Thousands gather at Dollywood to honour Dolly Parton’s legacy
Visitors flocked to the Tennessee theme park to pay tribute to the country music icon, who died at 80 following a cancer diagnosis.
Thousands of mourners descended on Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Wednesday to pay their respects to country music star Dolly Parton. The larger-than-life artist died on 25 August at the age of 80, shortly after receiving a cancer diagnosis. The 160-acre theme park, which opened in 1986 just miles from Parton’s hometown, became a focal point for grief and remembrance as fans from across the United States and beyond travelled to the site.
A memorial at the park’s entrance quickly filled with bouquets of flowers, handwritten letters, and drawings. Among the tributes were a pair of false eyelashes tucked behind a jar of sunflowers, with a note reading, “Cried these off! From Texas.” Another letter, presumably written before news of her death broke, described a mother’s decision to name her newborn Parton, citing the star’s “warmth, integrity and grit.”
The atmosphere inside the park was described by visitors as solemn. Savannah Duncan, a 19-year-old psychology student, noted that the impact of the news was palpable. “I walked in, and you could just feel it,” Duncan said. “Everyone’s been hit hard here.” She highlighted Parton’s influence on young women in Appalachia, praising the icon’s refusal to be toned down by the gendered expectations of the conservative south.
Parton’s connection to the region was deeply personal. Having grown up in poverty in the Great Smoky Mountains, she intended to create a theme park that would bring jobs to the area. In a 1982 interview, she described her vision as a “fantasy city, sort of like Disneyland, but like a mountain Disneyland.” The park now features roller coasters, vendors dedicated to Appalachian craftsmanship, and museums dedicated to Parton’s career and philanthropy.
Park president Eugene Naughton stated that Dollywood is carrying Parton’s legacy forward, noting that the theme park is the largest employer in Sevier County with approximately 4,000 people on the payroll. “She taught us how to dream big, so we have very ambitious plans on a moving-forward basis that I know she’ll be proud of,” Naughton said.
Visitors also reflected on Parton’s personal qualities. Ashley and Cynthia Pandolfo, a couple from Philadelphia, were moved by the outpouring of emotion. Their six-year-old son asked why so many people were crying, to which Ashley Pandolfo replied, “It’s sad to lose a really nice person.” The couple cited Parton’s unrelenting support of the queer community as a key reason they felt comfortable visiting the region.
