Dollywood's Harvest Festival 2026: Dates, Food and Great Pumpkin LumiNights

When is Dollywood's Harvest Festival in 2026, and what makes it worth a fall visit? Dollywood's Harvest Festival presented by Humana runs September 14, 2026 to October 31, 2026, and it is included with your regular park admission. It is the park's celebration of fall in the Smoky Mountains, and by night it glows to life as the award-winning Great Pumpkin LumiNights, with more than 12,000 pumpkins lighting up every corner of the park.

From hearty harvest food and the returning Tasting Pass to six weeks of live music and the first-ever Harvey's Boo Bash after-hours event, here is everything your family needs to plan a Harvest Festival day in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Dollywood Harvest Festival at a Glance

• Event: Dollywood's Harvest Festival presented by Humana, the park's fall festival in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
• Dates: September 14, 2026 to October 31, 2026
• Cost: Included with regular Dollywood admission and Season Passes
• By night: Great Pumpkin LumiNights, with more than 12,000 pumpkins and glowing displays across the park
• Food: More than 30 harvest dishes, plus the returning Harvest Festival Tasting Pass at $44.99 plus tax, or $41.99 plus tax for Dollywood Season Passholders
• Music: More than 700 live performances over about six weeks of Southern gospel, bluegrass, country and Americana
• Rides: All the regular rides run during the festival, including the coasters and the Dollywood Express train
• Returning fall favorite: Candy Corn Country, where Country Fair transforms into a tri-color candy corn celebration
• New for 2026: Harvey's Boo Bash, the park's first separately ticketed after-hours event, on October 16, 23 and 30
• Good to know: The festival and its concerts are included with admission. A Harvey's Boo Bash ticket gets you into the park at 4 p.m., so one ticket covers the Harvest Festival, LumiNights and the after-hours party

When Is Dollywood's Harvest Festival in 2026?

Dollywood's Harvest Festival presented by Humana runs September 14, 2026 to October 31, 2026. It fills roughly six weeks of fall, and it is included with your park admission, so there is no separate festival ticket to buy. A single Dollywood ticket or a Season Pass covers the festival, the pumpkins and the concerts.

The festival is also one of the most decorated fall events in the country. Dollywood's Harvest Festival has been named America's Best Fall Event in the USA TODAY 10Best rankings, which is worth knowing if you are weighing a fall trip to the Smokies against other options. Before you go, check the hours and calendar page for the exact operating days and closing times during your visit, since fall hours shift week to week.

What Is Great Pumpkin LumiNights?

Great Pumpkin LumiNights is the nighttime segment of the Harvest Festival, when the park glows to life with more than 12,000 pumpkins. It is included with admission, and it turns Dollywood into a glowing wonderland after dark. You will find a whimsical collection of pumpkin icons, intricately carved displays and ride-themed creations that pay tribute to park favorites like Big Bear Mountain, Wild Eagle and Lightning Rod.

Standout photo moments include a towering 40-foot pumpkin tree, Hoot Owl Hollow with a giant glowing owl and dozens of its friends roosting in the trees, and Dolly's glowing giant guitar. The best part is the day-to-night transformation: the same pumpkins you pass in the afternoon glow to life after sunset, and the park does not look like the same place once they do.

What's New at Dollywood's Harvest Festival for 2026?

The headline addition for 2026 is Harvey's Boo Bash, Dollywood's first separately ticketed after-hours celebration. It runs on three nights only, October 16, 23 and 30, from 9 p.m. to midnight, with a limited number of tickets sold each evening. Everything else about the Harvest Festival, including Great Pumpkin LumiNights and every festival concert, stays included with regular admission.

Inside Boo Bash you will find candy-collecting treat trails, rides that stay open late including NightFlight Expedition, character meet-and-greets and two dance parties at 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Guests also get a complimentary candy bag, a souvenir cup with free refills and a themed snack. Costumes are welcome, and the guidelines live on the Harvey's Boo Bash page.

What Time Can You Enter the Park With a Harvey's Boo Bash Ticket?

A Harvey's Boo Bash ticket lets you into Dollywood at 4 p.m. on your event date, five hours before the after-hours party starts at 9 p.m. That means one ticket covers the Harvest Festival in the afternoon, Great Pumpkin LumiNights at sunset and Boo Bash until midnight. Tickets are $129.99 plus tax, and Gold and Diamond Passholders save $5.

