Feature photo by Curtis Hilbun, Dollywood
Today, Dolly shared her vision for Dollywood’s newest nighttime harvest experience. The Great Pumpkin LumiNights will take place Sept. 29 - Oct. 28. Families will enjoy the glow of thousands of carved pumpkins throughout Dollywood’s Timber Canyon during the nightly finale of Dollywood’s Harvest Festival. Beyond the impressive displays, guests can find a number of exciting activities to create thrilling memories together. With so many carved pumpkins needed to create Great Pumpkin LumiNights, Dollywood has a number of “pumpkin artists” who will host demonstrations to help guests learn how to produce the perfect pumpkin masterpiece. Dolly said,
“I’m also really excited to be here to let you know about our brand new nighttime event we are adding for families in October called Great Pumpkin LumiNights. You know, people from all around the world know us for the millions of twinklin’ lights we put up at Christmas time. Well, when guests see thousands of these glowing pumpkins all lit up in Timber Canyon, they’re going to have that same special feeling. We think Great Pumpkin LumiNites will become just as popular with families as our Smoky Mountain Christmas festival. I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of new family traditions made this October.”
Unique harvest games and attractions—including a glow maze—for kids, a nightly Pumpkin Boogie dance party, and friendly costume characters help add to the festive atmosphere. New themed food options and exclusive harvest-themed Coca-Cola products make Great Pumpkin LumiNights the place to be when the sun goes down in the Smokies.
Along with Great Pumpkin LumiNights, Dollywood will once again host the largest Southern gospel music event in America, Southern Gospel Jubilee. Some of the biggest names in the genre will visit Dollywood, Karen Peck & New River (Oct. 21-22), Guy Penrod (Oct. 23-24), The Isaacs (Oct. 12-13), The McKameys (Oct. 6-7), Gold City (Oct. 2-3) and many more.
Dolly also spoke about the park’s award-winning Smoky Mountain Christmas festival! The Smoky Mountain Christmas festival will take place Nov. 5 - Jan. 1. Dolly said,
“The Parade of Many Colors is back this Christmas, along with seven holiday shows and four million beautiful lights. We even have Rudolph and his friends back for another year of creating family memories. It will be a November and December to remember!”
Earlier this week Dolly announced her new children’s album “I Believe In You” which will benefit the Imagination Library
Dollywood becomes Hollywood on Tuesday, Nov. 22, complete with red carpet arrivals, media interviews and special viewing areas for guests, as Dolly Parton has invited the cast from her new NBC movie, "Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love," to visit the park for the worldwide premiere.
Dollywood adds another operating day to its 2016 calendar to allow park guests the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of a real Hollywood premiere. Dollywood opens from 2-9 p.m. on this special day, providing a sneak peek at the festivities which include red carpet arrivals and more!
The premiere event begins at 5 p.m. with red carpet arrivals following. Dolly and cast of the new film will make their way down the red carpet along Dollywood’s Showstreet as media from across the country cover the action.
The Coca-Cola Refresh Team brings the Coca-Cola Polar Bear to make photos for guests in attendance. Coca-Cola also offers special holiday beverage samplings during the event.
Guests at the premiere also can enjoy Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, the nine-time award winner for Best Christmas Event. Two new holiday shows and four million dazzling Christmas lights combine with the park’s award-winning rides, delectable holiday dishes and heart-warming Christmas atmosphere for a delightful yuletide experience.
Smoky Mountain Christmas guests can upgrade a paid one-day admission ticket to a regular 2017 season pass for as low as $27 (plus tax when buying four or more).
Visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD for more information, including operating days and hours, daily show schedule and more helpful tips to help plan a visit.
Photo Credit: © Curtis Hilbun Dollywood
Dollywood guests know every season at the award-winning park presents a totally different and exciting atmosphere. Much like the changing scenery in the nearby Great Smoky Mountains creates beautiful sights for visitors, Dollywood’s fabulous festivals provide a distinct and always-changing ambiance for those who come through the gates. As Dollywood enters its third decade of providing memory-making moments for families, its fantastic festivals offer guests a multitude of opportunities they’ll find nowhere else. Free international stage productions and concerts by bluegrass and Southern gospel favorites, the eight-time winner for Best Christmas Event, as well as extended operating hours and a nightly fireworks show in the summer, combine with the park’s more than 40 rides and attractions to provide something for everyone.
