BOOTS, FAMILY, AND TRADITION — Guy Penrod’s Annual Stop in Pigeon Forge
For most families, traditions are what hold the years together — the familiar rituals that remind us who we are and where we belong. For Guy Penrod, gospel singer and father of eight, one such tradition has become almost as beloved as the music he sings. Each year, right after the big musical celebration at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, the Penrod family makes a beeline for one destination that has become their own landmark of memory: the Boot Factory Outlet.
It’s not a casual stop. It’s a ritual. After days filled with the excitement of music, laughter, and crowds, the family slows down and steps into a place that feels at once practical and celebratory. Rows upon rows of boots stretch out in every direction, the smell of new leather filling the air. And there, amid the aisles, is a family of ten — children trying on pair after pair, a father checking sizes, and a mother laughing as yet another stack of boot boxes piles high.
Why the yearly stop? The answer is simple: the deal. At the Boot Factory Outlet, the sign says it all — buy one pair, get two pairs free. For most shoppers, it’s a bargain worth bragging about. But for a man with eight kids to keep in boots, it’s a blessing that has turned into a tradition. Each year, the family leaves with arms full of boxes, enough footwear to last until the next visit.
Yet it isn’t just about the savings. For Penrod, the tradition carries something deeper. Just as his music blends faith and storytelling, this family ritual blends practicality with memory-making. It’s the laughter of kids trying on boots too big for them, the joy of finding just the right fit, and the unspoken bond of family togetherness. It’s a reminder that even in the busyness of tours, recordings, and ministry, there is always room for the simple joys of life.
The timing adds its own meaning. Dollywood, the park founded by country legend Dolly Parton, is already a place where music and heritage are celebrated. For the Penrods, who live and breathe both of those things, ending the Dollywood trip with a stop at the Boot Factory feels like tying a bow on the whole experience. The music fills the soul, the boots carry the family forward. One speaks to tradition of sound, the other to tradition of home.
Those who have caught glimpses of the family on these outings often describe it as a picture of genuine warmth. No fanfare, no spotlight — just a dad making sure each of his children has what they need, and a family savoring the chance to be together. For fans who admire Penrod not only for his voice but for the way he lives out his faith, this tradition is almost symbolic: a testimony that life’s greatest stage is the home, and its truest legacy is the love passed on to children.
Cowboy boots themselves carry a kind of cultural resonance in country and gospel life. They aren’t just footwear — they are symbols of hard work, faithfulness, and the steady walk of everyday living. For Penrod’s children to lace up new pairs each year is more than a fashion choice. It’s a way of stepping into the legacy of their father and the traditions of a region where music, faith, and family are forever intertwined.
By the time the van is loaded and the family heads down the Parkway once more, the ritual is complete. New boots wait to be worn into the dust of backyards and the polish of Sunday mornings. Memories are tucked away alongside shoeboxes. And another year’s tradition is safely in the books.
For the Penrods, it’s more than shopping. It’s a reminder that life’s best treasures aren’t found in the spotlight, but in the laughter of children, the smell of leather, and the steady steps of family walking together.