Though drowning is preventable, it’s one of the leading causes of death among children. Dollywood’s Splash Country wants to change that. For ten years now, the water park has set aside a day to educate the community about water safety.
This year, swim instructors and community leaders will come together Thursday, June 20 to provide a free 30-minute lesson in the morning and offer education throughout the day. Area partners LeConte Medical Center, The Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation, WVLT Local 8 News and WIVK 107.7 join Splash Country to host the event.
“As a family water park, we believe it is incumbent upon us to join arm-in-arm with our community and raise awareness about the benefits of teaching kids to swim,” explained Dollywood’s Splash Country General Manager Janet Dawson. “This is the tenth year that we’ve participated in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson. We’ve made this an important day in our season because research shows that formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children who are four and younger. We believe this simple event can save lives.”
The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson happens at pools and water parks around the world on June 20. Dollywood’s Splash Country is one of the participating venues. Last year, nearly 42,000 kids and adults participated in 27 countries.
Due to popular demand, Olympic gold medalist Jenna Johnson and legendary swim coach Jackie Bertucci are teaming up for a second consecutive year to lead the lesson at Dollywood’s Splash Country.
“LeConte Medical Center is honored to be a part of raising awareness concerning safety on or near water,” said LeConte Medical Center President and CAO Gaye Jolly. “The event is important to our community and we are proud to have great partners like the Dr. Robert F Thomas Foundation and Dollywood’s Splash County for Water Safety Day.”
The swim lesson begins at 10 a.m. at Mountain Waves wave pool. Vendor booths are open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Guests who visit the vendor booths receive a Splash Pass, allowing them to receive a prize at each booth. Once the participants have visited all vendors, they may turn their pass in for the chance to win two season passes to Dollywood’s Splash Country!
Water Safety Day and WLSL registration begins Thursday, June 20 at 9 a.m. at Dollywood’s Splash Country. The park opens to guests at 9:30 a.m. Guests should arrive early to register before the swim lesson begins at 10 a.m. Dollywood’s Splash Country admission is required to participate in Water Safety Day and may be purchased on-site or online at Dollywood.com.
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Dive into summer and Dollywood’s Splash Country for the water park’s 19th season! This year features an elevated guest experience, exciting events and new offerings—with a splash of innovation. Opening day is Saturday, May 18.
Guests will be delighted to find more picnic tables and more shade this season. In addition to 6,000 square feet of newly-shaded space on the wave pool deck, there are new structures covering more queue lines which gives guests a cooler wait for their favorite Dollywood’s Splash Country attractions. Dollywood's Splash Country General Manager Janet Dawson said,
“Safety and guest excellence are the two most important measurements by which we judge our season’s success. In the heat of summer, our water park may be the coolest place to be in town, but it can still get hot! For the best experience, we’re always on the lookout for ways to give guests more shade. We think we came up with some new spots that our guests truly will appreciate this season.”
The best way to experience Dollywood’s Splash Country is with your own private mountain oasis—better known at our water park as Retreats. New in 2019, guests have the opportunity to upgrade that Retreat experience with more plush amenities: four Deluxe Retreats now offer a couch, love seat, a fridge stocked with bottled water, and barstool seating overlooking the lazy river.
Another upgrade to look for this season includes even more TimeSaver H2O options. On busy days, water park guests have four ways to spend less time waiting in line. Depending on which level guests purchase, this enhanced wristband technology enables park goers to cut their wait time up to 90 percent!
One of the most anticipated rollouts at Dollywood’s Splash Country in 2019 includes a new dining option called Picnic in the Park. The innovative genius in this new option lies in the opportunity guests have to place a meal order ahead of their visit so that the food is ready when they are.
“Our guests tell us they love our food, but they’ve asked us to find ways to cut down their wait time," Dawson explained. "With Picnic in the Park, guests can pre-order their food so it’s waiting for them to pick up! We think this will revolutionize the lunchtime experience at our park.”
