Global superstar Dolly Parton will "Shine From 9to5" and become the first female Country music artist featured in Peloton’s 2020 ARTIST SERIES this week with four playlists intended to inspire and encourage the millions of Peloton Members working out from the comfort of their own homes. Peloton, the worldwide leader in connected home fitness, will feature a series of Dolly-centric virtual classes taught by Robin Arzon (Cycling), Kristin McGhee (Yoga) and Selena Samuela (Strength and Tread).
A preview of the career-spanning class playlists can be found online for Cycle, Tread, Yoga and Strength.
Dollywood’s inaugural Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health blooms to life with a vibrant new event that adds another touch of dazzling color to the natural beauty that already surrounds the award-winning theme park.
Originally scheduled for mid-spring, the breathtaking festival now begins when Dollywood reopens to season passholders on June 15. During this spectacular event, guests can explore larger-than-life plant sculptures adorned in half-a-million colorful flower blooms. These colossal displays reach heights up to 14 feet and create breathtaking displays celebrating the spirit of the Smoky Mountains. Floral carpet beds envelope walkways, embellish buildings and fill flowerbeds throughout the park.
Throughout the festival, the park stays open until 9:30 p.m. every night to allow families more time to make memories together. Additionally, each evening concludes with a fireworks show to put an exclamation point on the day.
“I know everyone is tired after being cooped up inside for the last few months, but I think all of us probably appreciate our family and friends even more right now,” Dolly Parton said. “I’m glad we’re able to start welcoming folks back to Dollywood with a brand new festival to help them make fresh memories together. Things may look a little different, but when they see all those beautiful flowers in bloom, I think it will help them take a bit of a break from everything that’s been going on.
“When we had the idea for this festival, I definitely gave them some input because you know how much I love flowers,” she added with a laugh, “but I was just delighted when my creative team told me their idea for the biggest flower display would be my mama sewing the Coat of Many Colors. I was so surprised, and I know she would be so proud they represented her in this way.”
Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival brings Dolly’s dreams to life with floral displays blooming in a kaleidoscope of colors. In partnership with internationally-acclaimed Mosaicultures flower sculpting team, a multitude of flowers come to life throughout Dollywood as Smoky Mountain turtles, raccoons, frogs and black bears. Dolly’s rich influence through song comes alive thanks to tributes of “I Will Always Love You” with a floral heart umbrella, as well as “Coat of Many Colors” with the marvelous scenic sculpture of her mother Avie Lee sewing the priceless garment.
The festival takes its blooms and brilliance throughout Dollywood, starting with photo opportunities as soon as guests step foot through the turnstiles. Once in the park, guests quickly find themselves under an Umbrella Sky, an awe-inspiring sight which features more than 600 umbrellas dancing above their heads.
Special “Instagram-able” photo locations allow families to capture special memories that will live on long after the festival flowers bloom.
The colorful splendor created by an artful array of flowers and plants is accented by delicious dishes of mouth-watering festival flavors. Dollywood’s team of culinary experts dug deep into the traditions of Southern and Smoky Mountain cuisine to create garden-fresh items sure to delight.
Items on the menu include grilled citrus shrimp over delta peas and rice, gyros, Greek orzo pasta, grilled chili lime skirt steak, chicken stir fry, zucchini fritters, lobster rolls, charcuterie in a cone, and pork sliders with pineapple chutney.
Dessert highlights include chocolate-dipped macaroons, toasted coconut cupcakes, blueberry tarts, and chocolate ganache brownies. Guests looking for a way to cool off have a number of refreshing beverages to enjoy during the festival. The selection includes strawberry guava, blueberry lavender lemonade, blood orange lemonade, and watermelon lime fresca.
After much careful preparation, Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Park open June 15 and 16 for season pass guests only. Both parks open to the general public on June 17.
Social distancing guidelines will limit the capacity of the parks on a daily basis. As a result, season passholders will be required to reserve the date and time they wish to visit, and general admission guests will purchase a date-based ticket to ensure all have a safer, socially-distanced experience. Reservations can be made at Dollywood.com/reservations and on the Dollywood mobile app where a how-to video will demonstrate the process. Guests should book their reservations early to ensure the date of their choice.
Additional information and a video detailing the safety and operational changes at the park are available for review at Dollywood.com/playsafe and on the mobile app.
After much careful preparation, Dollywood Parks and Resorts start reopening beginning with Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa on June 10. Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Park open June 15 and 16 for season pass guests only. Both parks open to the general public on June 17.
“We are excited to get open and to welcome families back to the Great Smoky Mountains. Brighter Days are here!” Dolly Parton said. “We have been blessed to work with some incredible experts at Covenant Health and with the State of Tennessee as we have navigated this extraordinary situation. Their advice and teamwork have provided untold help to make sure we are doing the right thing.”
All operations will adhere to the Tennessee Pledge and state operational restrictions.
“As Dolly said, we are now ready to reopen and get back to the business of ‘Making Memories Worth Repeating’ for our loyal and passionate guests to both our parks and resort,” Craig Ross, Dollywood President said. “The team has faced this challenge head on and they have made numerous operational changes we believe will help with the safety of our guests and hosts as we continue to deal with the coronavirus. Safety is—and always will be—one of our highest priorities.”
