Anyone missing live concerts the last few months should plan a trip to Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 25-Oct.31) as more than 800 live concerts will take place during the run of the festival! In fact, it is the most live music during any event in the park’s history.
During the festival, guests can enjoy music from multiple genres with heavy influence from both Southern gospel and bluegrass artists. Guests also will find a diverse range of local and regional talent performing Americana and folk music.
With so much music on display, Dollywood’s entertainment team had to get creative with scheduling and locations for the large number of concerts. The spotlight will shine on eight open-air stages in the park, immersing the entire park in the sounds of great live music. In addition to the park’s traditional outdoor stages, temporary stages can be found in Market Square, Adventures in Imagination, and even on the steps of the Robert F. Thomas Chapel.
“People everywhere are really missing the concert and live entertainment experience,” said Paige Bales, Dollywood Entertainment Director. “We’ve been able to host amazing entertainment since we reopened in June, but the Harvest Festival gives us a great opportunity to offer our guests something they’ve been wanting for months. With more than 800 performances from different genres, there is no doubt our guests will be able to find the music they want. We’re also happy to be able to put a lot of local artists on center stage to share their talents.”
Southern gospel fans can find great performances throughout the event, highlighted by the artists appearing at the Praise 96.3 FM Stage at the Robert F. Thomas Chapel and the Singing News Stage at The Village Depot. Groups at the Praise 96.3 FM Stage include The Griffins, The Isbell Family, Messiah’s Call, Eternal Vision and The Wisecarvers. The Singing News Stage features Westward Road, GloryWay Quartet, 3 Heath Brothers, The Hyssongs, The Millers, and Answered Prayer.
The Back Porch Theater is home to various genres, including Knoxville Americana performer Cruz Contreras, Nashville-based gospel singer Angela Primm, and Robinella and the Down South Boys. The Carolina Boys Quartet, Lauren Talley, The Erwins, The Willis Family, Backline and Three Bridges also call the Back Porch Theater home during the festival.
WDVX hosts great local bluegrass at their stage located in Adventures in Imagination. The Tenos, Joshua Gooding & The Tennessee Ramblers, 7 Mile Junction, Jonah Riddle & Carolina Express, 700 South, and Crossroads are among the groups performing the toe-tapping sounds of bluegrass for visiting guests.
The best talent isn’t reserved just for the main stages, however. Additional artists will be found providing “streetmosphere” in all areas of the park. Popular Knoxville performer Kelle Jolly, a blues and jazz artist also known as “The Tennessee Ukulele Lady,” will be playing in the park’s Timber Canyon area. Nashville’s championship-winning, fiddle-playing street busker Hillary Klug is found in Wildwood Grove, while Evie Andrus, a fiddler and vocalist from Knoxville, will be at Lumber Jack’s Pizza.
The Johnson City-based Roper Sisters perform bluegrass and Americana in the Rivertown area of the park, while Addie and Jeff Levy, a father/daughter bluegrass duo from Radford, Virginia, provide entertainment in Market Square.
With so much award-winning entertainment during the Harvest Festival, it is the perfect time to take advantage of a season pass to visit again and again. With great music by day, and Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health each evening, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is the perfect place to make fun fall family memories in the Smokies.
Dollywood is open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. during each day of operation for the Harvest Festival (Sept 25- Oct. 31), which was named 2019’s Best Theme Park Harvesttime event by USA Today 10Best. Dollywood is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the festival. For a complete entertainment schedule and a park operating calendar, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
After being named by USA Today as the country’s best fall theme park event last year, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 25-Oct. 31) is back this season with several fresh changes that echo many of the same warm traditions that make this nationally-known event a favorite for so many.
A colorful, lively atmosphere greets guests each day as the warm autumn sun casts the surrounding Smoky Mountains in bright daylight, displaying the rich, bold hues which blanket the hillsides surrounding Dollywood. The splendor of the mountains highlights the experience for guests with many vibrant new features providing surprises for them throughout the day.
