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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Family-friendly fall fun is back at Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana, thanks to the return of Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Now in its third season, Great Pumpkin LumiNights expands again this year by growing the glow to Wildwood Grove.
An overwhelming guest-favorite since it was introduced in 2017, Great Pumpkin LumiNights recently was named the country’s Best Theme Park Halloween Event in the 2019 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards. This year, Great Pumpkin LumiNights includes an expanded footprint into Wildwood Grove, new harvest-themed experiences, food and merchandise; as well as activities that are enjoyable for even the youngest guests.
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival runs Sept. 27- Nov. 2 (closed Tuesday, Oct. 22 & Tuesday, Oct. 29) with park operating hours each day from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., providing guests more time to enjoy harvest time in the Smokies. Popular pumpkin displays from past events return—like the pumpkin spider, pumpkin dance party and Dolly-inspired displays— while Wildwood Grove joins the fun for the first time with a harvest experience at The Wildwood Tree.
The Plaza at Wilderness Pass again serves as a centerpiece for the event with an area for character interaction, additional displays—and the focal point—a 40 ft. tall pumpkin tree featuring larger-than-life carved pumpkins. Families bask in the glow of thousands of intricately-carved pumpkins as they wander through displays in Dollywood’s Timber Canyon, Wilderness Pass, Wildwood Grove and upper Craftsman’s Valley areas. Beyond the impressive displays, guests can find a number of exciting activities to create thrilling memories together.
“I’m so glad to hear families are just lovin’ Great Pumpkin LumiNights,” Dolly Parton said. “When I was a kid, we’d love to get pumpkins, scoop out all those guts from the inside and carve these beautiful masterpieces—at least us kids thought they were masterpieces! But, it makes me just feel good to know families are able to spend time together exploring during what really is the most beautiful time of year in the Smokies.”
While Great Pumpkin LumiNights lights up Dollywood each evening, the biggest names in Southern gospel music lift their voices each day as part of the Southern Gospel Jubilee. Guests can experience more than 600 individual Southern gospel performances on stages throughout the park during the run of the festival. It’s the largest Southern gospel event in America, fitting for the music icon who got her start singing in churches around the Smokies.
“God truly does turn the Smokies into His own personal coloring book during the fall,” Parton added. “And nothing fits so well with those colorful fall mountains than the uplifting Southern gospel songs that fill the air with powerful praise for Him. I’m proud we’re able to have some of the best Southern gospel singers here during the Harvest Festival.”
Headlining acts include The Martins (Sept. 27-28), The McKameys (Oct. 4-5), Ernie Haase and Signature Sound (Oct. 12-13), The Isaacs (Oct. 18-19), Karen Peck and New River (Oct. 20-21), Gold City (Oct. 27-28) and many more. A complete schedule of artists, show times and stage locations is available at Dollywood.com.
Dollywood celebrates Smoky Mountain crafts all year with the park’s well-known master craftsmen. During the Harvest Festival, however, more than two dozen visiting artisans from across the country provide in-depth demonstrations including woodworking, chainsaw carvings, fiddle-making and more. Guests can find inspirational jewelry, historic handmade games, pottery, hand-painted Christmas ornaments, and even Windsor chairs available for purchase.
Autumn in the Smokies also provides a bountiful harvest of crops that allows Dollywood’s culinary team an opportunity to showcase their skills with a menu full of fall favorites. Guests can find traditional items like cabbage rolls, pierogies, sausage sandwiches, skillet potatoes, apple cider and fried apple pies. A number of new tasty treats also are on the menu, including chicken Applewood pasta, Reuben wontons, candy corn cider and chocolate chip cookie pizza.
For more information about Dollywood’s Harvest Festival featuring Southern Gospel Jubilee and Great Pumpkin LumiNights, please visit Dollywood.com, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD, or download the Dollywood App.
Dolly Parton today announced an unprecedented entertainment lineup to ensure the spotlight remains solely on her Dollywood theme park. The performing icon unveiled her unwavering commitment to Dollywood’s family entertainment offerings with an extraordinary investment for 2018.
Hailing the year as a “Season of Showstoppers,” Dolly announced an entertainment lineup which represents an investment $1 million greater than any season-long entertainment schedule in the park’s history. Headlining 2018 are performances by The Marshall Tucker Band, The Drifters, T.G. Sheppard, Suzy Bogguss, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Crystal Gayle, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and a host of other award-winning artists.
“Music is the universal language that unites all of us,” Dolly explained. “It celebrates our people, our families and our communities. I’ve made music my life’s work because I feel each and every one of us has a special song to sing. I’ve made sure that here at my Dollywood, we use music to encourage and inspire those songs in each and every one of our shows.”
