Check Out Everything Dolly Has in Store This Spring!

Spring is blooming brightly for Dolly, with exciting milestones and meaningful new beginnings at every turn! From launching Dollywoodโ€™s vibrant 40th anniversary season and introducing her delightful Dolly Wines Pinot Noir, to announcing the world premiere of Dolly: An Original Musical, this season highlights Dollyโ€™s unwavering spirit and boundless creativity.

Family favorites like Pirates Voyage and Dolly Partonโ€™s Stampede offer thrilling new shows filled with dazzling performances and unforgettable adventures. Amidst these joyful celebrations, Dolly also shares heartfelt reflections honoring the life of her beloved husband, Carl Dean, while marking 30 inspiring years of her Imagination Library.

Dive into everything Dolly has in store this spring!

Dolly Parton Kicks Off Dollywood 2025 Season Opening / Credit: Curtis Hilbun

Dolly Parton Kicks Off Dollywood's 40th Anniversary Season

Dolly kicked off Dollywoodโ€™s 2025 season and previewed an exciting year ahead, introducing new touches and reimagined areas of the theme park, and teasing a major new project coming in 2026. The 40th anniversary season begins with the I Will Always Love You Music Festival, which runs through April 13 and celebrates Dolly and her unmatched talents through songs, shows and culinary delights.

Pirates Voyage Spring 2025

Spring into Swashbuckling Excitement at Pirates Voyage

Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show is ready to make your spring unforgettable with high-flying acrobatics, mermaids, sword fights, and a hearty four-course pirate feastโ€‹. With locations in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Pigeon Forge, TN, this swashbuckling family adventure offers fun and thrills for visitors of all agesโ€‹.

Dolly Parton's Stampede Spring 2025

Celebrate Spring at Dolly Partonโ€™s Stampede

Enjoy a high-spirited adventure at the Worldโ€™s Most Visited Dinner Attraction, complete with daring feats of trick riding, friendly competition and a new segment that brings majestic butterflies and flowers to life. With locations in Branson, MO, and Pigeon Forge, TN, families can enjoy this high-spirited adventure along with a mouth-watering four-course feastโ€‹!

Dolly: An Original Musical World Premiere

Dolly: An Original Musical Announces World Premiere Production This Summer in Nashville Before Heading to Broadway in 2026

Dolly has announced Dolly: An Original Musical, a stage show based on her life story, will premiere with a four-week limited run in Nashville starting July 18, 2025โ€‹, After this special Nashville engagement at Belmont Universityโ€™s Fisher Center, the production will head to Broadway in 2026.โ€‹ Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting at just $40โ€‹.

Dolly Parton Launches Dolly Wines Pinot Noir for Valentine's Day

Dolly Parton Launches Dolly Wines Pinot Noir

After years of jokingly avoiding the color red (thanks to โ€œJoleneโ€), Dolly has had a change of heart โ€“ this California Pinot earned a 92-point rating and is bursting with red fruit flavors and a hint of vanillaโ€‹. The Dolly Wines Pinot Noir is available now at leading U.S. retailers in-store and onlineโ€‹.

Celebrating 30 Years of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Dolly Partonโ€™s Imagination Library celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, marking three decades of inspiring a love of reading in children around the worldโ€‹! What began in 1995 as a small program in Dollyโ€™s hometown has blossomed into a global literacy movement, delivering over 270 million free books to kids from birth to age five across five countriesโ€‹.

Remembering Carl Dean, Dolly Partonโ€™s Beloved Husband

On March 3, 2025, Dollyโ€™s beloved husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, passed away at age 82. Dolly honors his memory with a stirring new song, "If You Hadn't Been There", a deeply emotional ballad that captures the depth of their love and the profound impact Carl had on her life.

Songs of Springtime

Spring is a season of renewal, hope and new beginnings. As the days grow warmer and the world around us blooms in color, Dolly reminds us to embrace the promise of brighter days ahead โ€“ even if weโ€™ve been through some storms. Let this time of year fill your heart with a joyful tune for spring.

โ€œLight of a Clear Blue Morningโ€

It's been a long dark night
And I've been a waitin' for the morning
It's been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I've been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain't seen it in so long
But everything's gonna work out just fine
And everything's gonna be all right
That's been all wrong

'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay

Love,

Dolly Parton Signature Logo

The Imagination Library Marks 30 Years, Inspiring a Love of Reading in Over 270 Million Children Across 5 Countries

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library marks its 30th anniversary in 2025, celebrating a remarkable legacy of nurturing a love of reading in over 270 million children. Since its humble beginnings in 1995, starting in Dollyโ€™s hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, this local literacy initiative has blossomed into a global phenomenon. Today, the Imagination Library gifts free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their familyโ€™s income, across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Beginnings

Every month, each registered child receives a brand-new, age-appropriate book in the mail, addressed to them by name โ€“ a personal gift from Dolly that often becomes a cherished monthly ritual. By sending high-quality books directly to childrenโ€™s homes, Dolly wanted kids to feel excited about reading and experience the wonder that books can create.