Live entertainment takes center stage this season—literally! The wave pool deck hosts live bands every Saturday in July and August. Splash Bash LIVE brings artists of all genres to celebrate summer with familiar tunes. Meanwhile, Too Hot Tuesdays with Hot 104.5 will return with a live DJ and family-friendly interactive games. Guests also should mark their calendars for the American Cornhole Organization’s tournament at Dollywood’s Splash Country (June 1) and Water Safety Day in conjunction with World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (June 20).
To kick off the season, Dollywood’s Splash Country is offering Bring-A-Friend-FREE tickets for every Season Pass purchased online through Sunday, May 19. The water park is adding to that incentive with a week of Passholder appreciation offers including 50% off Retreat rentals, as well as discounted souvenir photos, food, merchandise, and a FREE one-time ride TimeSaver H2O coupon.
Dollywood’s Splash Country opens Saturday, May 18. Daily operation continues through Sunday, August 11. After that, the park shifts operations to Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends through Aug. 25. Splash Country opens one final weekend Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 with the last day being Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 2).
For more information about Dollywood’s Splash Country or any of The Dollywood Company properties, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
It’s no secret when Dolly Parton puts her name on something, success follows. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Tyler Reddick hopes the same holds true during Saturday’s Alsco 300 (TV coverage on FS1) at Bristol Motor Speedway.
For the event, the hood of Reddick’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro will be adorned with Parton’s likeness and her record company, Dolly Records, while the rest of the car prominently features the logos from each of Parton’s Pigeon Forge-area attractions. He hopes the addition of the entertainment icon to his car serves as catalyst to put him in Victory Lane for the first time in 2019.
“It’s an honor to represent Dolly Parton and her variety of businesses on our No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said the California native. “Dolly is an icon and has had a lot of success in her career, which is something I admire while trying to build my own success in NASCAR. Hopefully, we can take Dolly and the No. 2 Camaro to Victory Lane this weekend in her home state of Tennessee. I think that would be really special for everyone who is a fan of hers.”
Reddick is the 2018 Xfinity Series champion and enters the event in Thunder Valley with RCR as the current series leader. He is fresh off a second place finish in last weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway.
The car, which appropriately is trimmed in pink, includes the Dollywood theme park logo on the rear quarter panels, with the DollyParton.com website across the rear roof. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library receive placement on the car’s rear fascia, and the logos of Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction, Dollywood’s Splash Country and the soon-to-open Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show each are included on the car’s deck lid. Saturday’s race marks the first time Parton and many of her businesses have been featured as a primary sponsor on a race car.
Dollywood theme park currently is celebrating its biggest season ever with the largest addition in the park’s storied history, Wildwood Grove, opening on Friday, May 10. The area features 11 thrilling new experiences for guests to enjoy together in the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Pigeon Forge Pirates Voyage is slated to open this summer; a sister Pirates Voyage is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Learn more about Dollywood’s 2019 season and the addition of Wildwood Grove, or call 1-800-Dollywood.com
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BMS Photo Credit: Bristol Herald Courier, David Crigger
Pool time and cornhole is a winning combination. Never has that been truer than now as American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Champions are coming to Dollywood’s Splash Country to compete in the debut of the ACO Dollywood Classic for a guaranteed $7500 total prize purse!
Fresh off their world championship bid last weekend in Montgomery, Alabama, several professional teams turn their attention to their next test during the debut event at Dollywood’s Splash Country. The water park hosts this sanctioned tournament on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Event organizers are looking for 160 two-person teams to play in the double-elimination tournament, and while there are a number of ACO teams planning to play, the field is not set. Officials with the ACO say there is room for the general public to register and join the star-studded competition.
Register for the ACO Dollywood Classic
The cash payout allows the opportunity for several teams to walk away with a prize and bragging rights. For round one, there will be 16 flights of up to 10 players. After double-elimination, the top two teams from each flight will win $100. That’s a total payout of $3,200 from the first round. Those winning 32 teams will advance to the finals, and in that championship round, the top eight teams will win cash. First prize is $1,500; Second prize is $1,000; Third prize is $500.
