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.
Dolly appeared on July 2, 2003, at the National Zoo to receive the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service for her work with the American Eagle Foundation to preserve bald eagles. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Steve Griles presented the award.
The non-profit American Eagle Foundation is headquartered at Dollywood theme park and is a non-governmental leader in the preservation of the American eagles. Dolly spoke about her passion for preserving bald eagles at the ceremony,
“Bald eagles have symbolized our country's freedom and heritage for more than 220 years... We are excited and proud that Dollywood and the American Eagle Foundation are donating these two majestic birds to the National Zoo and are playing a special role in dedicating this new eagle exhibit celebrating America's National Wildlife Refuge System."
In addition to receiving the award, Dolly participated in the opening of the bald eagle refuge exhibit at the Smithsonian National Zoo, the ribbon cutting ceremony, and donated two bald eagles to the exhibit (Sam and Tioga). Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and National Zoo Director Lucy Spelman were also present.
