PIGEON FORGE, Tenn.—(Sept. 10, 2026) — With a refreshing coolness soon on its way to the evening air of the Smokies, the time is perfect for Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 14 – Oct. 31). A longstanding tradition for many, the Harvest Festival greets guests with an amazing autumn atmosphere, thanks to the glowingly popular Great Pumpkin LumiNights experience, stunning park décor, thousands of carved pumpkins, a multitude of entertainment and the surrounding beauty of the mountainsides covered in vibrant fall colors.
“Every season in the Smokies is beautiful, but autumn is especially spectacular with the kaleidoscope of colors provided by Mother Nature,” said Eugene Naughton, President of Dollywood Parks & Resorts. “Dolly liked to describe our Harvest Festival as a page out of God’s coloring book, and that is such a perfect description. We love to see our guests create fall family traditions celebrating the beauty of autumn in the Smokies with the multiple experiences Dollywood offers with delicious foods, shows for every musical taste, riding our world-class rides throughout the day and into the night, and seeing the park glow to life each evening during Great Pumpkin LumiNights.”
New for this year’s Harvest Festival are the LumiNights Dance Parties each evening, a fresh and crisp Apple Market filled with fall goodness, and Harvey’s Boo Bash, Dollywood’s first separately ticketed, after-hours special event. Two nightly dance party experiences join the fun and glow of Great Pumpkin LumiNights each evening. The colorful night full of twinkling lights and a plethora of pumpkins is joined by a playlist to get toes tapping and dancing in the crisp air for the perfect fall finale to an evening under the stars at Dollywood.
Sure to help guests carve out a new fall tradition, Harvey’s Boo Bash serves up a harvest of family-friendly fun and festivities after dark. Harvey’s Boo Bash takes place on Oct. 16, 23 and 30 after the park closes to regular park guests at 9 p.m. The event takes place from 9 p.m. until midnight, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy Great Pumpkin LumiNights as well as several exclusive activities and offerings just for them. Among the fun are a number of candy collecting stations, special dance parties and access to many of Dollywood’s award-winning attractions, including the all-new NightFlight Expedition. Boo Bash guests can enter Dollywood early – at 4 p.m. – to enjoy all the sights and sounds of the Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights before their late-night activities.
The Apple Market, located at the Dollywood Express train depot, brings a sweet selection of apple tastes to the Harvest Festival. Among the apple-tizing items for autumn appetites are scrumptious fried apple pies; warm and flaky apple dumplings; sliced apples and caramel; deep fried apple fritters; skillet-cooked apples with butter and cinnamon topped with a granola crunch; and an apple cider flight featuring traditional cider, tart cranberry cider and sweet caramel cider. This selection of sweet autumn apple tastes is the perfect treat for this fall festival.
Each evening, Great Pumpkin LumiNights, one of the nation’s premier family-friendly harvesttime events, provides the glow for countless guest memories, thanks to thousands of colorfully glowing and carved pumpkins throughout Dollywood. For those with small children—or anyone looking for a fun, not scary experience—this event features a whimsical collection of pumpkin icons and intricately carved displays, plus ride-themed creations that pay tribute to favorites like Big Bear Mountain, Wild Eagle and Lightning Rod. Families can bask in the glow as they wander through displays in Dollywood’s Timber Canyon, Wilderness Pass, Wildwood Grove and Craftsman’s Valley areas.
The park’s Harvest Sky bursts with color along Showstreet for this fall festival, and guests can meet fan-favorite characters, including Harvey and the Pumpkin Master, for unforgettable photo moments. Returning this year is Candy Corn Country, which offers a blend of fun and sweetness to create family memories in shades of yellow, white and orange.
Dolly’s iconic status as a singer, songwriter and entertainer continues to influence the music that will be found throughout the Harvest Festival, giving Dollywood guests the opportunity to hear a variety of music and artists. The festival air will be filled with music from award-winning acts across multiple genres, including country, gospel, bluegrass and Americana artists, performing on indoor and outdoor stages across the park. Returning favorites join fresh acts, creating a dynamic entertainment lineup over the festival’s six weeks. More than 700 live performances take place during the run of the festival and among the headlining artists taking up residence during the Harvest Festival include reigning American Idol Hannah Harper (Sept. 30- Oct. 1), Grand Ole Opry member Rhonda Vincent & The Rage (Oct. 4-8), Knoxville native and The Voice alum Emily Ann Roberts (Oct. 14-18), Opry inductees The Isaacs (Oct. 21-25), three-time Grammy nominees The Grascals (Sept. 28-29), American Idol runner-up John Foster (Oct. 11-13), Drake Milligan (Oct. 9-10), Gold City (Sept. 20-21) and many more. Music is everywhere during the festival, and every concert is included with park admission. The Harvest Festival entertainment lineup is available here, including show times and stage locations.
Autumn in the Smokies also provides a bountiful harvest that allows Dollywood’s culinary team to showcase their skills with a sizzling and sweet selection of fall favorites. Guests can find delicious new items on the fall menu including BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Fries, the Sausage & Cabbage Skillet, Sweet Potato Cornbread Stack, Apple Pie Overload, Pecan Pie Brownies and Wildberry Tea. After starting with those great food options, other new tasty treats on the menu are Harvest Chicken Nachos, Smoked Pork Flatbread, Stuffed Acorn Squash and a Chili Bread Bowl on the savory side. For something sweet, there is a Caramel Apple Milkshake, a Candy Corn Cupcake, a Harvest Funnel Cake and Harvest Croissant Praline Bread Pudding, plus warm cider and wassail to sip in the crisp fall evening air. The Harvest Festival tasting pass allows guests to try five fall food favorites and can be purchased online or at culinary locations throughout the park for $44.99 plus tax or $41.99 for gold and diamond season passholders.
Several other guest favorites return to the Harvest Festival, including the colossal pumpkins weighing in at hundreds to more than 1000 lbs. each, come from growers across the East Coast. Visiting artisans and makers display their handmade wares at locations throughout Dollywood, with many demonstrating the talented skills and techniques they use as they create their one-of-a-kind treasures.
The park stays open late every night (until 9 p.m.) during the festival, with extended park hours (9 a.m.- 11 p.m.) from Oct. 3-15. With so many opportunities for creating fall family traditions throughout the day and into the evening, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival featuring Great Pumpkin LumiNights is a must-see experience this season.
For more information about Dollywood’s Harvest Festival, Great Pumpkin LumiNights or Harvey’s Boo Bash, 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.
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