Since fall is Dolly Parton’s favorite season, Dollywood goes big to celebrate. Kicking off on Monday, the renowned Harvest Festival features more than 12,000 pumpkins, including some impressively large specimens, the magical Hoot Owl Hollow, various musical entertainment, mouthwatering fall treats, and the dazzling Great Pumpkin LumiNights.

This year will also include a spooky two-day event called “Thrills in the Hills” from September 13-14. Here’s everything you need to know about the Harvest Festival taking place this year.

When does the fall festival at Dollywood start and end?

The Harvest Festival for 2024 will be held from September 9 to October 28.

Dollywood Decks Out for Fall

As the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow in the air above Showstreet, the park gets adorned with pumpkins of various shapes, sizes, and hues, which shine brightly at night during the Harvest Festival.

Each fall, Dollywood hosts over 12,000 pumpkins sourced from the eastern seaboard, with some giants weighing as much as 1,500 lbs. These uniquely carved pumpkins create stunning displays that represent Dollywood’s rides, such as Big Bear Mountain and Wild Eagle, and illuminate the evenings during the Great Pumpkin LumiNights.

What acts are performing at Dollywood’s Harvest Festival?

This year’s fall festival will feature an array of music genres, with over 1,100 performances scheduled, including bluegrass, Southern gospel, jazz, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and more.

Artists scheduled to perform during the Harvest Festival include:

Country Music

• Mandy Barnett
• Lee Roy Parnell
• T.G. Sheppard
• Suzy Bogguss

Gospel Music

• The Isaacs
• Triumphant Quartet
• Jeff and Sheri Easter
• 11th Hour
• A.R.M.D. Vasilios

Additional Artists Appearing at Dollywood This Fall

• The String Revolution
• Redd and The Paper Flowers
• Jessica Willis Fisher
• Nashville’s Rockland Road
• Run Katie Run
• Tami Neilson
• Ruby Leigh
• Beauxmont

Visit Dollywood.com for a complete schedule of performances and their locations.

What delicious treats are available at the Harvest Festival?

The culinary offerings at Dollywood are equally delightful as the attractions. Seasonal festivals see the introduction of exciting new menu items. A tasting pass is a great option if you want to sample all the delectable choices.

New food and beverage options at the Harvest Festival include:

• Spiced pumpkin bisque
• Toasted garlic knots with pumpkin cheese sauce
• Hickory smoked ribs with pumpkin spice rub
• Stuffed sweet potatoes, featuring maple-brown sugar pecan cinnamon apple stuffing
• Harvest apple lemonade
• Apple cider cupcakes along with other fresh-baked seasonal cookies and cakes

The tasting pass allows guests to sample various food and drink selections across different locations at the festival for a single price. It is priced at $39.99 plus tax for guests and $36.99 plus tax for gold and diamond season passholders, and can be purchased either in the park or online.

Local artisans will be present throughout the park to showcase and sell their crafts, including jams, fall-scented candles, hand-blown glassware, and more.

Why does Dolly Parton adore fall?

“I love pumpkin spice!” Dolly Parton expressed to Knox News, part of the YSL News Network, last year, sharing her affection for the fall season.

“As soon as the mornings start to cool down a bit, I bring out my spicy candles, and I just have to get my pumpkin spice latte. I enjoy it so much.”

While there’s no confirmation of her attendance at the Harvest Festival, Dolly is known to make surprise appearances at the theme park throughout the year.

General admission tickets for Dollywood are priced at $92 for adults and $82 for children and seniors, with various deals and discounts available.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. You can reach him via email at devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @dturner1208.