PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Nov. 4, 2024) – Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (now – Jan. 5, 2025), a winter tradition for so many families, has been nominated for the USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Award for Best Theme Park Holiday Event.
America’s best theme park Christmas event is home to more than 6 million twinkling lights, seasonal culinary masterpieces and heartwarming stage productions. The festival recently was named the “Legend” Christmas event by Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards committee after fifteen consecutive wins in the Best Christmas Event category. This designation means the festival forever will be known as America’s Best Christmas Event thanks to Golden Ticket voters.
Holiday joy fills the park, with interactive elements, glistening decorations and even more festive experiences galore. One of the unique experiences available to guests is Santa’s List…Naughty or Nice? Santa gives visitors a sneak preview into his cozy Smoky Mountain cabin as he’s hard at work finalizing this season’s naughty or nice list, and guests may even have a chance to speak with the jolly old elf.
Glacier Ridge presented by Goo Goo Cluster, a nighttime favorite, returns to Timber Canyon, Wildwood Grove and Wilderness Pass to delight guests as the sun sets. Dollywood’s Merry and Bright fireworks show returns to Wildwood Grove to dazzle the young and the young at heart exclusively on Friday and Saturday evenings. Wildwood Grove also will transform into a snowy winter wonderland with the brand-new immersive experience, Snow in the Grove. Guests will feel the holiday magic as snow begins to descend upon Wildwood Creek while the Wildwood Tree glows to life.
Guests can delight in the delicious holiday menu handcrafted by Dollywood’s team of chefs. From warm and hearty jambalaya to chocolate peppermint ice cream sandwiches, foodies are sure to find something to suit their palates.
The USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards contest is now open and ends on Monday, Dec. 2 at 11:59 a.m. 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 – who are sure to be on Santa’s nice list this year.
For more information about Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas, 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 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. 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 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]
Josh Sauer: Publicist, (865) 428-9891, (865) 323-2653 or [email protected]
Eve Thompson: Publicist, (865) 428-9496, (703) 232-2248 or [email protected]
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the Dollywood Media Room at http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Room