Dollywood’s 2018 entertainment roster reads like the nomination list from an awards ceremony. A range of performers—from CMA Hall of Fame members to emerging artists—ensure there is something for everyone. Combined, the headlining artists performing at Dollywood in 2018 have 42 gold albums, 18 platinum albums, 30 Grammys, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 10 American Country Music Awards, five American Music Association Awards and 62 Dove Awards.
It all begins with Dollywood’s Festival of Nations (March 17-April 9). Headliners include National Dance Company of Siberia, The Flamenco Kings starring Los Vivancos, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Hailing from South Africa, internationally-known Grammy award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo worked with Dolly on her 1996 album "Treasures." They have also teamed with Paul Simon, Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris and many more.
April plays host to three weeks (April 11-29) of stellar performances during the all-new Spring Mix music series. Dollywood guests can expect performances by Dollywood entertainment alumnus Bogguss, Sheppard, Pam Tillis, Gayle, Connie Smith and Shenandoah during the first week of the event. The second week plays host to artists such as Amy Grant, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Larnelle Harris, David Phelps and comedienne Chonda Pierce – also known as “The Queen of Clean.”
Classic artists like The Marshall Tucker Band (Can’t You See and Heard it in a Love Song), The Drifters (Under the Boardwalk and Save the Last Dance for Me), Debby Boone (You Light Up My Life), The Atlanta Rhythm Section (So Into You and Imaginary Lover), Firefall (Just Remember I Love You and You Are the Woman), and Al Stewart (The Year of the Cat and Song on the Radio) entertain park guests during the final week of the event. Individual concert dates and show times will be announced at a later date.
Already one of the nation’s best bluegrass events, Dollywood’s Barbeque & Bluegrass (May 25- June 10) adds an extra week of concerts from the biggest names in the business. Guests should expect hundreds of live bluegrass performances during the festival with headline shows from Grammy and IBMA winner Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and IMBA winners Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Dailey & Vincent, and many more.
Families have a multitude of world-renowned options to keep them entertained during Dollywood’s Summer Celebration. iLuminate, finalists on America’s Got Talent in 2011, bring their electrified glow-in-the-dark costumes to DP’s Celebrity Theater to perform dynamic dance routines and illusions to thrill guests. Summer 2018 also sees international touring sensation DRUMLine Live! visit the park with riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy. Developed by the consultants of the hit 2002 movie Drumline, the band featured in this exhilarating show creates a synchronized musical masterpiece for guests—it’s more than just the typical halftime performance! Dan Dunn—America’s favorite speed painter—brings his innovative and mesmerizing PaintJam to Dollywood. Audiences will be astonished as he creates stunning works of art on a spinning 360-degree canvas, while he dances and moves throughout the performance.
Dollywood’s popular Rock the Smokies moves to August 25 with TobyMac and Crowder serving as headliners. Multiple contemporary Christian artists perform throughout the park during this exciting conclusion to the summer.
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 28 – Nov. 3) provides more fall family fun with the expansion of the new guest-favorite Great Pumpkin LumiNights and the largest Southern gospel event in America. During the festival, several hundred performances by Southern gospel royalty take place during the day. And at night, thousands of carved pumpkins illuminate the dark. Guest will experience an expanded number of displays and activities for families to enjoy. And can expect spectacular artistry of visiting crafters from across the country. All the while they can sample the special harvest-themed food items from Dollywood’s award-winning foods team.
Dollywood’s 2018 season again ends with America’s favorite theme park holiday event, Smoky Mountain Christmas. Voted as the best theme park Christmas event for a decade, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 10, 2018 – Jan. 5, 2019) features four million spectacular lights, classic holiday entertainment—including Christmas in the Smokies and It’s a Wonderful Life—Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Friends, and the heartwarming Parade of Many Colors.
Dollywood won the 2017 Golden Ticket from Amusement Today for Best Entertainment at any theme park in the world. The honor was the ninth consecutive triumph for the park in that category. With Dolly’s commitment to entertainment in 2018, Dollywood looks to lead the way in securing its 10th victory in the category.
Dollywood continues to celebrate its Year of the Family this season with a number of exciting festivals, performing groups, and two new attractions—Drop Line, a 230-ft. tall free-fall experience, and Whistle Punk Chaser, a junior coaster designed for Dollywood’s younger visitors. The season ends with America’s favorite Christmas theme park event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 4, 2017 – Jan. 1, 2018). Guests can upgrade their park admission during the Christmas festival to a season pass and receive next year for free!
For more information about Dollywood’s 2018 entertainment lineup, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
