Tennessee Spirit is Alive and Well at Dollywood
Monday, March 30th, 2026 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tennessee Spirit is Alive and Well at Dollywood
Tennessee is known as “The Volunteer State.” That volunteer spirit is, I believe, a result of a more broad attitude of caring for others and ultimately from the greatest commandment – Love thy neighbor.
Dollywood is more than just a theme park. If you ask the employees, Dollywood is a family. If you ask the fans, Dollywood is home!
And we all know Dolly is the patron saint of East Tennessee! With her Imagination Library (donating books to children all over the world) and her many donations to the people of East Tennessee, she is well deserving of that moniker.
We attended our 4th opening day media event at Dollywood on March 13th, and as always, we were impressed by what we learned both “on” and “off stage”.
On Stage: Yes, we got to see Dolly and Eugene Naughton (Dollywood Parks & Resorts President) discuss upcoming improvements. We saw a couple of great shows and ate some wonderful food. That was all a lot of fun and informative.
Off Stage: As a part of the media events, we are assigned a guide, usually a member of the Human Resources or Talent Acquisition department. It is from these guides that we usually learn some extremely impressive information that isn’t often shared, so we thought we’d share some of this information with our readers this month along with our own personal observations. Toward the end of this article are some of the facts we’ve learned over the years that have impressed us the most.
DOLLY PARTON KICKS OFF ADVENTUROUS 2026 SEASON AT DOLLYWOOD, DETAILS UPCOMING ATTRACTION AND EVENTS
On March 13, 2026, Dolly Parton welcomed season passholders and members of the media to the first day of Dollywood’s 41st season during a special media event, setting high expectations for what will be the Smoky Mountain theme park’s most exciting year yet. With a brand-new, one-of-a-kind attraction set to open later this spring, the inaugural Run Dollywood race in April and new exclusive after-hours events, guests have a number of reasons to visit TripAdvisor’s #1 theme park during every festival and season in 2026.
Dolly and Eugene Naughton, Dollywood President, gave guests a closer look at Dollywood’s immersive indoor roller coaster, NightFlight Expediton.
“I’m so excited for everything we have for our guests this season,” Dolly said. “We’re investing a lot of time and money into our big new roller coaster this year, and I can’t wait for everyone to go on the Smoky Mountain adventure NightFlight Expedition is going to offer. The ride takes me back to so many wonderful memories I had as a kid, with all the fireflies and the moonlight making the Smokies have a special kind of magic, so I had to recreate that for everyone visiting Dollywood!”
NightFlight Expedition adds to Dollywood’s already impressive portfolio by becoming the park’s 11th roller coaster. With four thrilling experiences on one coaster, Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition takes guests soaring on a nighttime flight over the scenic Smokies, on a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion through more than 500,000 gallons of surging water, up and over a mountain ridge, and plunging into a mysterious shimmering lake.
“NightFlight Expedition is the ride that industry experts, media and influencers have all called the most anticipated attraction of 2026,” said Naughton. “This ride is going to be a gamechanger for the theme park world; but it isn’t the only gamechanger for Dollywood this season. I am so excited to participate in Dollywood’s Run Dollywood race alongside the other participants. I also can’t wait to watch families make even more memories together during our brand-new, after-hours events and other festival offerings. This truly will be the most exciting season at Dollywood yet.”
“Being here to kick off our 41st season is so special,” said Dolly. “Can you believe we’re entering our fifth decade?”
Festival Highlights for 2026:
- I Will Always Love You Festival (now through April 12)
- Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival (April 18-June 7)
- Inaugural “Run Dollywood” race weekend is set for April 25-26. Includes the marquee half-marathon slated for Sunday morning. Companion races—a 1-mile kids fun run (ages 4-12), a 5k and a 10k —are scheduled for Saturday morning. Registation takes place on the Run Dollywood page: Dollywood.com/RunDollywood.
- Dollywood’s Splash Country kicks off its 26th season on May 16. New this season: Neon Nights on select Fridays and Saturdays. This is a separately ticketed, after-hours event.
- Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration (June 15-August 2
- Harvest Festival (Sept. 14-Oct. 31)
- Harvey’s Boo Bash. At this separately ticketed after-hours event, you’ll be able to enjoy all the Harvest Festival sites with smaller crowds and special treats.
- Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 6–Jan. 3, 2024): Wraps up the park’s 2026 season with 6 million lights, festive holiday shows, and the warm, joyful atmosphere guests look forward to each year.
For more information about Dollywood’s adventurous 2026 season, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
Personal Observations:
Our Dollywood staff guide, Hope, told us that she is working on completing her college degree through the Dollywood Grow U education program. This online program is free to Dollywood employees and is an awesome benefit. Hope has been working for Dollywood since she was 14; she’s close to finishing her degree in Human Resources and was gratefully proud to share that she hasn’t had to pay a cent. She’s already working at her dream job in HR at Dollywood.
We got to see Dolly tell us about how she is doing and future additions to the park. She looked great! It is always really encouraging to see how much she loves her fans and how much they love her. She wanted us all to know she’s not done yet!
At one event we attended, Dolly was asked about the various hats she wears – Entertainer, Businesswoman, and Proud Tennessean. She replied, “Well first off – it’s not a hat, it’s a wig!”
“If the values don’t permeate every element of the company, then it’s phony and you can feel it in the park.” – Susan, from Talent Acquisitions. “It’s not just for show. Dollywood feels like home – for everyone.”
One employee shared with us how fulfilling her job was working with their international hiring program. She was currently helping a young man from Turkey – he had recently lost his entire family, and she was able to help him start a new life in the US.
