Do These 3 Things Before the End of the I Will Always Love You Celebration

• Amber Davis

If you’ve been able to visit Dollywood during the I Will Always Love You Celebration, you’ve joined us for a piece of Dollywood history. This one-time event was created as a way to invite park guests into our special commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of Dolly’s iconic song. She is our Dreamer-in-Chief after all! We punched up some sparkle and belted out some ballads throughout Dollywood. If reading this is giving you serious FOMO, you still have 13 days to get here before this festive event ends!

For those who are able to experience it, here are my top three recommendations for what you need to do to maximize the celebration.

Strike a Pose with the Limited-Time Photo Ops

Dollywood is no stranger to Instagram-worthy picture spots. Whether you’re trying to capture the natural beauty of our Smoky Mountain theme park, a world-class coaster in action, a special moment on one of our stages, an impressive plate of food or a photo op designed especially with your family in mind, you’re going to leave the park with lots of photos!

Make haste and get here so you, too, can have your picture under Celebration Sky.

Showstreet has become quite the attraction, as guests enjoy walking under fun installations throughout the year. Right now, the glitzy pink dots will have you humming your favorite Dolly tune.

Celebration Sky may be the most eye-catching, but it’s not your only opportunity for a memorable moment. There are spots that beg for your family or group to gather and say “cheese.”

I love the big letters that spell LOVE in Market Square.

All of these photo ops will make way for different elements for our Flower & Food Festival (April 21 – June 11), so be sure to strike your pose before the I Will Always Love You installations go away!

I know you want these pictures in your Instagram feed!

Stock Up on the Special Merch

As with all limited-time events, we have special merchandise that is here only until it’s gone. There are some fabulous shirts, sweatshirts, hats and bags for this event that have flown off the shelves. Our team may be ordering more—and there may even be some new items that arrive in the coming weeks—but your best bet to get the I Will Always Love You merch is to come shop ASAP.

One thing I feel confident we’ll have beyond this event is the Dolly Funko Pop! Dollywood is a valid vendor, so I anticipate you’ll be able to celebrate our songbird with your own Dolly figure throughout the year. When we run out of our current stock, I hear we’ll be getting more in the fall. (Don’t forget—you can use your Season Pass discount to purchase!)

Immerse Yourself in the Art of Songwriting

This event is all about celebrating the gift songwriters have given us. As they share their talents, we get to savor songs like “I Will Always Love You.” Our entertainment team has pulled back the curtain to let you see the process artists go through, as they’re putting pen to paper and strumming some chords to create beloved melodies. I encourage you to sit in on one of our Songwriter Showcases to get the full experience.

In fact, I believe a lot of our guests are taking advantage of this opportunity—we sold out of our learn-to-play ukuleles at our new Butterfly Strings Music Store and had to order more! (The new order is already here, so if you want your own ukulele, head to Butterfly Strings.)

I think a lot of people are finding inspiration during this 50^th anniversary event. You should come be inspired, too!