By night, Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health continues its expansion into Wildwood Grove, providing more pumpkin perfection to enjoy. In only its fourth year, Great Pumpkin LumiNights has given families a multitude of memories to glow about. New this season, guests can purchase a reduced-price ticket which provides entry after 5 p.m. for those who want to make a quick trip to the park to experience the pumpkins as they glow to life. The limited-time offer, which is just $35 plus tax, is available online only; blackout dates apply.
“We know folks are ready to get out and enjoy the colors of fall and the fresh, crisp Smoky Mountain air,” Dolly Parton said. “This year has been challenging for everyone, but we hope the comfort they feel from coming and visiting us gives them that warm, familiar feeling they’ve shared with their friends and loved ones for so many years here at Dollywood. We have a few surprises planned this year, and I think everyone will agree this is that special escape ‘back home’ we all need right now.”
It is within this backdrop that captivating new experiences will enliven the senses of sight, sound, smell and taste. Throughout the park, reinvigorated decorations and visually-impactful landscaping techniques immerse visitors in a fresh, new look. It will be hard to overlook one of the festival’s newest additions, as guests can peruse more than a dozen colossal pumpkins, ranging from 800 to more than 1500 lbs. each. The massive displays come from growers across the East Coast who look forward to sharing their prize pumpkins with Dollywood park patrons.
Music plays an integral part of this festival, with the largest number of performances during any event ever at Dollywood! Guests can enjoy more than 800 concerts during the run of the festival from Southern gospel and bluegrass artists appearing on eight different outdoor stages. The sounds echo through the park, creating a highly-engaging entertainment offering. Additional artists can be found roaming the park, literally taking the music to the streets!
Culinary creations abound, thanks to the bountiful supply of crops from a Smoky Mountain harvest. The smells of smoked beef brisket, turkey legs and sausage pair nicely with the fresh tastes of fried green tomatoes, fire-roasted corn and sweet potato casserole. For sweet treats, the ever-popular pumpkin spice is in full supply with items ranging from pumpkin spice milkshakes and cinnamon rolls to a twist on the park’s beloved cinnamon bread. Pumpkin praline funnel cake, hot wassail and harvest kettle corn are perfect to carry and enjoy while admiring the beauty of Dollywood in the fall.
With so many opportunities for creating vibrant new family traditions, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is a must-see experience this season.
Dollywood is open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. each day of operation (Sept. 25- Oct. 31) during the Harvest Festival. The park is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the festival. For more information and a park operating calendar, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
Dollywood’s hard-working Special Events team is gearing up for this year’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 25-Oct. 31). Last season, the event won USA Today’s 10Best Award as the best fall theme park event in the country, due in large part to the new family-favorite, Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health.
Great Pumpkin LumiNights is a fascinating experience for all ages, as visitors are able to stroll through thousands of pumpkins, including immersive and larger-than-life specialty displays. The event continues its expansion into the park’s newest section, Wildwood Grove, with additional theming elements and displays added this year. Among the new displays is a “sunflower field” with dozens of stacked pumpkins cut sequentially to feature sunflowers. The stacked pumpkin “sunflowers” range in size from 6 ft. to 9 1/2 ft. tall. Carving each stalk takes up to two hours, with additional build time needed to stack the pumpkins and lights to complete the “flower.”
Dollywood guests can experience several new surprises during the Harvest Festival this season, with reinvigorated decorations throughout the park and visually-impactful landscaping techniques which give the event a fresh new look. Dollywood currently is open Friday-Monday. Once the Harvest Festival begins on Sept. 25, the park will be open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. each day of operation (closed Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Harvest Festival). For more information and a park operating calendar, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
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Dollywood officials have created a new campaign designed to recognize the hard work and commitment of essential workers.
In celebration of the many frontline workers, first responders, public employees and military who faithfully serve our country and communities, Dollywood’s Everyday Heroes Appreciation Days provides qualifying guests the opportunity to buy a one-day Dollywood admission ticket online for just $39 plus tax for a limited time.
