Sevier County Will Celebrate the First Dolly Parton Day on September 25
Sevier County will celebrate its first Dolly Parton Day on September 25, 2026, with a public ceremony in downtown Sevierville and the launch of Give Like Dolly Day.
September 25 will officially become Dolly Parton Day in Sevier County, beginning a new annual tradition honoring the life and legacy of one of the Smoky Mountains' most famous daughters.
Sevier County, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Pittman Center will jointly proclaim Friday, September 25, 2026, as Dolly Parton Day. The first celebration will include a public proclamation signing ceremony at the historic Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville.
The date, 9/25, is a fitting nod to one of Dolly's most recognizable songs, "9 to 5." But locally, the day is about much more than her music. It's a celebration of the impact Dolly had on Sevier County, children's literacy, tourism, healthcare, families, and the mountain community she never stopped calling home.
Dolly Parton Day 2026: Quick Details
Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Sevier County Courthouse
Address: 125 Court Avenue, Sevierville, TN
What: Official Dolly Parton Day proclamation signing ceremony
Who: Sevier County, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Pittman Center
Is it annual? Yes. Dolly Parton Day will be observed every September 25 in Sevier County beginning in 2026.
What Is Dolly Parton Day?
Dolly Parton Day is a new annual celebration of Dolly's life, accomplishments, generosity, and lifelong connection to Sevier County and the Great Smoky Mountains.
On September 25, leaders from Sevier County and the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Town of Pittman Center will gather on the steps of the Sevier County Courthouse to officially sign a joint proclamation.
The ceremony begins at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 25, and residents and visitors are invited to commemorate the occasion.
Beginning this year, September 25 will be observed annually as Dolly Parton Day throughout Sevier County.
Why September 25?
Take another look at the date:
9/25.
It's a natural tribute to Dolly's hit song and movie "9 to 5," but the celebration goes much deeper than a clever date.
Dolly Parton Day is intended to give residents, businesses, schools, organizations, and visitors an opportunity each year to celebrate the values Dolly represented throughout her life.
The local proclamation encourages people to dream big, work hard, care for others, give generously, and never forget where you come from.
For Dolly, that last part was especially important.
No matter how famous she became, East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains remained a central part of her story.
A Celebration That Means Something Different in Sevier County
Dolly is known around the world, but Sevier County is home.
She was born and raised here in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and the mountains remained deeply connected to her music, businesses, philanthropy, and identity throughout her life.
Her impact on the area is difficult to separate from modern Sevier County.
Dollywood became one of the region's defining attractions and helped shape tourism in Pigeon Forge and the surrounding Smokies. Her businesses created jobs and brought millions of visitors to the area. But her local impact went well beyond tourism.
Through the Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, her support of healthcare in Sevier County, and her response to the devastating 2016 wildfires through the My People Fund, Dolly repeatedly invested back into the place she came from.
That's what makes the first Dolly Parton Day especially meaningful here.
It's not simply a celebration of a celebrity who happened to be born nearby. It's a hometown honoring someone whose story remained connected to the Smoky Mountains for her entire life.
September 25 Is Also the First Give Like Dolly Day
There's another important part of the September 25 celebration.
The Dollywood Foundation has announced the first Give Like Dolly Day, a new annual tradition encouraging people around the world to honor Dolly by helping children in their own communities.
The initiative centers on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and the thousands of local organizations that help operate the program.
Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in Sevier County in honor of her father, who could not read or write.
What began as a local program for children in her home county eventually grew across the United States and into Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.
Today, the program sends millions of free books to children every month.
How to Participate in Give Like Dolly Day
The Dollywood Foundation is encouraging people to:
- Give to their local Imagination Library program.
- Help bring the Imagination Library to communities where it isn't currently available.
- Support other local nonprofit organizations helping children.
- Share how they're giving back using #GiveLikeDolly.
You can learn more or find the Imagination Library program serving your community at Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
It's a fitting way to celebrate Dolly.
Not simply by remembering what she accomplished, but by continuing some of the work she cared about most.
Visiting Sevierville for Dolly Parton Day?
If you're visiting the Smokies on September 25, the proclamation ceremony gives you a chance to experience the first Dolly Parton Day right where Dolly's story began.
The ceremony will take place at the historic Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville.
And while you're there, you won't have to go far to find another important piece of Dolly history.
Visit the Dolly Parton Statue in Downtown Sevierville
The bronze Dolly Parton statue sits on the lawn of the Sevier County Courthouse, the same location where the Dolly Parton Day proclamation will be signed.
Created by local artist Jim Gray, the statue was unveiled in 1987 and depicts a young Dolly sitting on a rock with her guitar.