Milestones of Literacy and Love

From the beginning, Dolly had a vision to ensure every child could experience the joy of reading. In 2011, the Imagination Library partnered with the American Printing House for the Blind, creating audio and Braille versions of select books for children with visual impairments. By 2015, the program began including bilingual Englishโ€“Spanish titles, recognizing the importance of diverse languages in celebrating familiesโ€™ heritages. Recently, California became the first state to offer a fully bilingual Imagination Library statewide, allowing children to receive all their gifted books in both English and Spanish.

Dolly reads Coat of Many Colors at the Library of Congress

In February 2018, Dolly celebrated an inspiring milestone by dedicating the Imagination Libraryโ€™s 100 millionth gifted bookโ€”a special edition of her beloved story, "Coat of Many Colors"โ€”to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Dolly joined Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to read with children and share gratitude for how far the program had come. Calling the honor something she would treasure forever, Dolly proudly placed the book in the worldโ€™s largest library, a testament to what community and compassion can achieve.

During challenging times in 2020, Dollyโ€™s warmth reached families through โ€œGoodnight with Dolly,โ€ a comforting video bedtime story series. Each week, Dolly invited children around the world to join her online, snuggled in pajamas and reading favorite stories from the Imagination Library. This series quickly became a beloved weekly tradition, offering comfort and joy while reminding everyone to keep dreaming and believing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Story That Keeps Growing

After three decades, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library continues to make an incredible impact:

Dolly Parton stands in front of Imagination Library Books displayed on a wall of her office at the Dollywood Foundation
  • Each child enrolled from birth will receive a personal library of 60 books by the time they turn five.
  • The Imagination Library currently gifts more than 3 million books monthlyโ€”roughly one every second.
  • Today, approximately 1 in 7 children under five in the United States receive Dollyโ€™s gifted books each month. Since launching in the UK in 2007, over 6 million books have been gifted to families there. In Canada, over 4 million books have been gifted to families since the program began there in 2006.
  • The Imagination Library now includes 21 fully funded statewide programs across the U.S., with more states continually joining.


Inspiring Families to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More

Dolly often says the Imagination Library holds a special place in her heart. Her late father once told her it was probably the most important thing she had ever doneโ€”a compliment Dolly treasures deeply. Founded as a tribute to him, the Imagination Library honors her fatherโ€™s memory by inspiring children everywhere to dream big and love reading. With the help of thousands of local partners, Dollyโ€™s mission has blossomed into a worldwide movement.

Each month, as children excitedly open their books addressed personally to them, Dollyโ€™s dream thrives. Parents and caregivers cherish the bonding moments and bedtime routines these books create, making Dollyโ€™s monthly gifts a treasured family tradition. After three decades, Dollyโ€™s vision resonates deeply, proving a simple act of loveโ€”gifting a storyโ€”can echo across generations, brightening the lives of children and families everywhere.

After 30 incredible years, Dollyโ€™s Imagination Library continues to growโ€”inspiring a love of reading, one book, one child, and one imagination at a time.

Celebrating 30 Years of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Books for Budding Readers

Spring is a wonderful time of year to let your childโ€™s reading skills bloom by opening a good book together! Celebrate springtime with a few of these specially selected, age-appropriate books going out to registered children this spring.

How to Say Hello to a Worm

How to Say Hello to a Worm

This delightful book by Kari Percival embodies the magic of gardening and encourages all readers to interact with nature at their own comfortable pace.


I Am a Meadow Mermaid

A farm girl with a big imagination turns her landlocked home into an ocean playground in this dreamy picture book by Kallie George with illustrations by Elly MacKay.


I Am A Meadow Mermaid
Baby Touch Farm

Baby Touch Farm

This playful touch-and-feel book from Ladybird engages babies while they discover the farm and spot all their favourite farm animals.


New to the Imagination Library?

Check availability in your area to register a child, sign up to receive a notification when the Imagination Library becomes available to you or learn more about how to Start A Program in your area.

Check Out Everything Dolly Has in Store This Holiday Season!

