Dolly launched the wildest ride in the Smokies on April, 3 2004. She made her entrance to the event in the front seat of Dollywood's newest attraction, Thunderhead. The massive wooden roller coaster pays homage to the land Dollywood and Dolly call home. Dolly said,
"So much of the heritage of the Great Smoky Mountains comes from the forests, the trees and the lumber they provide for us. Thunderhead is an awesome way of reminding everybody how much we get from those forests… including a real exciting time."
Thunderhead at Dollywood features a 3,230-foot long ride with a drop of 100 feet and maximum speeds of 55 mph. It also features "the world’s first fly-through station." Half-way through the ride, the coaster travels through the ride station at approximately 40 mph on tracks eight feet above the exit platform where future riders wait to board the coaster.
Hundreds of performers, crafts and international food highlighted Dollywood’s five-week celebration, Festival of Nations. Dolly said she was excited to see this festival return for its fourth year,
"I've been fortunate enough to have traveled the world, and Festival of Nations is an opportunity for Dollywood to bring a world of entertainment to the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a chance for everyone to experience and enjoy some of the beautiful sights and sounds I've discovered in my many journeys."
From Ireland to Ecuador, Trinidad, China, Russia and Germany, Dollywood guests were mesmerized by the music, dance, art and food from around the globe. The cultural exchange between festival participants and Dollywood guests was one of the most fascinating elements of Festival of Nations.
The Market Square Bazaar, featured items of international origin. Dolly’s theme park also invited a non-profit to join the festival. Ten Thousand Villages is a self-supporting fair trade organization that provides vital, fair income in developing countries by marketing the people’s handicrafts and telling their stories. Thirty-two developing countries were represented with items for sale during the festival.
Dollywood’s new wooden roller coaster—Thunderhead—quickly took shape as the park prepared to introduce the $7 million addition in spring 2004. After four months of construction, all concrete footings and piers were completed as are the foundations for the loading station and maintenance facilities.
Thunderhead featured a 3,230-foot long ride with a drop of 100 feet and maximum speeds of 55 mph. It also featured "the world’s first fly-through station." Half-way through the ride, the coaster travels through the ride station at approximately 40 mph on tracks eight feet above the exit platform where future riders wait to board the coaster.
Santa's Workshop was just one element of Dollywood’s "Smoky Mountain Christmas" celebration. Only the North Pole is more hectic than the Dollywood location of Santa’s Workshop! Families stepped into a 7,000 square foot whimsical world as they entered Peppermint Valley. It took more than four weeks of work, 25 pounds of glitter, 100 gallons of paint, strings of candy garland, thousands of lights and ornaments to create the breathtaking Workshop.
Santa was especially busy posing for photographs and accepting Christmas wish lists. Families could play with a safe snow substitute, decorate Christmas cookies and make crafts. VeggieTales films were shown in the Christmas Movie Room.
A special living showcase of a Native American village anchors the newly-expanded Dollywood Harvest Celebration. The multi-faceted five-week event shined the spotlight on traditional crafts, music and foods of the Great Smoky Mountains. Dolly said,
“Our Harvest Celebration is all about our music, our handiwork and, of course, good food. It gives our guests a chance to experience some of the Smoky Mountains’ most time-honored traditions and reminisce about a time when life was just simpler.”
The Native American village featured replicas of both a Cherokee summer and winter home. It also featured demonstrations of primitive skills, craftsmanship, music, food, storytelling and culture. Guests viewed authentic Native American regalia and enjoyed presentations of native dances.
