PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (April 14, 2025)–As spring grows to life in the Smokies, so too does Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival (April 18 – June 8) with more than 1 million vibrant blooms, menus featuring fresh tastes of spring in the Smokies and unique entertainment offerings—including a new show set to celebrate Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season.
Celebrating its sixth year, the Flower & Food Festival dresses Dollywood in its springtime best, with colorful and cheerful displays around every corner. Elaborate floral installations bring life to the park through large presentations of now-iconic Mosaiculture creations.
Dollywood’s signature lineup of beloved creations return, including the topsy-turvy butterfly umbrella, woodland animal friends and the touching depiction of Dolly’s mother crafting the Coat of Many Colors. Other guest-favorite icons also return like the mallard duck, a peacock and a family of playful bears. A new iconic scene features two pink fluttering butterflies that will make a home in The Dolly Parton Experience. These sculptures are designed in partnership with Mosaicultures International, a Montreal-based company that specializes in the art of elaborate floral decorations.
“If there’s one thing I know about the Smokies, it’s that God does some of his best handiwork this time of year,” Dolly said. “It’s like the mountains come back to life in the spring with all of His beautiful creations blooming around us. Our hosts here at Dollywood put so much effort into making the park as beautiful as the natural beauty you see throughout the hills around us. You know we won the Golden Ticket Award last year for the Most Beautiful Park in the world, and when you come experience the Smoky Mountains this time of year, I think you can understand why we won it!”
With spring in full bloom throughout the park, Dollywood’s culinary team has crafted a menu of delectable delights for guests to enjoy throughout the park. The available Flower & Food Festival tasting pass 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 $42.99 plus tax or $39.99 plus tax for gold and diamond passholders. With this pass, guests can sample five food offerings at Flower & Food Festival culinary locations. This year’s festival menu includes fresh new items including the Salad of Many Colors—named after Dolly’s beloved song, “Coat of Many Colors”—loaded street fries, pesto caprese panini, Smoky Mountain grilled corn, blueberry pie milkshake, and wild berry cream cheese funnel cake.
Dollywood’s streets are filled with music during the Flower & Food Festival. Opening during the festival are the Imagination Playhouse (April 19) and “Play On” (May 3). 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 through the end of September. The theater will offer a rotation of playhouse favorites guests have enjoyed through the years, as well as a new show based on the book, “Something Wild.” During Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration, new story time and character meet & greets are part of the Imagination Playhouse experience.
“Play On,” a special 40th anniversary retrospective show, features much-loved songs and scenes from many of the park’s iconic shows from years past. “Play On” debuts on May 3, the date of the park’s first operational day in 1986.
Lauren Jelencovich graces the stage at the Robert F. Thomas Chapel April 18- May 18 with her beautiful operatic performances. Jelencovich won the grand prize on Ed McMahon’s Next Big Star and has been the lead vocalist for Yanni’s international tours. The Wilder Flower plays May 19-June 1 with their unique musical chemistry that blends folk, Americana, bluegrass and more into a completely new sound. Eclectic vocalist Robinella (June 2-8) performs her uniquely jazz-tinged Appalachian music with old-time, self-styled pop covers, classic country and gospel music. “From the Heart—The Life & Music of Dolly Parton,” the show named the theme park industry’s best new show of 2024, continues through the Flower & Food Festival (ends June 6), as does Heidi Parton’s Kin & Friends. All shows are included with park admission. A full schedule of live performances is available at Dollywood.com.
Back to provide shade along Showstreet is the mesmerizing Umbrella Sky, which brings together hundreds of colorful 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 Showstreet Butterfly Carpeting and the Showstreet Palace Theater Festival Sign. New this year, a roving painter will move throughout the park painting iconic Dollywood elements live for guests to admire.
There is still plenty of fun for Dollywood guests this year. Following the Flower & Food Festival, the 40th anniversary season-themed Sweet Summer Nights drone and fireworks show takes to the skies above the park as part of Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food City (June 14-Aug. 3). A family tradition for many, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 12-Oct. 27) celebrates the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights. The industry’s Best Theme Park Christmas event—Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 1- Jan. 4, 2026)—concludes the park’s 2025 season with 6 million lights, festive holiday shows and the warm Christmas atmosphere guests have come to expect during this joyous time of year.
For more information, please visit dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
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About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and the newly opened Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of 58 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and earned the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Park in the world in 2023. This year, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. It also has been recognized as a top U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open mid-March through early January and offers rides and attractions, shows and crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks, operates from mid-May to Labor Day. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa as well as Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort provide guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Director, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]
Jennifer Webb: Sr. Publicist, (865) 428-9602, (865) 323-7584 or [email protected]