The Village is Gatlinburg's counterweight to the Parkway: an Old World brick courtyard built in 1965 by the Gerding and Dyke families, 27 small shops under an archway, fountains, benches, and two of the town's most beloved food names — the Donut Friar (opens 5 a.m., cash only, beloved enough that tour films open their whole Gatlinburg day there) and the Pancake Pantry next door. The films call it the most European-feeling block in the Smokies, and they are right on camera.

Watch: first looks

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

The Village Shops Full Walking Tour | Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Doofles

Doofles' silent walking tour of The Village in 2026 - no commentary by design, just the sights and sounds: brick lanes, fountains and the 27-shop old-world square off the Parkway.

A Walk Through the Village - Gatlinburg TN

Smokies Plus

Smokies Plus walks The Village in 2021: in through the archway across from the former Guinness museum site, past the Pancake Pantry, the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen's taffy windows, The Day Hiker, and down to the Hofbrauhaus restaurant and Cheese Cupboard.

Key takeaways
  • Enter under the archway by the Pancake Pantry, across from the old Guinness site
  • Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen still makes taffy in the window
  • The Hofbrauhaus and Cheese Cupboard hide downstairs at the back

The VILLAGE SHOPS in GATLINBURG TENNESSEE | The DONUT FRIAR

Friday's Forever

Friday's Forever tour The Village in spring 2021 and read its origin story on site: in the summer of 1965 the Gerding and Dyke families bought the odd parcel behind Main Street and built the old-world square - fountains, the Spice & Tea Exchange, the Sock Shop, and the Donut Friar to finish.

Key takeaways
  • Built in 1965 by the Gerding and Dyke families on an odd parcel behind Main Street
  • Read the Village story plaque as you enter
  • The Donut Friar is the traditional finish

The shops

Walk-throughs cover the range: toy and game shops, a candle store, a coffee house (the Coffee & Company room is the Village's morning living room), Celtic and import goods, art, and the snack loops — popcorn, fudge, the fry/bread smells under the brick. The full walking tour films the courtyard as one connected place: entering under the archway by the Pancake Pantry, lanes bending past the fountain, the back lanes quieter still.

Morning is the Village's hour

The smartest films arrive early: donuts at opening, coffee on a bench, the Pancake Pantry queue forming by eight. The Christmas-in-the-Village film (a local's walk) is the evening counterpoint — lights in the brick lanes, the courtyard as the town's most photogenic night spot that never shouts.

Watch: more views

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

Fall in Gatlinburg! 🍁 Full Tour of The Village Shops, Donut Friar & More!

Jonny Amusement

Jonny Amusement's fall 2026 walk through The Village dressed for autumn: the full loop of shops, Celtic Heritage, Boudicca's Celtic Pub, The Hayloft, and the Donut Friar. (English narration; its only caption track is an auto-translation, so it loads as watch content.)

The Village in Gatlinburg: You CAN'T MISS This Hidden Gem! (2025/2026 Shopping & Food Tour)

American Travel Fun

American Travel Fun's case for The Village as Gatlinburg's hidden gem: 27 unique shops in a European-style square built in 1965 by the Gerding and Dyke families (of Pancake Pantry and Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen fame) for $350,000 - and a stop at Celtic Heritage, run by Amy and Jeff for over 25 years.

Key takeaways
  • 27 shops that feel like a European village, steps off the Parkway
  • The founding families also created the Pancake Pantry and Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen
  • Celtic Heritage has run for over 25 years with goods from Ireland and Scotland

The Village, Marsha's Happy Place In Gatlinburg Tennessee

Adventures Unseen

Adventures Unseen spend a December 2025 evening in The Village: the Coffee & Company shop (there since 1993), the Donut Friar (open 5 a.m. daily, cash), and the cinnamon bread and pastries, all under the square's lights.

Key takeaways
  • The Donut Friar opens at 5 a.m. and takes cash
  • Coffee & Company has poured since 1993
  • December evenings are the square at its most atmospheric

Planning note

The Village eats half a day comfortably for browsers and an hour for the determined; it is also the calmest weather-proof stretch of downtown — covered lanes, indoor shops, and the town's best bench-sitting minutes from the loudest blocks.

Sources: the 9 videos on this page, filmed at The Village Shops in Gatlinburg.

Watch: the full set

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

Exploring The Village in Gatlinburg | Hidden Gem You Have to Visit!

Ortiz Travels

Ortiz Travels step through the gates in 2025: cobblestone paths, old-world architecture, and the smell of fresh donuts and coffee - the peaceful counterpoint to the buzzing Parkway outside.

Key takeaways
  • Most people walk right past the gates - that's the point
  • Cobblestones, fountains and donut-and-coffee smells inside
  • Go for the contrast with the Parkway's buzz

Checking Out the Village and Tasting the BEST Donuts in the WORLD? It's the Donut Friar!

Brace Yourself!

Brace Yourself tour The Village in fall 2024: 27 unique shops decked for the season, the Candy Kitchen's caramel wrapping machine in motion, the Pancake Pantry, and a verdict session at the Donut Friar - plus a Guinness at the Celtic pub after.

Key takeaways
  • Watch the Candy Kitchen's caramel wrapping machine if it's running
  • Fall is the square's best-dressed season
  • Donuts first, then a Guinness at the Celtic pub

DONUT FRIAR at the Village! Gatlinburg sweets! #gatlinburg

Laliland Adventures

Laliland Adventures make the pilgrimage every Village visitor makes: the Donut Friar's donuts in 2023, in the little brick square off the Parkway.

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