Over the decades, it has become one of downtown Sevierville's most recognizable landmarks and a popular stop for visitors.
On the first Dolly Parton Day, it's hard to imagine a more appropriate place to take a photo or spend a few quiet minutes remembering the woman being celebrated.
Continue the Dolly Experience at Dollywood
From downtown Sevierville, Dolly's story continues just down the road in Pigeon Forge.
Dollywood opened in 1986 and grew into one of the most recognizable attractions in the Smoky Mountains.
The park has also announced plans for new experiences and installations honoring Dolly's life, values, faith, and connection to the Great Smoky Mountains.
If you're visiting on September 25, Dollywood will also be in the middle of its annual Harvest Festival, which runs through October 31 in 2026.
That makes it easy to build an entire Smoky Mountain day around Dolly's hometown, her legacy, and the place she helped create.
A Simple Dolly Parton Day Itinerary
If you're visiting Sevier County on September 25, here's an easy way to spend the day.
Morning: Downtown Sevierville
Arrive in downtown Sevierville before 9:00 a.m. for the Dolly Parton Day proclamation ceremony at the Sevier County Courthouse.
Afterward, visit the Dolly Parton statue on the courthouse lawn and spend some time exploring downtown Sevierville.
Late Morning or Afternoon: Head to Pigeon Forge
Make your way toward Pigeon Forge and Dollywood.
Spend the afternoon experiencing Dollywood, including its 2026 Harvest Festival.
Give Like Dolly
Before the day is over, consider participating in Give Like Dolly Day.
That could mean supporting an Imagination Library program, donating to an organization helping children, buying a book for a child, volunteering, or simply doing something generous for someone in your own community.
You don't have to do something enormous.
That's part of the point.
Dolly's Legacy Started in the Smoky Mountains
There are plenty of famous people who came from small towns.
Dolly's relationship with Sevier County was different.
She didn't simply leave the Smoky Mountains and become famous. She carried the mountains with her and eventually invested an extraordinary amount back into the place where her story started.
You can see that legacy throughout the area today.
It's in Dollywood.
It's in the statue outside the courthouse.
It's in the Dolly Parton Center for Women's Services at LeConte Medical Center.
It's in children opening Imagination Library books that arrive in their mailboxes.
And it's in a tourism economy that Dolly helped transform.
Beginning September 25, 2026, Sevier County will have one more reminder.
Dolly Parton Day.
Note from the author:
Having worked at Dollywood in college and getting the chance to meet Dolly during that time, I'm overjoyed that the county has come together to honor this woman with a day dedicated to her. Her immense kindness and generosity impacted me from a young age and still does to this day as my children look forward to receiving books from "Ms. Dolly" each month.
Stay Up to Date With What's Happening in the Smokies
Big events are part of what makes the Smokies special, but some of the best things happening here are easy to miss if you don't know where to look.
That's one of the reasons we're building SmokiesApp.
SmokiesApp helps visitors and locals discover events, attractions, restaurants, deals, hikes, live updates, and things happening around Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Townsend, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Whether it's the first Dolly Parton Day or something happening just down the road today, we want to make it easier to discover what's happening while you're actually here.
Save. Explore. Play.
Plan your Smokies trip with SmokiesApp
Deals, events, trails, and local tips in one app. Join the waitlist for first access.
Frequently asked questions
When is Dolly Parton Day?
Dolly Parton Day will be celebrated on **September 25 each year**, beginning Friday, September 25, 2026.
Where is Dolly Parton Day celebrated?
Sevier County and the communities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Pittman Center are jointly recognizing Dolly Parton Day.
What time is the Dolly Parton Day ceremony in Sevierville?
The official proclamation signing ceremony begins at **9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 25, 2026**.
Where is the Dolly Parton Day ceremony?
The ceremony will take place on the steps of the historic **Sevier County Courthouse at 125 Court Avenue in Sevierville, Tennessee**.
Can visitors attend the Dolly Parton Day ceremony?
Yes. Residents and visitors are invited to join the community in commemorating the first Dolly Parton Day.
Will Dolly Parton Day happen every year?
Yes. Sevier County will observe Dolly Parton Day annually on September 25 beginning in 2026.
What is Give Like Dolly Day?
Give Like Dolly Day is a new annual initiative from the Dollywood Foundation that also takes place on September 25. It encourages people to support their local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program or other organizations helping children in their communities.
Where is the Dolly Parton Statue in Sevierville?
The Dolly Parton statue is located on the lawn of the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville, where the Dolly Parton Day proclamation ceremony will take place.