Participants will play under a tent on the pool deck while park guests can enjoy watching the action from a tube in Mountain Waves wave pool, or even closer if they like! All the tournament activity adds even more excitement to Dollywood’s Splash Country’s fun summer atmosphere.
The cost is $45 per team and includes registration, processing and admission into Dollywood’s Splash Country. There also is a special $40 ticket for guests to purchase at the gate Aug. 11 so they may check out the tournament as they enjoy the water park.
The American Cornhole Organization is looking forward to bringing the sport to Dollywood, and Dollywood’s Splash Country General Manager Janet Dawson says her team is eager to play host.
“What a fun opportunity! Families are coming to our water park to capitalize on summer fun in the sun and if they come on Aug. 11, they’ll get the bonus of seeing some of the world’s best compete for a lot of money and bragging rights in a sanctioned cornhole tournament,” Dawson said excitedly. “Our guests may even decide to enter the tournament and take on these champions. You never know what could happen!”
Dollywood’s Splash Country is open daily through Sunday, August 12. After that, the park shifts operations to Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends with the last day being Labor Day (Sept. 3). For more information about Dollywood’s Splash Country or any of The Dollywood Company properties, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
Swimming lessons save lives. Because of its passion for safety, Dollywood’s Splash Country once again is hosting Water Safety Day to raise awareness and is offering a discounted ticket so more guests will take advantage of this opportunity to learn. This ninth annual event includes a free 30-minute swim lesson on Thursday, June 21. Water park guests also are invited to visit vendor booths to learn about staying safe in the water and sun. Area partners LeConte Medical Center, The Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation, WVLT Local 8 News and Star 102.1 join with Dollywood’s Splash Country to host the event.
Dollywood’s Splash Country season passholders and super passholders are invited to bring a friend to the water park for a special $30 ticket through July 1. For Water Safety Day only, this offer will be extended to all guests! To take advantage, you must ask for the $30 ticket at the front gate on June 21.
“Across the country, more children drown in the month of June than any other month,” explained Dollywood’s Splash Country General Manager Janet Dawson. “And, according to a 2014 survey completed by American Red Cross, more than half of all Americans (54%) either can’t swim or don’t have basic swimming skills. As a water park, we want to lead the way to educate our community about being safe in the water.”
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The swim lesson happens at pools and water parks around the world on June 21—in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record™ for the world’s largest swimming lesson. Dollywood’s Splash Country is one of the participating venues. Last year, more than 41,000 kids and adults participated in 26 countries. This year, the goal is to have more than 42,000 participants worldwide!
To lead the lesson at Dollywood’s Splash Country, Olympic gold medalist Jenna Johnson and legendary swim coach Jackie Bertucci are teaming up to get swimmers comfortable in the water.
“Water Safety Day is extremely important to our local community to raise awareness about staying safe on or near the water,” said LeConte Medical Center President and CAO Gaye Jolly. “LeConte Medical Center is proud to partner with the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation and Dollywood’s Splash Country on this event.”
Time in the water can be dangerous for children because drowning remains the leading cause of unintended injury-related death for kids ages 1-4, and the second leading cause of accidental death for children younger than 14. Research shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children ages 1 to 4.
The swim lesson begins at 10 a.m. at Mountain Waves wave pool. Vendor booths are open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Guests who visit the vendor booths receive a Splash Pass, allowing them to receive a prize at each booth. Once the participants have visited all vendors, they may turn their pass in for the chance to win two season passes to Dollywood’s Splash Country.
Water Safety Day and WLSL registration begins Thursday, June 21 at 9 a.m. at Dollywood’s Splash Country. The park opens to guests at 9:30 a.m. Guests should arrive early to register before the swim lesson begins at 10 a.m. Dollywood’s Splash Country admission is required to participate in Water Safety Day and may be purchased on-site or online at Dollywood.com.