The holidays are here, and Dolly is ready to deck the halls with warmth, cheer, and a little extra sparkle! This Christmas season, sheโ€™s inviting everyone to celebrate the magic of togetherness, the joy of giving, and the timeless traditions that make this time of year so special.

"Thereโ€™s nothing quite like Christmas to bring us together," Dolly says. "The music, the traditions, and the love that we share remind us of whatโ€™s most importantโ€”family, friends, and the spirit of giving. That's what makes this the most wonderful time of year!"

Take a closer look at everything Dolly has in store this holiday season!

Dolly Parton is Billboard's Greatest Country Singer of All Time

Billboard Names Dolly Parton the Greatest Country Artist of All Time

Billboard has ranked Dolly #1 on their prestigious list of the "100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time." The list, compiled by Billboardโ€™s editorial team, highlights the most influential and enduring figures in country music. Dollyโ€™s spot at the top solidifies her legacy as a trailblazer whose impact transcends generations.

Dollywood Smoky Mountain Christmas 2024

Americaโ€™s Legendary Best Theme Park Christmas Event Returns for 2024

The merriment of the season returns during Dollywoodโ€™s Smoky Mountain Christmas, happening now through January 5, 2025, with cherished traditions for generations of Dollywood guests. From award-winning stage productions to delicious culinary masterpieces and 6 million twinkling lights, there is something festive in store for every family member.

Christmas at Dolly Parton's Stampede

Celebrate a High-Spirited Holiday Adventure at Dolly Partonโ€™s Stampede

Witness an incredible Christmas show at Dolly Partonโ€™s Stampede in Branson, MO, and Pigeon Forge, TN! Experience a full-scale Nativity, a spectacular new ice-skating act, seasonal decorations, Santa Claus, an enchanting aerial performance and a delicious four-course holiday meal.

Pirates Voyage Christmas

Enjoy Fun, Feast & Adventureโ„ข This Holiday Season at Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show

Celebrate the season at Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show with a festive Christmas show in Myrtle Beach, SC, featuring thrilling stunts, a live Nativity, and a delicious holiday feast. In Pigeon Forge, TN, enjoy the classic pirate adventure with daring battles, impressive acrobatics, and family fun!

Imagination Library Holidays 2024

Imagination Library Gives the Gift of Reading

Dolly Partonโ€™s Imagination Library embraces the holiday season with gratitude and joy, reflecting on a transformative year marked by meaningful milestones and expanded impact. Dolly now mails a free book EVERY second, and each book delivered brings the Imagination Library closer to its goal of inspiring a lifelong love of readingโ€”one child at a time.

Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs In Symphony

Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for the world premiere of Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony with the Nashville Symphony on March 20, 2025. This innovative multimedia concert experience showcases Dollyโ€™s songs and the stories behind them through new orchestrations, captivating visuals, and special performances by guest vocalists and musicians, offering fans a one-of-a-kind symphonic journey into her life and music. Following the world premiere, performances will take place in select cities across the USA in the 2025/2026 season.

Dolly Parton Joins the Next Generation of Female Country on New Version of "Gonna Be You"

Dolly joins with some of Countryโ€™s most promising rising stars โ€“ Callie Twisselman, Maddie & Tae, and Jessie James Decker, for a new version of award-winning songwriter Diane Warrenโ€™s heartwarming song, "Gonna Be You," from the soundtrack of Paramount Pictures' box office hit 80 for Brady.

Dolly Parton Accepts the 2024 Peace Through Music Award

Dolly Parton Receives Recording Academyยฎ and U.S. Department of Stateโ€™s 2024 Peace Through Music Award

The Recording Academyยฎ and the U.S. Department of State announced that Dolly is the 2024 recipient of the Peace Through Music Award, which honors an American music industry professional, artist or group who has played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.

Dolly Parton x Kendra Scott Jewelry Collection

Kendra Scott Collaborates With Dolly Parton on New Jewelry Collection

Kendra Scott announces the launch of a limited-edition collection designed in partnership with Dolly Parton, now available for a limited time. Inspired by Kendraโ€™s admiration of Dolly and her iconic 1974 song, "Love Is Like a Butterfly," each piece in this limited-edition collection embodies Dolly's spirit as a beacon of creativity and giving back.

Dolly Parton Partners With Tennessee Tourism for a Magical Family โ€˜Playcationโ€™

Dolly Parton Partners With Tennessee Tourism for a Magical Family โ€˜Playcationโ€™

Dolly has teamed up with Tennessee Tourism to inspire the ultimate Playcation. Together, theyโ€™re inviting kidsโ€”and kids-at-heartโ€”to plan their perfect Tennessee adventure with the Tennessee Playcation Kidโ€™s Guide. Ten Butterfly Tickets will be hidden randomly amongst the mailed guides offering a once-in-a lifetime VIP Dollywood Experience for the parkโ€™s 40th season in 2025, including luxury accommodations, season passes, and more!

