Marking a milestone 25th anniversary, Dollywood highlights the occasion with the new Adventure Mountain, America’s largest challenge course, along with daily anniversary celebrations.
“Everyone knows that I’m a dreamer, and the 25th anniversary of my Dollywood theme park is the continuation of a country girl’s dream of a special place where families can experience and enjoy all that my Smoky Mountain home has to offer,” Dolly Parton said. “I’m inviting everyone to join us all season long as we celebrate the dreamer in YOU, too!”
Plans to honor the silver anniversary pay tribute to the park’s rich history while saluting this season’s guests. A daily entertainment showcase takes place in the park’s “Adventures in Imagination” area along with photographic exhibits tracing the park’s growth. Appearing via multimedia presentations, Parton shares her most heartfelt memories with guests.
The $6 million Adventure Mountain covers two mountainside acres and includes four different adventure courses. Designed exclusively for Dollywood, Adventure Mountain’s more than 140 interactive elements include swinging rope bridges, net ladders, rugged trails, flying islands, moving beams, and a tire traverse. The summit reaches 100 feet above the park’s “Wilderness Pass” area. Located at the attraction’s base, Camp Teachittoomee offers ground-based experiences for younger guests.
For Festival of Nations, Imaginé presented by Le Grand Cirque returns with world-champion acrobats performing pole climbing, contortionists, hoop diving, unicyclists, silk ropes and more. The festival includes three new shows. DRUM! features 20 musicians, dancers, drummers, and singers in a heart-pumping fusion of music, dance, poetry, video, rhythm and song. Jallmay showcases South American rhythms created by 28 dancers and musicians. Lively island rhythms take the spotlight in Invaders, an ensemble steel orchestra.
A new spin on a familiar favorite is in store for KidsFest (June 11-Aug. 1, 2010), as a different weekly headliner appears in the new Adventure Theatre. Entertainment includes The Paper World Show by Mimirichi, comedic juggler Mark Nizer, extreme magician Curtis Adams, master ventriloquist Kevin Johnson, Fan Yang’s Gazillion Bubble Show and The Passing Zone.
Fall brings the National Gospel & Harvest Celebration (Sept. 29-Oct. 30), which begins Sept. 29 with the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the Singing News Awards. It continues with more than 200 free concerts by the genre’s most popular artists, including The McKameys, The Crist Family, The Isaacs, The Perrys and more along with the country’s best crafters.
The season concludes with Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 6, 2010-Jan. 1, 2011). Along with four million lights, the Polar Express 4D Experience™ and more than 20 rides and attractions, the festival bids farewell to Dollywood’s Babes in Toyland show. The entertainment lineup also includes Christmas in the Smokies, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, An Appalachian Christmas, O’ Holy Night, and Christmas with the Kingdom Heirs.
Operating days and hours vary. Visit www.dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD for more information. |
