The leaves are changing down in East Tennessee, and what better way to celebrate than with a trip to Dollywood? Each year, the team at the Pigeon Forge amusement park amps up the autumnal vibes, and you won’t want to miss this year’s Harvest Festival, which runs from September 12 to October 27. Keep scrolling to read all there is to know about this fun celebration of the season.
All about the Dollywood Harvest Festival
If you’re looking for a bit of fall fun, Dollywood is where you want to be. The annual Harvest Festival has something for every member of your crew, both young and old. Want to take it easy and enjoy the changing leaves and foliage? You’ll love viewing the fall flowers, traditional gourds and pumpkins that fill the park. Have a thrill-seeker in your group? The rides and roller coasters in the amusement park are sure to satisfy. Consider yourself a foodie? You won’t want to miss out on the fall offerings at every turn (more on those below!). Plus, the ambiance is set with live musical performances by a handful of talented artists. “Be serenaded by the sounds of a Smoky Mountain fall with Southern gospel, bluegrass, Americana and country tunes to tap your toes to,” says the Dollywood website.
Explore Dollywood Harvest Festival attractions
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The Harvest Festival offers endless attractions. The Country Fair area of the park, home to rides such as Busy Bees, Demolition Derby, Lemon Twist and other family favorites, turns into Candy Corn Country, “complete with sweet new characters to meet and plenty of fall surprises.” When the lights go down, be sure to check out Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which features dozens of unique jack-o’-lanterns and impressive installations created with the festive gourd. Located in Hoot Owl Hollow, don’t miss this exciting feature of the festival!
Dine on Dollywood Harvest Festival delights
On a regular nonfestival day, there are endless options to choose from when it comes to Dollywood goodies (the famous Cinnamon Bread is even better than you can imagine!), but during this yearly event, you can enjoy the tastes of the season like never before! Warm up with hot apple cider or get festive with pumpkin pie punch, candy corn punch or pumpkin white hot chocolate. Fill up on cozy, savory bites like chicken and smoked sausage gumbo, stuffed acorn squash, turkey pumpkin chili or a kielbasa and potato skillet. For dessert, don’t miss out on apple cobbler cake, caramel bacon brownies or pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Plus, you can even purchase a Harvest Tasting Pass for $42.99, which gets you 5 festival foods for one price.
Live music at the Dollywood Harvest Festival
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Each day of the festival, you can catch countless acts across various genres filling the theme park with song, with musicians like The Grascals, Daily & Vincent and even Emily Ann Roberts! A contestant on The Voice, the songstress is thrilled to be a part of this autumnal celebration. “Dollywood was one of the biggest highlights of my childhood,” the singer told Amusement Today. “From the rides to the food to the shows, it fills my senses with the feeling of home in East Tennessee. I’m so honored to now bring my music to my favorite place.”