Celebrate the Spirit of the Season

The holiday season is a wonderful time of year! No matter where you spend the holidays, you can sense a spirit of joy, hope and love in the air that brings out the best in all of us. As Christmastime arrives, take time to reflect on the true reason for the season and appreciate all of the things that make the holidays so specialโ€”family, friends, and the spirit of giving.

โ€œChristmas Isโ€

Christmas is a time for caring
Bein' at your best
Christmas is a time for sharing
Knowin' you've been blessed
Christmas is a time for givin'
Love is made of this
That's what Christmas is

Merry Christmas!

Dolly Parton Signature Logo

Embrace the Season of Giving With Dolly Partonโ€™s Imagination Library

Dolly Partonโ€™s Imagination Library is embracing the holiday season with gratitude and joy, reflecting on a transformative year marked by meaningful milestones and expanded impact. From reaching more children worldwide to strengthening partnerships that drive its mission, 2024 has been a year of growth and inspiration.

As of December 2024, Dollyโ€™s childhood literacy program has gifted over 264 million books to children across the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and the Republic of Ireland. As the year comes to a close, the Imagination Library looks back on the moments that brought the gift of books, imagination, and hope to countless families.

3 Million Children Registered Worldwide

This year, the program reached a significant milestone with 3 million children under five registered worldwide, distributing over 3 million books each month. This incredible achievement reflects the dedication of more than 2,800 local Imagination Library Partnersย working to bring the gift of reading to families everywhere.

Imagination Library Celebrates 3 Million Registered Children

Expanding Access Across the United States

In 2024, the Imagination Library expanded its reach across the U.S., celebrating new initiatives and programs:

Celebrations in Missouri and Kentucky

Dolly visited Missouri and Kentucky to celebrate both states achieving full coverage in all their counties, making every child under five now eligible to receive a free book!

Oregon Statewide Expansion

Oregon launched its statewide expansion efforts in May of this year and currently, over 61,000 children in Oregon are enrolled, supported by 56 community programs.

Bilingual English/Spanish Books

Building on its success in California, the bilingual book collection expanded to Tennessee, D.C., North Carolina, Ohio, and Delaware. Families in these states now have the option to choose the core book program or the 100% bilingual book program.

Milestones and Growth in the United Kingdom

Globally, the program achieved new milestones in the UK:

  • A ยฃ500,000 investment from East Riding of Yorkshire Council enabled all children in the region to receive free monthly books.
  • The UK also celebrated its 6 millionth book gifted milestone in July, supported by over 400 UK local Imagination Library Partners.

Reflecting on a Year of Impact

From record registration numbers to statewide expansions and global growth, 2024 has been a transformative year for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Dolly now mails a free book EVERY second, and each book delivered brings the Imagination Library closer to its goal of inspiring a lifelong love of readingโ€”one child at a time.

Winter Books to Spark Imagination

Dolly Partonโ€™s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading and learning by gifting books, free of charge, to families via funding shared by Dolly and local community partners. Winter is a wonderful time of year to spark the imagination by spending more time reading! Here are a few of the specially selected, age-appropriate books going out to registered children this winter.

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama in this read-aloud favorite, with infectious rhyming text and expressive artwork by Anna Dewdney.

A Northern Alphabet

Introduce your child to the ABCs in "A Northern Alphabet" by Ted Harrison, featuring some distinctly Canadian examples of the letters of the alphabet

Ladybird First Favorite Nursery Rhymes

Ladybird First Favourite Nursery Rhymes

Introduce your baby to 15 well-loved, classic nursery rhymes in this beautifully-illustrated book from Ladybird Books.

Show Your Thanks by Giving

Join in the spirit of the season and share the gift of literacy with families in your community by donating to your local Imagination Library!  A donation as small as $31 covers the cost of providing an Imagination Library book to a child each month for 1 year!

New to the Imagination Library?

Check availability in your area to register a child, sign up to receive a notification when the Imagination Library becomes available to you or learn more about how to Start A Program in your area.

Check Out Everything Dolly Has in Store This Autumn!

As the crisp air settles in and the leaves begin their colorful dance, Dolly embraces the cozy charm of fall with her signature warmth and heart. From the vibrant hues of autumn to the comfort of gathering with loved ones, she invites you to savor the simple pleasures of the season. Join Dolly as she shares everything she loves about fall, from the beauty of nature to the delicious flavors that make this time of year so special.

