Dolly's Dixie Stampede’s opening days were spent giving back to the community, with benefit shows. Like its owner Dolly Parton, Dixie Stampede wanted to not only provide entertainment, but also help its neighbors and local charities.
Dolly’s new attraction in Pigeon Forge began distributing coupons before the grand opening, to be used during a five-day stretch. For each coupon, $5 would be donated to the Sevier County organization of the guest’s choice. The charities receiving funds included the Pigeon Forge Lions Club, Gatlinburg Rotary Club, Sevierville Quarterback Club, Greenbrier Academy, Northview Optimist Club, Pigeon Forge Rotary and The Dollywood Foundation Buddy Program. The benefit was expected to raise up to $60,000 for the community.
At the time, Dolly’s show at the Dixie Stampede was called “The Life and Times of Billy Kincaid.” The two-hour show offered guests a Wild West musical comedy and a meal served from chuck wagons.
Part musical, part rodeo and Wild West show, Dolly Parton's Stampede thundered into Pigeon Forge, Tenn., in June of 1988, with a mix of music, food and fun. More than a year earlier, Dolly Parton along with other developers came up with this concept and brought it to fruition.
The original show was called “The Life and Times of Billy Kincaid,” featuring the adventures of a young man from Tennessee who heads West. Along the journey, he encountered Wild West legends, such as Wild Bill Hickok, Chief Sitting Bull and Calamity Jane and took part in raids and shootouts. For guests, it was a one-of-a-kind, Wild West musical comedy.
Dolly invited her guests to choose a side, North or South. While rodeo performers, trick riders, and even audience members competed on the stage, the audience rooted for their side.
The performance was only part of the attraction. The other star of the show would be the feast, which was brought on chuck wagons. Each guest’s meal included a two-pound roasted chicken per person, barbecued ribs, baked potato, corn on the cob and dessert. It was a dinner that would not leave you hungry.
Dolly opened her theme park’s front gates to welcome some of country music’s best at her new Dolly Parton’s Celebrity Theater. The theater hosted the new ‘Showcase of Stars’ concert series.
This state-of-the-art, 1,739-seat theater debuted with a display featuring Dolly’s friends and fellow musicians. The concert series delighted guests of Dollywood. 'Showcase of Stars' featuring performances by the biggest names in country music, all from Dolly’s home in East Tennessee!
As one more way to showcase her love for the Smoky Mountains, Dolly’s newest addition to Dollywood was built into the mountains surrounding the park. Mountain Slidewinder takes you on a journey through the actual mountain terrain as you make your way to the boarding station for this water toboggan thriller. Families slide down the mountainside along high-banked curves at breathtaking speeds.
She also added something for the family members who prefer to stay on dry land, with her addition of Daydream Ridge. The play area has a log climbing structure and children’s rides at the base of Mountain Slidewinder.
Dolly officially opened Dollywood to the public, realizing her dream of bringing family entertainment to her home in the mountains. She told People magazine how she named the park,
"A few years back, when I first started seeing the Hollywood sign, I kept thinking how cute it would be if I could change the H to a D—and see how long it would take anybody to notice. It just popped into my mind that it would be a good name for a park."
The Dollywood opening featured many family attractions including the Flooded Mine, Blazing Fury, the Dollywood Express, Smoky Mountain River Rampage and Fun Country, featuring a family favorite, the Big Log Flume.
Dollywood was known as “the friendliest town in the Smokies.” It was built to honor two of the things Dolly holds near to her heart, family and The Great Smoky Mountains.
