everyone will be able to observe their Fourth of July holiday as they had intended, so we wanted to bring a little cheer and patriotism to the top of the mountain,” said Marcus Watson, marketing manager. “The flag is always well-received by our visitors and we’re thrilled to be among the first attractions in the country to honor this special day.”

The Gatlinburg SkyLift Park announced visitors can watch the city of Gatlinburg’s Fourth of July fireworks show from the SkyBridge.

The show will begin at 11 p.m. from the Space Needle which is 100 feet below the mountain top at the SkyLift Park.

The bridge, which opened in May 2019, is 140-feet at its mid-point. At 680 ft. long and 5 ft. wide, it’s the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America. Developers used more than 1 million pounds of concrete to build it, along with three miles of cable and 1,400 wooden planks.