PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (January 3, 2017) — Songs and stories blend with the beauty and inspiration of the Great Smoky Mountains for a weekend of Lyrics & Lore at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, an event held Jan. 26-29 in conjunction with The Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival (SMSWF) and The International Storytelling Center (ISC).
Lyrics & Lore brings together some of the country’s most talented storytellers and musicians to celebrate the rich traditions of songwriting and storytelling in the Appalachian region. The weekend allows the public to interact with storytellers and songwriters who will teach participants ways to tell their family’s unique stories. Additionally, songwriters participating in the event will work in small groups to pen songs to be performed during Saturday’s activities, offering those in attendance the opportunity to experience the process of story developing into song.
Throughout the event, nationally-recognized storytellers and hit songwriters from country, bluegrass and gospel perform for Lyrics & Lore guests. On Friday, a country songwriters’ showcase and a concert featuring Bryan White and Brady Seals from the country group Little Texas highlight the evening’s activities. Sunday morning brunch and an inspirational gospel hour with Grammy Award winner Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle and Jerry Salley round out the special weekend event. Some of the music concerts are separately ticketed events.
The International Storytelling Center, based in Jonesborough, Tennessee, will award its inaugural Seal of Excellence to Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort during the weekend event. ISC created the Seal of Excellence program to recognize storytelling-related sites of superior quality across a variety of cultural institutions, heritage sites, tourist attractions and communities.
“We created the seal as a way to recognize excellence in different organizations that are using storytelling to enhance their own core mission, whatever that may be,” said Kiran Singh Sirah, President of the International Storytelling Center. “I think anyone who’s been there (to Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort) could tell you that this designation has been richly earned.”
A full schedule for Lyrics & Lore is available at www.dollywood.com. To stay at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort for the event, visit www.dollywood.com or call (800) DOLLYWOOD.
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About The Dollywood Company: A highly-awarded and widely-recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 150-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort; and Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins. 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 nearly 30 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 25 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). In 2014, Dollywood was named a top three US theme park by USA Today and TripAdvisor recognized Dollywood as a top 20 worldwide theme park in 2015. Dollywood is open nine months a year (late March through early January) and offers rides and attractions, shows, and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the country’s most beautiful waterparks and named 2009’s Must-See Waterpark by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The 300-room Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort provides guests spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Director of Communications, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Amber Davis: Publicist, (865) 428-9601, (865) 591-1002 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston, Publicist, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]