Social distancing guidelines will limit the capacity of the parks on a daily basis. As a result, season passholders will be required to reserve the date and time they wish to visit and general admission guests will purchase a date-based ticket to ensure all have a safer, socially-distanced experience. Reservations can be made at Dollywood.com/reservations and on the Dollywood mobile app where a how-to video will demonstrate the process.
Additionally, prior to entering the facilities, hosts and visitors must have a touchless temperature screening and wear a mask. Children under three are not required to wear a mask at any time. Guests will not be required to wear a mask while eating. Masks are not required on all waterpark attractions at Dollywood’s Splash Country or on select coasters and water attractions at Dollywood due to the dynamics of the attractions. Additional information about masks and a video detailing the safety and operational changes at the park are available for review at Dollywood.com/playsafe and on the mobile app.
Dollywood will continue monitoring any changes in the CDC or state guidelines as operations begin and will make the appropriate adjustments to the guest experience.
As Creative Director at Dolly Parton Enterprises, Steve Summers wears a lot of hats. He’s a stylist, set designer, lighting expert, travel planner, event organizer...the list could go on and on. His daily activities are ever-changing as Dolly Parton’s go-to guy. And when the coronavirus shutdown halted jet-setting artists like his iconic boss-lady, Steve wasn’t sure what would be in store for DPE. But, let’s face it, Dolly Parton has never been one to sit back and watch the hours tick by. She had plans and Steve was ready and willing to get to work.
Soon Steve would be helping Dolly plan a 10-week video series, a touching tribute to her longtime friend Kenny Rogers, several social media messages for each of her businesses and ultimately a new music video for Dolly’s inspirational new song, “When Life Is Good Again.”
In this exclusive interview, Steve talks about morning meetings with Dolly. She shared a myriad of ideas she wanted to produce. First, she orchestrated a video storytime series for her Imagination Library called “Goodnight with Dolly.” Steve helped film the series from Dolly’s home. He helped facilitate live, remote interviews with Dolly for NBC’s TODAY and her first ZOOM call with Time100. So it wasn’t surprising when Dolly called on Steve to direct her biggest project, a fully-produced music video for her new song, “When Life Is Good Again.”
Steve talks about Dolly’s inspiration for the song and the creative process he was privileged to see take place during the recording process. He wanted to carry that same message of hope and inspiration through the video. Dolly crafted an incredible song centered on hope and she wanted the video to serve as a tribute to frontline workers everywhere by honoring their bravery and unwavering determination shown during the pandemic. Steve said,
“[Dolly] was very specific that it had to have frontline workers on it and they had to be real. It was all about respect. She wanted to make sure that they knew that they were loved and respected and the song was a tribute to them.”
"When Life Is Good Again" is available for download and streaming worldwide.
UPDATE: Thank you for watching "Goodnight with Dolly." We hope you enjoyed the read-aloud series and invite you to learn more about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
The Imagination Library has gifted over 138 million free books to children around the world. Learn how to Register A Child or Make A Donation online.
Dolly Parton will close her 10-week bedtime reading series with a special finale episode that includes a tribute to the more than 1700 local organizations that offer her Imagination Library to the children in their community. Since inception in 1995, the Imagination Library through its local affiliates has gifted more than 138 million books to preschool children and is currently gifting books to 1.6 million children around the world each month.
“The local affiliates are the heart and soul of the Imagination Library”, said Parton. “They work hard every day to raise the funds to make sure the books remain free to all of the children enrolled in the program.”
The series began on April 2, 2020 with The Little Engine that Could® and will conclude June 4. The series has been viewed over 15 million times on YouTube, Facebook and other popular social media platforms.
The finale episode features Pass It On written and illustrated by Sophy Henn. This book was specifically selected to end the series because it encourages all children and adults to share their joy, their happiness and their kindness with others.
Dolly Parton said, “I am thrilled this series has meant so much to so many families across the world. I hope our finale episode, ‘Pass It On,’ will be another way for us to transform this moment of hardship into more love and more kindness.”
The finale concludes with the re-release of the trailer for the documentary “The Library That Dolly Built.” The film was scheduled for a nationwide release on April 2, 2020, but was postponed because of the spread of COVID-19. The film will be released in late September of 2020.
Visit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Online
THE LIBRARY THAT DOLLY BUILT, directed and produced by journalism professor and director of Land Grant Films Nick Geidner, and narrated by Danica McKellar, goes behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s literacy-focused non-profit, Imagination Library, to show how one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world has developed an efficient and effective program for spreading the love of reading. Imagination Library started as a gift for the children in Dolly’s hometown, Sevierville, Tennessee, and is now active in all 50 states, and 5 countries, gifting more than 1.6 million free, age-appropriate books to children every month. The film also provides a glimpse of the profound impact the Imagination Library has on the people through original interviews with authors, policymakers, Imagination Library staff, recipients, and the legend herself, Dolly Parton. Woven throughout the film is a biographical sketch of Dolly Parton, featuring rare photos and films from her childhood. Unlike most biographies of Dolly, it doesn’t focus on her music. Instead, it demonstrates that at every point in her career, any time she has had success, Dolly Parton has come back to Sevierville to give back to her people.
