More than a million blooms at Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival until 5th June

For a third year, Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health (April 22 – June 5) blossoms against a Smoky Mountain backdrop to deliver brilliant floral hues to guests. During this year’s instalment of the festival, guests can appreciate the vibrant beauty of more than a million blooms, explore the fresh flavours of spring with an immersive tasting pass and delight in unique entertainment offerings.

In 2021, the Flower & Food Festival was honoured with the inaugural Brass Ring Award for “Best New Food and Beverage Festival or Special Event” by the International Association for Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The festival features elaborate floral installations that emerge throughout the park to translate nature into living art, each coming together to create a breathtaking display of more than a million blooms in total. In fact, the Flower & Food Festival grows by 30% thanks to new displays, entertainment and interactive elements.

Mosaiculture icons include a peacock, a beekeeper tending to a hive and a mallard duck. These whimsical new additions join a lineup of beloved displays: the signature butterfly umbrella, woodland animal friends and the touching depiction of Dolly’s mother crafting the Coat of Many Colors. These sculptures are designed in partnership with Mosaicultures International, a Montreal-based company that specializes in the art of elaborate floral decorations.

“Spring has always been so wonderful to me because the flowers start growing, the sun shines for a little longer, and the birds start singing a new song,” Dolly Parton said. “When I was little and the weather started warming up, all us kids would gather on the porch in the afternoon and enjoy lemonade that Mama brought out for us. That’s springtime to me – getting to make memories with my family and taking in the beautiful colours everywhere.”

“I hope that when families come to Dollywood during our festival, they get those same feelings of joy. This year, our guests can take a walk in my special butterfly garden and even see my Mama making my coat of many colours. I think the festival will continue to bloom even bigger and brighter right here in these beautiful mountains.”

While admiring the vivid colours blooming throughout the park, guests can explore a menu crafted with inspiration from fresh spring flavours and Smoky Mountain flair. Returning for this year is the tasting pass, which allows guests to partake in multiple food items at different festival locations.

The tasting pass, which can be purchased in the park or online, is $34.99 plus tax or $31.99 plus tax for gold and diamond pass holders. With this pass, guests can sample five food offerings at any Flower & Food Festival culinary location. This year’s festival menu features a Cuban sandwich with mojo sauce, Reuben spring roll, chicken and andouille skillet, beef bulgogi nachos, seafood mac and cheese, berry and honey funnel cakes, and hand-decorated flower-themed cookies and cupcakes among many other tasty spring dishes.

A highlight of the festival this year is entertainment, including “Dolly’s Butterfly Garden” and the return of a former guest favourite to the park. Dolly’s Butterfly Garden is an immersive experience that allows guests to interact with natural elements in a new way. Created by Montreal, Canada’s Moment Factory, this exhibit will take place in Adventures in Imagination throughout the festival. Performers from Australia combine theatrical elements and acrobatics for a thrilling new show called “Bloom!” that takes place high above ground while performers are situated atop sway poles. Guests will not want to miss this elevated display.

Dollywood’s streets are filled with music during the Flower & Food Festival. The Hall Sisters, an energetic quartet of country-pop performers, will set the stage in Craftsman’s Valley. A returning favourite show, “A Brighter Day,” features five daily performances at the Back Porch Theater. All shows are included with park admission. A full schedule of live performances is available at Dollywood.com.

Back to provide shade along Show street is the mesmerizing Umbrella Sky, which brings together hundreds of colourful umbrellas in a brilliant, suspended arrangement that makes for an “Instagram-worthy” background. Guests looking to capture picture-perfect memories at Dollywood can stop by several locations in the park for an amazing photo. These include the Hillside Carpet Display that brings a florally-crafted sunset to Rivertown Junction, the pathways of Adventures in Imagination that are decorated with creative chalk art portraits, and Dolly’s Butterfly Garden exhibit in Adventures in Imagination.

Festival elements carry over into Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa where guests find festive décor and stunning floral accents. Daily mocktails and cocktails will be served in The Lounge at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, each drawing inspiration from the essence of springtime. Families can enjoy live entertainment in the lobby atrium, festival-inspired cuisine at Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery and festival-themed activities at Camp DW. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa hosts a Winemaker’s Dinner for guests on Saturday, May 21 inside Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery. This unique dining experience pairs festival-inspired culinary creations with exemplary wines. Reservations for the dinner can be made by calling (865) 868-1246.

Dollywood looks forward to a season bigger and better than ever before. This is the perfect year to purchase a season pass in order to create memories with family and friends at the park all year long. Once the Flower & Food Festival is over, the fun continues with Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Bush’s Beans (June 18-Aug. 7), which features an expanded drone and fireworks show every night. Experience the all-new Hoot Owl Hollow as part of this year’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 23-Oct. 29), then get in the holiday spirit with Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 6-Jan. 1, 2023). The celebration continues all year long at Dollywood.

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A new hotel coming soon for Dollywood...part of a massive 10 year investment plan.

Dollywood's HeartSong Lodge & Resort marks the first project in a new 10-year investment plan

The Dollywood Company has started a new investment strategy that will see the Smoky Mountain vacation destination invest more than half-a-billion dollars over the next 10 years across its properties. The first of which is a new 302-room Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort.

The new HeartSong Lodge, located adjacent to the much-heralded Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, serves as the next element in the company’s thriving lodging business. Set to open in 2023, the new property ushers in another period of tremendous growth for the company and for the entire Smoky Mountains region. 

Earlier this year, Tripadvisor named Gatlinburg as the number one trending destination in the United States, with Pigeon Forge ranking fourth on the same list. Last year, Dollywood was “traveler-ranked” number six on Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Top 25 United States Theme Parks list and number eight on the Top 25 Worldwide Theme Parks list based on guest reviews.

Dolly Parton said: “I’m always dreaming and coming up with new ideas and things I want our guests to experience. - We wanted to talk about this last year, but with everything going on, we knew we needed to pause because it just wasn’t the right time to do it. Things are looking brighter and with the popularity of the Smokies soaring, there are more people than ever wanting to visit our area.

“I’m so proud of this place that we’ve been able to build here in the Smokies,” she continued. “I always dreamed of accomplishing two things with Dollywood. I wanted to give jobs to the folks who live here and I wanted to give visitors another reason to come and experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. We celebrated our 35th season last year, so I think it is fair to say we’ve been able to do that. I’m so happy with what we are doing to make sure our guests have a great season this year, and being able to announce the new HeartSong Lodge & Resort is just one more way we’re going to be able to help families reconnect, explore and discover together. I truly believe the natural beauty of the Smokies and the warmth of this special place will inspire every guest to nurture the ‘heartsong’ within them.”