In November, Dolly announced to a Toronto audience that the “Book Lady” was about to begin Imagination Library book deliveries in Canadian communities. For the first time, the program crossed a border with the goal of instilling a love for reading in all children worldwide.
The Dollywood Foundation of Canada secured an agreement with the Canadian-based organization, Invest in Kids, to help bring books to as many Canadian preschoolers as possible.
This year, many initiatives were successful in terms of geography and growth. For example, Michigan representatives, inspired by many of the surrounding communities, providing Imagination Library books, appropriated $500,000 for school districts to match in order to provide a “book a month” program. This $1,000,000 would be largely devoted to the program and significantly expanding the effort across the state.
The total number of books distributed climbed to over 3 million. Since the beginning, over 7 million books have been mailed to children.
In 1986, Dolly met with Fred Hardwick to discuss the concept of a dinner attraction that would become the Dixie Stampede. Twenty years later, this popular and unique theatre had expanded to three locations and reached another major milestone— 20 million visitors.
Two years after the initial meeting, Dolly and her team of developers opened the first Dixie Stampede Pigeon Forge, Tenn. That was 1988. Four years later, in 1992, Dolly’s plans for growth began to take off with the opening of a Dixie Stampede in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Three years later, in 1995, Dolly opened her third Dixie Stampede location in Branson, Mo.
Dolly's Dixie Stampede is a unique experience. It begins with an open air Horse Walk, where guests can learn more about the stars of the show—32 magnificent horses. Visitors are then ushered into a saloon, where they enjoy specialty drinks and snacks, as well as, some entertainment to prepare them for the main show. In a 35,000 square foot arena, guests are treated to a four-course meal, as they are thrilled by top-notch trick riding, singing, dancing and comedy.
In 2005, the National Endowment for the Arts honored Dolly with its National Medal of the Arts, the highest award given to artists and art patrons by the U.S. government. It is awarded by the president to people who, "...are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the U.S."
President George W. Bush presented the award to the 10 recipients including Robert Duvall in an Oval Office ceremony on Nov. 10, 2005. Dolly couldn't attend but received her medal in Chattanooga in September 2008.
“It was my dream always as a little girl up in those Smoky Mountains to be a singer and travel all over the world... I've been blessed... that I've been able to do more than even my original dream really was. I want to thank you, and people like you all over the world, that have allowed me to see my Smoky Mountain dreams come true.”
Dollywood's 20th-anniversary season introduced a new National Music and Harvest Celebration. The celebration featured 38 days of free concerts. Award-winning country, bluegrass, Americana and Southern gospel artists were showcased on stages throughout the park. Dolly said,
“I’m a fan of every kind of music, but I wanted our music festival to reflect the music that has been a part of my life growing up here in East Tennessee. Every artist on our lineup knows how to bring a crowd to its feet, and I hope everybody’s looking forward to that kind of entertainment—I know I am!”
Dolly embarked on her Vintage Tour between Aug. 16, 2005, (Atlantic City, New Jersey) and Dec. 16, 2005, (North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) in support of her "Those Were the Days" album. During the tour, Dolly visited 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada.
One of the main features of the tour was doing covers of other artists’ classic songs while adding her unique style (Bob Dylan’s "Blowin' in the Wind," for instance). Dolly commented on her process of picking and arranging the songs that she chose.
"I chose stuff I like to do... I mean, I hope people like it, but I enjoyed doing it, and I tried to treat every song just kind of with my own personality, kind of Dolly-ize them, but still try to pick up some of the best parts.''