Dollywood’s Festival of Nations—March 19-April 18, 2016
Dollywood welcomes the world during Festival of Nations, a fascinating multi-cultural celebration! Featuring the traditional music, dance, food and art of nations from around the globe, Festival of Nations reminds guests of shared similarities while embracing unique, time-honored traditions. The headline show for 2016, Mother Africa, returns after its Dollywood debut in 2014. This renowned show combines skillful acrobatics, live music and traditional dance to delight audiences through a world-class demonstration celebrating Africa’s diverse traditions. Major touring stage shows, internationally-known performance groups, various roaming musicians and more make Festival of Nations a fun, educational and exciting experience. Authentic international cuisine and the daily celebrations by visiting nations throughout the park provide guests with an escape around the world without leaving the heart of the Smokies.
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Dollywood’s Barbeque & Bluegrass—May 13-22, 2016
Dollywood’s Barbeque & Bluegrass launches the unofficial start of summer and combines the tastiest barbeque in the South with the biggest names in bluegrass. This year’s festival features an impressive bluegrass lineup with a multitude of free daily concerts from an amazing collection of International Bluegrass Music Association award winners. This annual tradition wouldn’t be complete without pounds of saucy pulled pork, barbequed chicken and ribs by the slab. This family-favorite event is music to the ears… and a treat for the taste buds.
Dollywood’s Great American Summer—June 11-Aug. 7, 2016
Great American Summer provides families even more of what they already love—time together at Dollywood. This summertime celebration features extended park hours, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, giving families a unique chance to ride Dollywood’s world-class attractions, including Lightning Rod and Wild Eagle all day and well into the night! Families will love Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Show, which returns to Dollywood in 2016. The high-flying antics of these powerful pooches will leave audiences begging for more. Perondi’s amazing animals have been featured on "The Tonight Show," "Ellen" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Great American Summer also features award-winning illusionist Brad Ross who takes audiences on an inspirational journey into a world of fun and magic. Each show features unbelievable magic, world-class illusions, hysterical comedy and audience interaction. To complete the day, the park’s festive nightly fireworks show features uplifting music and interactive elements to celebrate the fun of Dollywood after dark! Each evening a high-spirited dance party entertains guests in Wilderness Pass with a 15-minute party designed to get every member of the family on their feet prior to Dolly’s Nights of Many Colors!
Dollywood’s National Southern Gospel & Harvest Celebration presented by Humana—Sept. 30-Oct. 29, 2016
With a colorful swatch of orange, red, yellow and gold painted across the landscape, fall in the Great Smoky Mountains provides the perfect festive backdrop for Dollywood’s National Southern Gospel & Harvest Celebration. Featuring a lineup, which includes some of the biggest names in Southern gospel music, the soul-stirring sounds of beautiful harmonies ring through the crisp autumn air as free daily concerts take place on the park’s various stages. Visiting artisans from across the country share their talents through an array of handmade wares, spanning from functional to decorative. Each day is a picture-perfect opportunity to enjoy the traditional experiences of a Smoky Mountain harvest!
Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana—Nov. 5, 2016-Jan. 4, 2017
An eight-time winner of America’s Best Christmas Event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana features four million holiday lights and spectacular holiday performances, including traditional favorites like "It’s a Wonderful Life" and "Christmas in the Smokies." Guests also can experience the fun and excitement of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends. Many of Dollywood’s signature rides and attractions operate in a festive environment designed to get everyone into the spirit of the season. From the award-winning shows and elaborate holiday decorations to the twinkling lights and Christmas-themed menus, Dollywood captures the essence of a Smoky Mountain Christmas.
Rounding out the park's award-winning Smoky Mountain Christmas event is a fantastic, family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration, complete with Fireworks. Dollywood is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on December 31, with Fireworks starting at 8:30 p.m.
Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana is the only winner of Amusement Today’s Best Christmas Event award. Ask a season passholder why they return year after year, and words like tradition, magic and memories are a common refrain.
Regardless of the number of visits, a trip to Dollywood to experience its four million Christmas lights, spectacular holiday entertainment and delicious treats and goodies warms every soul with the spirit of the Season. Even Scrooge himself visits the park every day during the festival—thanks to his leading role in Dollywood’s A Christmas Carol, which celebrates its final year in 2015. This ground-breaking production features Dolly Parton as a hologram of the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Discover more about season passes, annual festivals and more Dollywood fun.
Dolly made history in Dollywood's 2013 Smoky Mountain Christmas festival when she appeared in "Dollywood's A Christmas Carol" as a hologram.
She stars in the ground-breaking show as the Ghost of Christmas Past, with a flair only Dolly can bring to the stage, thanks to a cutting-edge hologram technology. Dolly was excited about the opportunity but joked,
“I’m not sure this world can handle two Dolly Partons, but I’m excited folks will be able to see ‘the other Dolly’ reminding families that it’s not what you have but who you have, just like ole Scrooge figures out in the end.”