Is Candy Corn Country New This Year?

No. Candy Corn Country is a returning fall favorite, not a 2026 debut. Each Harvest Festival, the Country Fair area transforms into Candy Corn Country, a playful land celebrating fall's favorite tri-color treat in shades of yellow, white and orange, with sweet characters to meet and family photo spots throughout.

What Food Is at Dollywood's Harvest Festival?

Fall flavors take center stage, with more than 30 harvest dishes served across the park at both seasonal stands and sit-down restaurants. The culinary team's picks for 2026 are BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Fries, the Sausage & Cabbage Skillet, the Sweet Potato Cornbread Stack, Apple Pie Overload, the Pecan Pie Brownie and Wildberry Tea. If you only have room for a handful of things, start there.

Beyond those six, look for Harvest Chicken Nachos, Smoked Pork Flatbread, Stuffed Acorn Squash and a Chili Bread Bowl on the savory side. For something sweet, there is a Caramel Apple Milkshake, a Candy Corn Cupcake, a Harvest Funnel Cake and Harvest Croissant Praline Bread Pudding, plus warm Hot Cider and Wassail to sip as the evening cools.

How Much Is the Harvest Festival Tasting Pass?

The Harvest Festival Tasting Pass is $44.99 plus tax, or $41.99 plus tax for Dollywood Season Passholders, and it lets you try up to five festival foods for one price instead of buying each item separately. It is the easiest way for a family to graze across the menu, and you can redeem it right from the Dollywood app.

What Live Music and Entertainment Is at the Harvest Festival?

Music is everywhere during the festival, and every concert is included with park admission. More than 700 live performances take place over the roughly six-week run, filling the park with award-winning Southern gospel, bluegrass, country and Americana. Returning favorites join fresh acts, and headline artists take up multi-day residencies throughout the festival.

The 2026 lineup includes reigning American Idol winner Hannah Harper, Grand Ole Opry member Rhonda Vincent, Knoxville native and The Voice alum Emily Ann Roberts, Opry inductees The Isaacs, three-time Grammy nominees The Grascals and American Idol runner-up John Foster. Because residency dates and set times shift throughout the run, check the Harvest Festival entertainment lineup for who is playing during your visit, then use the Dollywood app to see show times once you are in the park.

What Else Can Families Do at the Harvest Festival?

All the regular rides run during the Harvest Festival, including the coasters and the Dollywood Express train, so a festival day is still a full theme park day. Beyond the pumpkins and the music, kid-favorite characters roam the park for photos, including Harvey and the Pumpkin Master, and the Colossal Pumpkin Patch presented by Food City shows off gargantuan gourds approaching 1,000 pounds.

Dollywood's skilled craftspeople and visiting artisans also sell handmade treasures, from autumn-scented candles to hand-blown glass ornaments, that make great fall keepsakes. It all adds up to a festival that works for every age, whether you are chasing rides or just soaking up the season.

When Is the Best Time to See the Pumpkins Glow?

Plan to be in the park in the evening, roughly from 6 p.m. until close, to catch Great Pumpkin LumiNights at its best. The pumpkin displays are fun to walk past during the day, but they truly come alive after sunset when they glow to life. A good rhythm for families is to ride and eat in the afternoon, take a break, then loop back through the pumpkin displays as it gets dark. Since closing time varies by night, confirm the day's hours on the calendar so you leave enough evening to see everything glow.

Where Should You Stay for the Harvest Festival?

For an easy fall getaway, Dollywood's two on-property resorts lean into the season. Both Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood's HeartSong Lodge & Resort offer fall-themed crafts at Camp DW, seasonal culinary creations and intimate live music during the festival. Special ticket packages can bundle Dollywood tickets, Tasting Passes and perks like complimentary TimeSaver passes and trolley service, which makes getting to and from the park simple. It is a comfortable base for a Smoky Mountain fall trip with the family.

Is the Harvest Festival Included With Dollywood Admission?

Yes. The Harvest Festival, Great Pumpkin LumiNights, Candy Corn Country and all the festival concerts are included with regular Dollywood admission, so a standard ticket or Season Pass gets you everything. The Tasting Pass and Harvey's Boo Bash are the two paid add-ons: the Tasting Pass is an optional food deal, and Harvey's Boo Bash is a separate after-hours ticket. To manage your tickets, passes and add-ons in one place, sign in to your My Dollywood Account.