October 23, 2025
The holidays start on 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 with the crisp air and is filled with joyous holiday sounds and shows and the scents of delicious Christmas culinary creations.
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 to dazzle guests with a sparkling ending to a Christmas-cheer filled Dollywood day each weekend. 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 during Smoky Mountain Christmas, and 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 light 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 and parmesan rosemary snots, 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 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. Diamond and Gold Season Passes purchased during Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas allow admission to this year’s festival and Dollywood during the entire 2026 operating season, which will feature the debut of the exciting NightFlight Expedition attraction opening in Spring 2026. 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 thrill 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.
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