June 05, 2023
This post was written by Roger White, Dollywood's Entertainment Manager
Did you think that Dollywood’s Splash Country and the pool at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa were the only places you could get wet and cool off this summer? Well, think again! Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration is THE place to chill out this June, July and August!
The entertainment at Dollywood this summer is certainly about the music, no doubt. For example, the Wild Roots will be adding some cool summer songs to their repertoire – like “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys, “Soak up the Sun” by Sheryl Crow, and the Ventures’ “Theme from Hawaii Five-0.” The Good Vibes show at the Back Porch Theater sports an entire line-up of feel-good summer road trip tunes like “Walking on Sunshine,” “Sweet Caroline” and “Born to be Wild.” You want more road trip? Dollywood’s resident a capella troupe, the Tones, will be revisiting last summer’s hit Road Trip Medley featuring classics like “Take it Easy,” “Drift Away” and “Sweet Child of Mine.”
But, really, what is the point of a good summer road trip if we are not getting cutting loose someplace while cooling off from the traveling down the highway? The Entertainment Team gets credit for creating these special, signature summer activations to help us all stay refreshed while having an amazing time:
Foam Zone – The Plaza at Wilderness Pass is home to this play place of cool bubbles and hot music, as families are covered from head to toe in America’s largest bubble foam pit!
Hydro Jive Junction – An interactive performance becomes a refreshing rain shower as a maintenance worker tries to repair a faulty fire hydrant on the streets of Jukebox Junction. Families are invited to interact with the cast as they cool off while dancing to favorites like “Splish, Splash” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Liquid Beats – Guests can cool off on a hot summer day in the magical garden hose fountain installation on Market Square. This interactive percussion performance brings together a Dollywood “landscaping crew” and dozens of garden hoses to create a fountain that delivers bursts of cooling excitement for guests of all ages.
Gazillion Bubble Show – You want more bubbles? How about a gazillion of them? The Gazillion Bubble Show is back to deliver a mesmerizing burst of excitement to guests in the air conditioned Celebrity Theater. This Dollywood favorite provides many moments where the summer crowds will be enveloped by countless bubbles for a fun, unpredictable and cooling experience that will captivate the entire family!
Sweet Summer Nights - Finally, maybe the best way to cool off after a hot Smoky Mountain summer day is to wait until the sun goes down and the night comes alive with the rhythm and music of Dollywood’s Sweet Summer Nights dance party, fireworks and drone show! Wildwood Grove hosts this exclusive, first-of-its-kind in the industry nighttime activation. Two different DJ-led dance sessions are capped off with an unforgettable show in the sky that combines 500 high-tech drones with a world-class fireworks show designed to put a big, fat exclamation point on the evening!
Dollywood also is filled with lots of other summer entertainment offerings including the Imagination Playhouse, Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain Home Experience, Parachute Play in Country Fair and all of Dollywood’s regular shows like the Kingdom Heirs, Forever Country and Dreamland Drive-In.
So come with us! Take a classic summer road trip to Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration. You’ll find yourself a cool spot to chill out and just vibe this summer!
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