I was lucky enough to be at Dollywood on Monday, August 24, 2026, just hours away from Dolly Parton unexpectedly passing away the following morning on August 25, 2026. Dollywood was already scheduled to be closed on August 25th, and the park has already announced that “Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle, ‘the show must go on’.” Monday was simply a gorgeous day with mostly clear skies and a buzz in the air for the opening of a new ride, NightFlight Expedition. I was traveling for work passing near Dollywood and decided to stop in for a few hours to check out the new ride. It made for a long late day, but I was excited to do it. However, I didn’t realize I’d be visiting on the last day before the park would lose its namesake and the World would lose the sparkle of a universally beloved star.

One of the first things I did (after riding Lightning Rod) was catch the Heidi Parton show, Dolly’s niece. The show has the tagline “Kin & Friends” as it’s traditionally made up of her family and friends. Between performances of classic hits Heidi and the cast share Dolly and family stories which makes for a very intimate show. It has recently come out that Dolly was having a brief battle with cancer and had been hospitalized several days previous to her death. The energy and sincerity of the show I saw was off the charts and now in hindsight I wonder what the people on stage might have known or been thinking? The show concluded with the song, “The Gift” which Heidi wrote about her late musician father and sang as a video duet with Dolly. The song talks about how their family had singing and storytelling in their DNA, “The Gift” and it was passed from one generation to the next. Heidi specifically mentioned that someday Dolly and her own generation would be gone, but she had faith there would be another and the gift would continue.

While standing in line for NightFlight I was chatting with the couple next to me and the subject of Dolly’s health came up. He mentioned he thought Dolly might not be with us much longer which resonated with me in a way I didn’t expect and ended up being prophetic. For the rest of the day I looked at the park a bit differently and took notice of the employees and how many jobs the park had created in Sevier County. Dolly would refer to the people of the region as “her people”, never forgetting her roots.

One thing I did specifically on the way out, I don’t know why, was seek out going to see the replica of Dolly’s childhood home. It is small and she shared it with her parents and 11 siblings. It wasn’t filled with many physical possessions, but it was filled with love. It’s amazing to think of the World changing career that home launched. Dolly would not only make amazing music and employ “her people”, but she would also help millions of children read through her book giving literacy program, Imagination Library.

Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle, “the show must go on.”

Wednesday, August 26th will no doubt be a sad, but special day at Dollywood. The Dollywood website reportedly crashed with people trying to buy tickets to visit. I have no doubt Dollywood will continue to thrive long term, but things will no doubt feel different. I’d imagine something similar to Walt Disney World where it is still resonates with its founder’s memory and DNA decades after his death. The park will be filled with her spirit through her music, stories and the way she impacted millions of lives. In many ways this is a form of immortality for as long as she is remembered a part of her will be with us. Dolly was a religious woman and there’s even a chapel in Dollywood (not many theme parks can claim that). Today a beautiful voice fell silent on Earth, but heaven gained a star brighter than any sparkling rhinestone.