🍁🍂Dollywood's Harvest Festival 2024 Video Extravaganza 🍂🍁

Hi Everyone, 

As I write this we are in peak-Christmas season, just a few days out from the big day and I am wrapping up my videos from Dollywood's Harvest Festival.   I had several videos from this festival and it's nice to have them all in one place to easily share them with you all.  Of course they are all on my Dollywood Playlist on YouTube, but here they are all bundled up together.

Smoky Creek Leather & Hat Co, in Craftsman's Valley

Blown Glass Shop - Harvest Highlights

Emporium - Harvest Highlights

Dolly's Fan Shop

🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information

• Getting To Dollywood by Plane
• Dollywood Menus for 2024
• Hotels with High Ratings in Pigeon Forge.  I have created a spreadsheet that incorporates ratings from different reliable sources, and ranked hotels in the area.  I've listed out columns for things like indoor pools, hot tubs and more on the spreadsheet.  Very helpful if you, or someone in your group is looking for a specific amenity.
• Top Breakfast Restaurants in Pigeon Forge.  I have created a list of the best Breakfast restaurants in Pigeon Forge using ratings from various reliable sources, and ranked them in my blog post.
  
• 30 Great Places to Eat In Pigeon Forge that are open after 2pm! A list of highly rated establishments that are open past 2pm.
• Guide To Mountain Coasters - A look at all the types of mountain coasters in Sevier County.
• Dollywood's 2024 Operating Calendar
• 8 Things to do at Dollywood if you don't care for rides - There's a lot to do!
• Pigeon Forge Trolley Info You'll Want to Know!
• Trip Advisors Top 10 Budget Friendly Hotels in Pigeon Forge.
• Tons of YouTube videos - I have so many YouTube videos of Dollywood including every festival and lots of general park updates as well as many Big Bear Mountain footage.
• Check out my 2023 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2023.
• Check out my 2022 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2022.

🟡 More Experiences and another Tour Announced At Dollywood 🟡

Hi Everyone,

 

Dollywood has announced a second tour and some new experiences that may be of interest to you!   Just the other day Dollywood announced details about the IWALY Tour, which has now ended, sadly - you can read about that here on my blog.

Here's what has been announced so far.  Click each one for more information from dollywood.com.

• TOURS
• Flower & Food Festival Tour - Ends June 9th  -LINK
• Summer Celebration Tour - info Coming Soon
• Dollywood VIP Tour
• EXPERIENCES - Make-your-own-Crafts
• Dip-Your-Own Candles
• Make-Your-Own Blown Glass Ornament
• Customize-Your-Own Custom Belt, Ornament, Bracelet and more
• Forge-Your-Own Knife

Dollywood has a couple of articles written by Insiders that you might find helpful...

• The VIP Experience at Dollywood
• What is the Magic of Glacier Ridge VIP Tour (Smoky Mtn Xmas Only)

These are very popular Experiences for Dollywood.  I have a friend that insists on always dipping a candle every time we go.  How about you, which experiences do you or your family and friends insist on doing each visit?  Let me know in the comments.

🎃👻🧙🏻It is time for Dollywood's Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights! Let's Dig Into Some Details!🧙🏻👻🎃

Hi everyone,

Dollywood is just hours away - as of this posting - from their awesome fall Harvest Festival. 

There are so many impressive components to the park this time of year.  All the cool decor around the park, the seasonal food options, and then the seasonal merchandise available in the stores around the park, night rides on your favorite roller coaster, the crispness in the air - so many things to love.

In this post I'll cover The Tasting Pass, Fall themed Glass art from the Blown Glass shop in Rivertown Junction, a couple cool items from last year from the Blacksmith, and then I'll show you what Dollywood looked like during last season's LumiNights Festival, and tell you what's new in 2022! 

Let's jump in to it!

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This is from the Dollywood Blog, link here.  I always say, follow my blog and follow the official Dollywood blog to help you stay informed.

• 

Harvest Festival Tasting Pass - By Jennifer Webb

I’m going to be honest, my brain isn’t sure what season it is. We just wrapped the filming of “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” at Dollywood, and now our teams are taking down the park’s Christmas decorations and putting out the pumpkins—all while the summer weather is still very much here. However, fall will be here before we know it, and I for one am very much looking forward to it. One of my favorite parts about autumn—the food. I am a candy corn junkie and I am not afraid of who knows it.

Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana starts Friday, Sept. 23 and with it comes the return of the Harvest Festival Tasting Pass. Similar to the popular tasting pass for the Flower & Food Festival and our Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration, the Harvest Festival Tasting Pass allows you to sample five different food items crafted specially for the fall season. The tasting pass will run you $34.99. If you have a Gold or Diamond Season Pass, you can purchase the tasting pass at the discounted price of $31.99.

So what can you expect to enjoy with your Harvest Festival Tasting Pass? Here are a few items that I cannot wait to try!

• BUSH’S Three Bean Pumpkin Chili & Pumpkin Cornbread

• (Thanks to our friends at BUSH’s, this three-bean pumpkin chili is a taste sensation you have to try. The chili features ground bison, Monterey Jack cheese and an avocado crema. It is served with a slice of pumpkin corn bread.)

• Smoked Sausage Mac & Cheese

• (Take crisp fall weather and add the warm savory flavors of smoked andouille sausage and white cheddar for the ultimate mac ‘n’ cheese taste experience.)

