One of Dolly Parton’s greatest dreams—the little theme park named Dollywood that opened in her home county in 1986—has now become one of the world’s leading family destinations and is set to celebrate its 40th season in 2025. Dollywood Parks & Resorts looks a lot different than it did when it opened on May 3, 1986, but the mission at its heart remains the same—to create a welcoming environment where families can enjoy making memories together.

Dollywood has special events, new celebrations and several returning favorites planned to commemorate the milestone anniversary. The fun begins at Tripadvisor’s #1 US theme park with Season Passholder Preview Day set for Friday, March 14.

“I can’t believe that we’ve been making memories for folks here at my Dollywood for 40 years,” Dolly explained. “That’s a lot of laughter, hugs and smiles, and I’m glad that we’ve been able to be part of it for so many years. When we opened Dollywood, the main thing I wanted to do was to give families a fun place where they could enjoy time spent together. I’m so proud of all the people who have worked to make Dollywood what it is today, and I want to thank all the guests who have supported us and trusted us to help them create those days they’ll never forget.

“And just think, I spent opening day watching the parking lot because I was worried that people might not show up,” she added with a laugh. “But look at how far we’ve come since then—and we’re just getting started!”

A new 40th anniversary show, which debuts Memorial Day weekend and runs through the end of summer, highlights moments from guest-favorite shows during the park’s illustrious history of entertainment offerings. Additionally, a new drone and fireworks show honoring the 40th anniversary season takes place as part of Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food City, and a new opening ceremony will occur at the beginning of each operating day during the 2025 season.

The Imagination Playhouse, which features plays based on books from Dolly’s Imagination Library, becomes a permanent fixture this season, offering its much-loved shows for younger guests from March through the end of September. The theater will offer a rotation of playhouse favorites guests have enjoyed through the years. During Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration, new story time and character meet & greets are part of the Imagination Playhouse experience.

Also in celebration of the 40th anniversary, “Heartsong: The Movie” will be remastered and moved—appropriately—to Dreamsong Theater as part of The Dolly Parton Experience. “Heartsong: The Movie” will run in conjunction with “Heidi Parton’s Kin & Friends.”

The Country Fair area of the park also receives a bright refresh during the 2025 season to celebrate the classic fun and family togetherness of this special area of the park. In addition, Country Fair transforms during the Harvest Festival to become Candy Corn Country, with decorations and theming to highlight the “corny” fun of this fall treat. The special festival fun doesn’t end there, however. A favorite of years past, Peppermint Valley returns during Smoky Mountain Christmas to provide a bright red and white lighting scheme in Country Fair.

“I’m excited to welcome guests to celebrate our 40th anniversary season with us in 2025,” said Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton. “We are thrilled to have earned the Tripadvisor #1 US theme park designation last year along with being the highest ranked US park in Golden Ticket Award voting for Best Park last year. We’ve worked hard for 40 seasons to make the Dollywood experience the best theme park experience in the country, and our guests are telling us we’ve done just that through these awards. And remember what Dolly said, ‘We’re just getting started!’”

Multi-PLATINUM, #1 hit songwriter Madeline Merlo today releases her latest project – ONE HOUSE DOWN (from the girl next door). Divulging her most authentic self, exposing her own vulnerabilities and imperfections, the project is a profound exploration of the brutal healing cycle after a breakup – moving on from a once-promising relationship, the poignant melancholy of adjusting to new realities to triumphantly keeping the past in the past and looking forward.

“ONE HOUSE DOWN (from the girl next door) is finally out today, and I am so excited that this little project I’ve held close to my chest for quite some time is finally yours too,” shares Merlo. “My hope is that you heal, relate and feel encouraged to find your voice in the pursuit of love. I am so proud of these songs and grateful to all the songwriters, musicians and my producer, Zach Crowell, for helping me create it. And to all my friends who also feel like they’re one house down from the girl next door – I hope it helps you embrace who you are.” 

Known for her discography packed with “powerful female stories” (E! News),  the “rising star” (People) co-wrote all six tracks on the project, which were produced by Zach Crowell. Teaming up with 10x #1 hitmaker Dustin Lynch, the powerhouse duet “Broken Heart Thing” brings to life both sides of a recent break-up. Revealing how each feels in the aftermath, the beautifully tender track is brought to life by Lynch’s deep, recognizable vocal and Merlo’s standout, soulful voice and brilliantly relatable lyrics. The captivating song has already made an impact, earning top placements on both Spotify and Apple Music Country playlists, quickly gaining even more traction and on-demand streams amongst fans each day. 

The magical spirit of Dollywood during the holiday season is unmatched. Returning for its 12^th installment, the annual Light the Way 5K is the perfect way to get into a festive mood. This certified race takes participants through the grounds of Dollywood on a remarkable course illuminated by 6 million sensational Christmas lights. The race begins at 11 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8; the Knoxville Track Club is facilitating the event again this year.

Incorporating feedback from previous racers, this year’s 5K offers a new and improved course. The race will start at the Dollywood toll booths, offering a flat surface in the parking lot for the first one-third of the race. Runners then will enter the park and run through many of the 6 million dazzling lights and festive scenery of the award-winning Smoky Mountain Christmas festival. The end of the race marks a breathtaking and picturesque finish, as runners will cross the finish line in the brand-new Dolly Parton Experience area.

