Smokey Bear's Birthday Party - Anna Ruby Falls

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, and of course…what’s a birthday celebration without cake?

Format & Participation Type: This is an all-day celebration of our Forest Service’s most iconic national fire prevention symbol! While Anna Ruby Falls will open at 9:00 am as usual, official festivities will begin around 11:00 am and throughout the day. See the schedule below for more details of the day’s itinerary!

Schedule: 

• • 11:00 AM: Smokey Bear meet ‘n’ greet
  • 12:00 PM: Smokey Bear Grand Firetruck Entrance and Red Carpet Roll-Out! (located at the entrance to the gift shop)
  • 1:00 PM: Smokey Story read-aloud, Happy Birthday song, cake cutting!
    • At this time, please join us in listening to Smokey’s Story followed by singing Happy Birthday to Smokey himself, with cake cutting and serving to follow! 
  • Following Smokey’s story and birthday song, visitors will have a final chance to meet ‘n’ greet for photos until about 1:30 to 2:00 PM!

On-site Location: All scheduled festivities will take place in the observation deck near the gift shop!

Fee structure: Fee-free day!

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!