"Fall is like natureโ€™s way of wrapping you in a cozy blanket," Dolly says. "Itโ€™s a time to slow down, enjoy the crisp air, the beautiful changing leaves, and, of course, some good olโ€™ comfort food. I always look forward to gathering with loved ones to share the warmth and beauty of the season."

Take a closer look at everything Dolly has in store this autumn!

Dolly Parton and Her Sister Rachel Parton George Release Their Highly Anticipated Cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin', Now Available Wherever Books Are Sold

Good Lookin' Cookin' Now Available Wherever Books Are Sold

Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George release their highly anticipated cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin', filled with more than 80 delicious dishes as well as photographs of Dolly and Rachel cooking and hosting all year long. With their trademark warmth and sisterly love, Dolly and Rachel remind you that cooking doesnโ€™t need to be seriousโ€”it should be fun! And always good lookinโ€™!

Dollywood's Harvest Festival 2024

Autumn Comes Alive at Dollywood's Harvest Festival

Dollywood welcomes guests to celebrate the splendor of autumn during their annual Harvest Festival, happening September 9 โ€“ October 28. The popular event, which includes the family-friendly Great Pumpkin LumiNights, features all of the fun, flavorful food and award-winning entertainment that make this a must-see experience for your family this fall!

Dolly Beauty

Dolly Parton Launches Cosmetics Line Dolly Beauty In Partnership With Scent Beauty

Dolly announces the launch of her long-awaited cosmetics brand Dolly Beauty, an extension of her successful fragrances in partnership with Scent Beauty. Dolly Beauty products are now available exclusively on DollyBeauty.com with in-store rollout beginning in 2025.

Stampede Into an Autumn Adventure

Stampede Into an Autumn Adventure

Enjoy family fun this fall at Dolly Partonโ€™s Stampede in Pigeon Forge, TN, and Branson, MO. From thrilling horse riding stunts to a four-course country feast, itโ€™s no surprise why this is the most fun place to eat!

Pirates Voyage Fall 2024

Itโ€™s Time for Fun, Feast & Adventure This Fall at Pirates Voyage

Set sail on an autumn adventure at Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show in Pigeon Forge, TN, and Myrtle Beach, SC. You'll witness epic pirate battles and high-diving mermaids, all while enjoying a delectable four-course feast.

Imagination Library Autumn 2024 News

Autumn Brings New Growth to Dolly Partonโ€™s Imagination Library

Dolly recently visited the Statewide Celebrations for her Imagination Library in Missouri and Kentucky. Meanwhile, the program celebrated significant international growth, marking the milestone of gifting its 6 millionth book in the UK.

Two Songs Released and Full Track Listing Revealed for Dolly Parton & Familyโ€™s 'Smoky Mountain DNA โ€“ Family, Faith & Fables,' Set for Release November 15

Two Songs Released and Full Track Listing Revealed for 'Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA โ€“ Family, Faith & Fables,' Set for Release Nov 15, 2024

Two new tracks have been released from the unprecedented historical project 'Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA โ€“ Family, Faith & Fables': the uplifting title track "Smoky Mountain DNA" and a rousing rendition of her previously unreleased 1998 song "A Rose Wonโ€™t Fix It," performed by Dolly and Heidi Parton. Set for release on November 15th, the full track listing features contributions from multiple generations of Dollyโ€™s family.

"Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas" Available Now

Dolly Parton Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas Available Now

Penguin Young Readers has released Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas, a hilarious and heartwarming tale about the true meaning of Christmas, featuring Dolly's beloved god-dog and inspired by her song 'Comin' Home for Christmas.' Available now wherever books are sold, as well as in audiobook format, narrated by Dolly.

SOUNDS OF AUTUMN

As the season wraps you in its comforting embrace, take time to cherish the small joys that make fall so special. Whether itโ€™s the vibrant colors, the crisp air, or the familiar warmth of a home-cooked meal, autumn offers us moments to slow down and savor lifeโ€™s simple pleasures. So, as the leaves continue to fall and the days grow shorter, may you find beauty, peace, and inspiration in the seasonโ€™s gentle rhythms, just as Dolly does.

โ€œSounds of Natureโ€

I can hear the wind go whistling through the treetops
I hear raindrops falling softly to the ground
In the distance I can hear the roar of thunder
Seems thereโ€™s sounds of nature all around

Sounds of nature fill the air with music
How I love and cherish every sound
I often kneel in prayer to thank the Master
For the sounds of nature all around

Love,

Dolly Parton Signature Logo
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