Proceeds from the event benefit Keep Sevier Beautiful (KSB) and the Share it Forward (SIF) program. KSB, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, is a volunteer-based organization which focuses on waste reduction/recycling, litter prevention and beautifying public spaces through education and community-based programs. KSB’s intention is to protect the natural beauty of the area that millions of visitors come to see each year. SIF is a nonprofit organization that serves Dollywood Company employees and their families through a variety of assistance programs. SIF programming is funded primarily through fundraising activities and employee donations, which are matched dollar for dollar by The Dollywood Company.

“It’s so exciting to be hosting runners at the Light the Way 5K for a 12^th year and for us to continue our partnership with the Knoxville Track Club to make this event even brighter. The beauty of Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas festival combined with the challenge of a course that only a theme park can provide makes Light the Way a one-of-a-kind event for runners and walkers,” said Kevin Kipfer, Executive Director for Share It Forward. “Just as importantly, this event helps provide our non-profit organizations with much-needed financial assistance just before the holidays,” added Lisa Bryant, Executive Director of Keep Sevier Beautiful.

This race will be certified and chip-timed by the Knoxville Track Club, who will work with the event team to provide racers with an unforgettable experience. Medals will be distributed at the finish line for every participant in Light the Way 5K. Awards will be presented to the top three finishers for both men and women and all age groups.

Quartz Hill Records’ Runaway June – the first female trio since The Chicks to break the Top 5 on the U.S. Mediabase Country Chart – released an exhilarating new song, “New Kind of Emotion,” available across all digital retailers and streaming partners.

A feel-good ode to falling in love, “New Kind of Emotion” perfectly captures the intoxicating feeling of starting to love someone or something.

Showcasing Runaway June’s trademark three-part harmonies, “New Kind of Emotion” was produced by two-time GRAMMY-winner Kristian Bush (Sugarland, Megan Moroney, Lindsay Ell). Band members Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall and Stevie Woodward co-wrote the song with Paul Sikes (Lainey Wilson’s MusicRow No. 1 “Hang Tight Honey”).

“Paul is one of our favorite co-writers and he’s also helped us create our sound as a band, so it’s really special that we have a song coming out with him,” says Jennifer.

“We were talking about that feeling you get when you experience any kind of new love,” explains Natalie. “And it doesn’t just have to be romantic love. Of course, a lot of us were thinking about our romantic partners, but Jen was also thinking about her daughter, and I was probably thinking about my dog. I know Stevie was thinking about her cat!”

“There was something magical in the creating room that day,” adds Stevie. “We were all very aligned on what we wanted to say and what we wanted it to sound like. It feels like, with the three of us, this is our sound, and we’re just so excited that this song is out in the world.”

Lyrically, “New Kind of Emotion” makes what might seem like a bold assertion – that “This is what a love song feels like.” But listeners will no doubt agree that, with a joyous lyric and equally celebratory mid-tempo soundscape, the song more than delivers on its promise.

Nashville recording artist and neo-traditional country singer-songwriter Whey Jennings recently wrapped up his tour participation in the 2024 Mobilize Recovery Across America bus tour. Organized by 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Mobilize Recovery, the bus tour brings together a diverse cross-sector cohort of advocates, allies, and stakeholders to drive measurable, sustainable, and action-oriented solutions that create resilient communities of recovery.

Jennings spoke to the event’s participants in Las Vegas on September 24 and Richmond, Virginia on October 08, sharing his own story of addiction and how he found his way to recovery. He also performed his song “Sleeves,” which he co-wrote with fellow recovery advocate and songwriter Wes Shipp. His song and story of how he found his way to recovery was profiled in a recent exclusive with Fox News.

Commemorating National Recovery Month in September, Jennings launched a 21 day “Break The Cycle” social media awareness campaign across his FaceBook, Instagram and TikTok channels, where he personally addressed some of the common themes and topics faced by addicts trying to find their way to recovery.

“Sadly, drug addiction has been a huge part of my life,” Jennings said. “This song and music video is one step towards making a difference in the lives of not only addicts, but also the ones who hold them near and dear to their hearts. I apologize if this video has been hard to watch, but in order to address the problem, you have to face it head-on.”

About Whey Jennings:
Country singer-songwriter Whey Jennings was born into one of country music’s most iconic family names, first emerging in 2012 as another naturally gifted singer from the Jennings tribe. With large boots to fill, the young Nashville recording artist and singer-songwriter for Dirt Rock Empire, with a booming baritone voice as big as Texas, finds himself with a few expectations to live up to. Seeking to establish his own musical legacy as one of the few remaining torch-bearing country traditionalists out there, Whey can instantly take his fans back to a time and sound his Grandfather Waylon and Grandmother Jessi gave birth to in the 70’s, even with his own songs.

With three studio recorded EP releases under his belt, 2020’s Gypsy Soul, 2022’s If It Wasn’t for The Sinnin’, and 2023’s Just Before The Dawn, Jennings is now preparing for his magnum opus of songs, his first full length album, the highly anticipated Jekyll & Hyde, due out August 23, 2024. Many of Whey’s songs reveal stories of how he has come to terms with a checkered past of too much partying, led by a drug-fueled lifestyle, but knowing he needed to make a change. Musical stories about struggles, addiction, finding sobriety, and redemption through faith in God, family and his friends. Interjecting his own modern-day approach to songwriting and storytelling, while remaining a little rough around the edges, Whey’s unpolished grit and honest demeanor defines his sound, with musical roots that run as deep as his Jennings family name would imply.