PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee–(Feb. 2, 2026) — With daydreams of warmer weather and fun springtime activities on everyone’s minds, USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice has included Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival as one of the nominees for its Best Flower Festival award. Dollywood fans are asked to vote early and often to help this guest-favorite tradition earn the top spot.
This is the first time Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival has been nominated for voting and is one of only two theme park flower festivals included among the nominees. The USA Today contest, which now is live, runs through Monday, March 2 at noon. Winners will be announced on March 11.
Celebrating its seventh year, the Flower & Food Festival (April 18- June 7) 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. Vivid flower sculptures create an immersive atmosphere for park guests as they make their way through more than 1 million vibrant blooms during this stunning festival.
Dollywood’s signature lineup of beloved creations returns, 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 a mallard duck, a peacock and a family of playful bears.
In addition, Dollywood’s culinary team showcases their world-class abilities with a menu full of delicacies that highlight the tastes of spring in the Smokies. Guests also are greeted by a stunning visual upon arrival, as hundreds of colorful umbrellas are suspended above Showstreet to create a dazzling “Umbrella Sky.”
A page with a link to the voting page can be found at www.dollywood.com/vote. Anyone is eligible to vote and may do so once per day, per device. Nominees for all categories are chosen by a panel of relevant experts, which includes a combination of editors from USA Today, editors from 10Best.com, theme park contributors and more.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2026 season, 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, Dollywood Parks & Resorts consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and two award-winning resort properties: Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on May 3, 1986, and earned the theme park industry’s highest accolade, the Applause Award, in 2010. Dollywood has earned 67 Golden Ticket Awards and 28 Brass Ring Awards for live entertainment. In 2022, 2024 and 2025, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and 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, attractions, shows and crafters inspired by and 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 mid-September. 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]
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the Dollywood Media Room at http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Room