Dollywood sets itself apart in the amusement park universe with consistently excellent live entertainment. For the ninth year in a row, they have won Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket for Best Shows. 2018 promises to be an extra-spectacular year for live performances in the park with a self-proclaimed Season of Showstoppers.
FESTIVAL OF NATIONS, March 16-April 9
They have started the season off with the always-excellent Festival of Nations, featuring stilt walkers from Germany, Ecuadorian pan-flautists (you can’t make me say “flutist”, I have a music degree), an Irish bluegrass band, a Caribbean steel drum band, a beautiful Siberian dance troupe, seven flamenco-dancing brothers, and the incomparable Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
I want to talk about Ladysmith Black Mambazo for a minute, but first, let’s dwell on those seven dancing brothers:
I find myself unable to tear myself away from this picture–those hi-lo white shirts, those poses, those serious, serious faces! I am 100% sure that I would gleefully enjoy their performance, but they also remind me of my nieces when they were young, doing their play-ballet with serious I am an artiste faces.
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
You may have heard Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s distinct South African sound whether you are aware of it or not–they have famously partnered with Paul Simon and Dolly Parton herself, and have earned five Grammy awards for a body of work spanning almost 60 years. If you haven’t heard them sing “Homeless“, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes“, or “Peace Train“, you may remember this old Lifesavers ad:
SPRING MIX, April 11-29
Right on the heels of the Festival of Nations is a new three-week powerhouse event featuring superstars of the past, including Crystal Gayle, Amy Grant, Maureen McGovern, Atlanta Rhythm Section, and The Blind Boys of Alabama, who sing one of my favorite songs on earth:
This new event is divided up into three, one-week segments:
Country–April 11-16, featuring Crystal Gayle, Suzy Bogguss, Shenandoah, Restless Heart, Janie Fricke, The Malpass Brothers, Connie Smith, Mandy Barnett, T.G. Sheppard, Sylvia, Pam Tillis, and Exile.
Inspirational–April 18-23, featuring Amy Grant, The Martins, Chonda Pierce, Triumphant Quartet, David Phelps, Wayne Watson, Blind Boys of Alabama, Dallas Holm, The McKameys, Carman, Selah, and Larnelle Harris.
Classic–April 25-29, featuring The Marshall Tucker Band, The Drifters, Orleans, Al Stewart, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Maureen McGovern, Firefall, In My Life: A Beatles Tribute, Debby Boone, and The Tams.
BARBEQUE AND BLUEGRASS, May 25-June 10
I love bluegrass band names: The Grascals, The Becky Buller Band, Russell Moore & III’rd Tyme Out, Flatt Lonesome, Lonesome River Band (gotta get that “high lonesome” in there), Po Ramblin Boys, The Seldom Scene, High Fidelity, Fireside Collective. 32 different bands will play during the two-ish weeks of the festival–see the schedule (and all those wonderful names) here.
SUMMER CELEBRATION, June 16-August 5
Dollywood’s summer “festival” mainly means extended hours and nightly fireworks (which you can really only see from Timber Canyon), but they are bringing two exciting entertainment options: Drumline Live is a synchronized musical performance based on the excellent 2002 movie Drumline; and America’s Got Talent’s 2011 finalists iLuminate will light up the Dollywood stage this year. I really like that they are using the summer months to celebrate dance instead of more vocalists.
I’ll only briefly mention the two ticketed (i.e. extra $$) events during the summer, Thrills in the Hills, a roller coaster fan weekend with exclusive ride time and backstage tours on July 13-14, and the one day Rock the Smokies worship music event on August 25. Everything else on this page can be seen with a regular day ticket or season pass.
HARVEST FESTIVAL, Sept 28-Nov 3
As the roller coaster season dies down at Dollywood, the focus shifts to gospel music artists and pumpkin carving and some fun “Great Pumpkin Luminights” decorations and special spooky-fun lighting along Timber Canyon.
SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS, November 10-January 5
Dollywood ends out the year on a glorious high note with excellent Christmastime decorations, plays, and holiday music. This time of year at the park is so special I’ll write a full post on it later. I highly recommend it–it’s really amazing!
REGULARLY SCHEDULED ENTERTAINMENT
ALL of the above entertainment is in addition to Dollywood’s already excellent regular entertainment, which you’ll see the most of during the summer months and in between Grammy winners. It’s a far, far cry from your average amusement park with a generic 50’s, disco, or horror medley show.
Dollywood’s regular entertainment includes Dreamland Drive-In, a surprisingly technologically advanced musical with excellent performers; the Gem Tones, a singing comedy street act; Live at the Back Porch featuring more contemporary music; the supremely talented Smoky Mountain String Band, and Country Crossroads, a mildly entertaining country music show with 6 color-coded singers.
There is also the Kingdom Heirs, a gospel group extremely popular with the retirement set; My People, a showcase of Dolly’s own reasonably talented family members; and Heartsong, a very dated “multi-sensory theater experience” meaning that at one point it will rain on you indoors, and a banjo player will step out and interact with what’s happening on-screen. (They’ve either cut the banjo part down or he forgot a cue or two when I was there.) I can’t recommend these last three unless you are exhausted and hot and want some A/C (or rain.)
IN CONCLUSION
The Blind Boys of Alabama and Ladysmith Black Mambazo are enough cause for me to get a season pass this year (and of course those beautiful dancing brothers.) And the nice thing about Dollywood is that it’s not going to break the bank. Since a one-day pass is $69, if you plan to go two or more days in the same year, it makes sense to get the season pass for $114. And Dollywood is definitely worth visiting as the entertainment changes throughout the year.
It’s really nice to see a theme park that has some really decent thrill rides also focus on something else for the rest of the family, and the proof is in the grandparents. You will never seen as many grandparents in an amusement park as you will in Dollywood! And this entertainment lineup is why. Dolly is one smart cookie under that blond wig and she knows how to market to as wide an audience as possible. It’s not a perfect park, but it is unique in all the best ways.
Huh, interesting. I haven’t been to DollyWood in who knows how long, and therefore don’t remember any of the other entertainment. Except the bubble show, is that still around?
I think the bubble show was for one summer. Though they do bring back acts sometimes, so maybe it will come back around.