Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas runs through Jan. 4
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Monday, October 27, 2025) – At Dollywood, the holidays start this Saturday, November 1, with the 35th celebration of the park’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, the 15-time winner for Best Theme Park Christmas Event.
With the shimmer and shine of more than 6 million lights, guests will find a captivating winter wonderland where the spirit of the holidays shines brightly and the crisp air is filled with joyous holiday sounds and the scents of delicious Christmas culinary creations.
“When I want to get in the Christmas spirit, all I have to do is close my eyes and remember all the cherished times and stories with my family through the years,” Dolly said. “I’ve found that Christmas at Dollywood has a way of bringing those memories back to life – for me and so many people – by having a way to make new traditions and spend precious time with all the people that we love.
“This year’s Smoky Mountain Christmas is a perfect way to finish the end of our 40th anniversary season – it’s like the star on top of our Dollywood tree! I hope everyone who visits during this special season experiences the love and joy of a traditional Smoky Mountain Christmas. We hope you laugh, love and enjoy the light of the season. Those new memories and family traditions are ones you’ll cherish and share for many years to come.”
Guests are sure to feel the holiday spirit from the moment they walk in the park, thanks to the glow and sparkle of awe-inspiring lighting displays and Christmas trees located around every corner. Wildwood Grove transforms into a snowy winter wonderland with its immersive Snow in the Grove experience. Guests will feel the Christmas magic as snow gently begins to fall upon Wildwood Creek as the Wildwood Tree glows to life every evening. The merrymaking continues as Dollywood’s Christmas characters, Roly and Poly, join in the fun as the snow descends.
Dollywood’s Merry and Bright! fireworks show returns on select nights to dazzle guests with a sparkling ending to a Christmas-cheer filled Dollywood day. Families can dance and sing along to favorite Christmas songs as the fireworks shine and shimmer above, allowing families to create one last special memory before leaving the park. This holiday fireworks show fills the holiday night sky each Friday and Saturday night from Nov. 28 through Dec. 27. Additional evening performances are added after Thanksgiving and Christmas (Sunday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 28 through Wednesday, Dec. 31).
Glacier Ridge returns to fill Dollywood’s Timber Canyon, Wildwood Grove, Wilderness Pass and Upper Craftsman’s Valley with an expansive and vibrant arctic display sure to inspire, dazzle and delight guests. The Christmas Reflections lights in Rivertown offer a glow as night descends, where the pond shines brightly as five brilliantly decorated trees shimmer to life with their lights reflecting onto the water below. Country Fair has transformed into a sweet treat as Peppermint Valley features sparkling red and white candy cane lights that will delight kids and kids at heart with their colorful display.
Dollywood’s beloved entertainment shines on both indoor and outdoor stages, and these holiday performances are nothing short of spectacular. The festival’s family-favorite headline show, “Christmas in the Smokies,” returns to Celebrity Theater and delights guests as it has every year since its debut in 1990. Also back is “Heidi Parton’s A Christmas To Remember” in the Dreamsong Theater, where Dolly’s niece, Heidi, shares songs and stories from her family’s Christmas traditions. Other Dollywood Christmas classics return including “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Christmas with the Kingdom Heirs,” “O’ Holy Night,” “Appalachian Christmas with the Smoky Mountain String Band” and more.
One of the most unique experiences guests can enjoy at Dollywood for Christmas is Santa’s List… Naughty or Nice? Santa gives visitors a sneak peek into his cozy Smoky Mountain cabin. Families can see him hard at work finalizing this year’s naughty and nice list and even talk with the jolly old elf himself. Santa returns to the North Pole for a well-deserved vacation after Christmas Day, so families wanting to see him shouldn’t wait – his last day looking at his list is on Dec. 23 before his Christmas Eve flight around the world!
Guests will delight in the delicious holiday menu created by Dollywood’s creative culinary experts. From Santa’s Skillet Potatoes to warm holiday stuffing stackers, food enthusiasts will find a variety of tasty items to love. For those with a sweet tooth, Dollywood has a wide array of treats to offer, including a mint chocolate brownie sundae, red velvet hot chocolate, peppermint twist cupcakes, traditional sugar cookies, gingerbread people and so much more.
During the holidays, guests can experience the thrill of Dollywood’s world-class rides, as most attractions are operational during the Christmas season. From these rides, guests can take in the dazzling display of millions of lights shining down below.
For anyone wishing to share the magic of creating cherished family memories, a Dollywood Season Pass is the best gift to give loved ones. Season Passes purchased during Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas include free admission to this year’s festival. Guests can purchase their 2026 Season Pass now or upgrade their regular admission ticket on the day of their visit. Ticket purchasers receive credit for the value of a regular one-day ticket toward purchasing a 2026 Season Pass, a year which includes the debut of the exciting NightFlight Expedition.
At a cost of more than $50 million, NightFlight Expedition is the largest attraction investment in the history of Dollywood Parks & Resorts. It is scheduled to open in Spring 2026 and is the first attraction experience of its kind in the world with four unique features combined into one groundbreaking ride sure to delight guests of all ages.
No matter what activities are on the Christmas list this year, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas is sure to shine a familiar light on holiday traditions that families will share and cherish for years to come.
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana takes place Saturday, Nov. 1 through Jan. 4, 2026. For more information, 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—which celebrates its 40th anniversary season in 2025—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 is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of 64 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. In 2022 and 2024, 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 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.