Smokey Bear's Birthday Party - Brasstown Bald

Program Details

Smokey Bear has been the national fire prevention symbol since 1944, and this year we are proud to celebrate his 82nd birthday alongside the US Forest Service! We are grateful to recognize such an important representation of wildfire prevention, as the need for wildfire education and awareness is more important with each year. Smokey Bear’s birthday is August 9th, and this year we will observe his celebration on Saturday, August 8th across all of our FIND sites!

Plan Your Visit

Join us on this fee-free day as part of our excitement and gratitude for our forests! You’ll have the chance to meet and take photos with Smokey Bear, listen to his real-life story of how he became our fire prevention symbol, visit with local firefighters on a tour of a real fire truck, and of course…what’s a birthday celebration without cake?

Parking: Please park in the parking lot located just past the fee booth.

Format & Participation Type: This is an all-day celebration of our Forest Service’s most beloved national fire prevention symbol! While Brasstown Bald will open at 9:00 am as usual, official festivities will begin around 11:00 am and throughout the day. All activities will take place at the bottom near the shuttle stop and gift shop. See the schedule below for more details of the day’s itinerary! 

Schedule: 

• 11:00 AM: Smokey Bear meet ‘n’ greet and read-aloud of Smokey’s story around the visitor center (located at the summit).
• 12:00 PM: Smokey Bear meet ‘n’ greet, Smokey story read-aloud, Happy Birthday song, and cake cutting!
  • At this time, please join us at the bottom near the shuttle stop and gift shop to meet with Smokey, hear his real origin story, and sing Happy Birthday! Of course, we will cut cake shortly following singing to Smokey.
• 2:00  PM: Smokey Bear meet ‘n’ greet and read-aloud of Smokey’s story.
  • Following Smokey’s 2:00 PM appearance, cake will continue to be served throughout the day.

Special Guests & Activities: In addition to you as our birthday guest, you’ll also get to visit with several of our partners who share the same mission as Smokey Bear himself!

• US Forest Service, Blue Ridge District 
• National FireWise Council 
• Local firefighters of Towns County – Our firefighters will offer tours of a local firetruck located in the parking lot of Brasstown Bald. Be sure to stop by and see what an up-close look at fighting fire on the local level looks like!

We hope to continue echoing Smokey Bear’s message that has forged a generational mission to prevent and manage wildfires. Come celebrate his special “bear-day” with us and learn how you can be a part of this mission, as it starts with each and every one of us! 

Fee structure: Fee-free day!