The online-only offer can be purchased now for a limited time and is valid for use now-Sept. 21. Frontline employees need a special redemption code—available from their employer—to complete the transaction. Eligible employees interested in the program should encourage their employers to fill out an online form (Dollywood.com/EssentialSignUp) to request a redemption code for their company.
Everyday Heroes may purchase up to six $39 one-day admission tickets to Dollywood Theme Park as part of the program. Additionally, they can receive rates as low as $129 per night at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa.
Dollywood officials also are extending another popular offer that asks the age-old question, “Why do kids get to have all the fun?” Thanks to the Everyone Pays Kids Price promotion, anyone who purchases a regular one-day admission online beginning now can do so at the kids’ ticket price. This ticket also is valid through Sept. 21.
To add to the value of the Everyone Pays Kids Price promotion, each ticket purchased as part of the offer includes a Dollywood refillable drink mug. The mug is valid for unlimited $.99 cold refills through Jan. 2, 2021. It is a great value for everyone looking to squeeze a little more fun out of the summer months. Who says you can’t be a kid again?
Dollywood officials also recently made operational adjustments to the park’s current visit protocol by removing the reservation requirement for guests. The move is in response to favorable feedback from guests, and the confidence of the park’s management team in being able to continue providing a satisfying experience for guests.
There are still plenty of great memories to be made during Dollywood’s 35th anniversary season. Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 25-Oct. 31) features Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health, while the season concludes with the 12-time winner for Best Theme Park Christmas Event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, Nov. 14, 2020-Jan. 2, 2021.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2020 season, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
As Dollywood has continued to earn strong guest satisfaction scores and stellar guest reviews based on the quality experience visitors enjoy while at the park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Tripadvisor recently included it in the top-10 of its “Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards” for worldwide theme parks.
The park, located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, ranked number eight in the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Amusement Parks in the world list and placed number six on the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 United States Amusement Parks. The 160-acre destination scored highly with Tripadvisor users, with many reviews recognizing the friendliness of employees, unique and thrilling rides and attractions, high-caliber entertainment, and Southern-focused cuisine. Dollywood also is “traveler ranked” as the number one thing to do while in Pigeon Forge. According to Tripadvisor, traveler ranking illustrates the “highest rated places of interest or tour operators based on traveler reviews.”
“We are working every day to ensure each member of the family has a world-class experience where they can spend time together making memories they’ll cherish forever,” said Craig Ross, The Dollywood Company President. “Feedback from our guests is critical to maintaining the environment we want to provide. This ranking from Tripadvisor reviewers is a testament to the extensive efforts we make to ensure the quality of the product we offer our guests."
“To be included in the top-10 with the most iconic parks in the industry illustrates our strong commitment to delivering the absolute best guest experience. On behalf of Dolly and all of our hosts, we are thankful to be named in the company of these amazing parks. This truly is a great honor.” --Craig Ross, The Dollywood Company President.
According to the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best website, “Every year, we pull together all the reviews, ratings, and saves that travelers share from across the globe—and use that info to spotlight the very best. The Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards celebrate them all.”
On the list for top worldwide parks, Dollywood is the first American park on the list that is not part of the Disney or Universal families. American parks hold 12 of the 25 spots on the worldwide list.
Additionally, Travel & Leisure recently included Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa on its “World’s Best Awards” survey as one of the “Top-15 Resort Hotels in the South.” According to Travel & Leisure, “Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T&L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe…Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value.”
Dollywood officials recently made operational adjustments to the park’s current visit protocol by removing the reservation requirement for guests. The move is in response to favorable feedback from guests, and the confidence of the park’s management team in being able to continue providing a satisfying experience for guests.
There are still plenty of great memories to be made during Dollywood’s 35th anniversary season. Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana takes place Sept. 25-Oct. 31 and features the winner of USA Today’s 10Best Best Theme Park Halloween event in 2019, Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health. Dollywood’s season concludes with the 12-time Golden Ticket winner for Best Theme Park Christmas Event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, Nov. 14, 2020-Jan. 2, 2021.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2020 season, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