• Pulled Pork Sandwich with Pumpkin BBQ Sauce

• (Take the delicious taste of pulled pork smoked onsite at Dollywood and top it with pumpkin-infused Memphis-style BBQ sauce and some cole slaw. Put it all in a brioche-style bun for the perfect fall meal.)

• Pumpkin Sausage Pizza

• (Tempt your taste buds with this fall-influenced twist on your favorite pizza! It’s an appetizing combination of crumbled Italian sausage, toasted pumpkin, whole milk ricotta cheese and parmesan.)

• Sweet Corn Hushpuppies with Srirachia Aioli

• (These hushpuppies are fried until they are golden brown then served with our own special aioli for dipping. The spicy aioli features roasted garlic, pumpkin puree and sriracha.)

• Maple, Bacon & Walnut Funnel Cake

• (Each season brings a delicious new topping offering for Dollywood’s funnel cakes. This fall, the salty and sweet flavors of walnuts in maple syrup and candied bacon are accented with powdered sugar and whipped cream – it’s sure to become a Harvest Festival favorite.)

• Apple Dumpling with Ice Cream

• (Don’t miss this perfect autumn dessert of baked apples and spice filling a delicious dumpling made of crispy pastry dough served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce.)

• Apple Pie Milkshake (Ever wanted to have a slice of apple pie, but you wanted to keep moving to the next coaster? Here is the answer. The apple pie milkshake features vanilla bean ice cream and apple pie filling topped with streusel, whipped cream, caramel drizzle and a cherry!)

• Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee (Craving the ultimate taste of fall’s favorite flavor in a beverage? This iced coffee is made with Starbucks Cold Brew, cold foam and the sweet flavor of pumpkin spice.)

• Pumpkin Spiced Churros with Pumpkin Fluff (Pumpkin spice makes everything nice! A crisp churro is made especially decadent with cinnamon, sugar, and… that’s right, pumpkin spice! It is served with pumpkin-infused fluff for the ultimate treat.)

Again, this is not a full list, but are you hungry yet?

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Glass Shop Fall Items

In my visit to the Blown Glass shop back in April, they already had a lot of their fall themed items out for sale.  Never too early!  Let's check that out below...

Pretty cool stuff, huh?  Again, this is all at the Mountain Blown Glass Shop near the bottom of Craftsman's Valley, but technically in Rivertown Junction.  It's #104 on the official Dollywood Park Map.  Check it out.

The video to my April trip to the Glass Shop is right here - if you would like to watch.

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Here's a couple cool items from the Blacksmith shop back in 2021.

Blacksmith in the Craftsman's Valley Area, next door to the Chapel.

2021 Items for sale at the Blacksmith

2021 Items for sale at the Blacksmith

Perhaps you'll want to make a knife to carve your own jack-o-lantern?  These prices are from 2021, so you may want to double check before you jump in.

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Let's take a look back at Dollywood's 2021 Great Pumpkin LumiNights and Harvest Festival and I'll tell you about what Dollywood has said will be included in this year's GPL&HF!

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New for 2022

Dollywood has some new stuff planned for GPL&HF.  Here's what they've said about it...

NEW Hoot Owl Hollow

image courtesy of Dollywood

Experience a Smoky Mountain fall during Dollywood’s Harvest Festival (Sept. 23 - Oct. 29, 2022), voted America’s #1 Fall Family Event by USA Today Readers. Soak in mountain majesty as the hills come alive with vivid color, the smells of apple and pumpkin treats waft through the streets and the sounds of our award-winning rides fill the air with adventure. As the sun sets, you'll be wrapped in a whimsical warming glow as the park transforms into an enchanting display of illuminated carved pumpkins and shimmering pumpkin icons. Don't miss a minute of Smoky Mountain splendor—visit today before it glows away! (source)

Award-winning Great Pumpkin LumiNights returns to light up the night with thousands of creatively carved pumpkins and larger-than-life pumpkin icons. This year, discover the NEW Hoot Owl Hollow, an enchanting hideaway for a gigantic, glowing owl and her dozens of friendly siblings roosting in the trees, atop buildings and across the hillside. Explore a world of not-so-spooky nighttime fun when you stroll through a forest of shimmering sunflowers, see a family of glowing frogs, and be enchanted by our towering Pumpkin Tree.

Dollywood released an image of Hoot Owl Hollow

 

Dollywood also mentions that they will have new performances during this festival as well. I noticed during the Flower Festival in the spring that there were noticeably more roaming musicians in the park, which I loved randomly running into and taking time to listen to them play - and watching others doing the same. It was pretty cool, so I am eager to see how Dollywood pulls that together for this years festival.

Last year they did have an Owl themed area in between Thunderhead and the Main Gate area, so it sounds as though a big expansion of the Owl theme is in the works. I'm wondering if it will be in the same general area or move somewhere else?

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Are you planning to go to this years Great Pumpkin LumiNights & Harvest Festival at Dollywood?  What are you looking forward to the most?  Let me know in the comments.   Be Sure To Vote For Dollywood - Often!!  Maybe I will see you at the park!  Until next time - Jeff

Post #2 - Dollywood 2022 So Far (and a bit of late 2021)

 Hi Everyone,

Right now in East Tennessee we are in the sultry throws of a June heat wave and it is really really hot, but I'm still working on content about Dollywood.   So far, 2022 has been pretty busy for me and for Dollywood.  Crowd levels are high on most days with a few exceptions that I hear about on social media where some folks have had the park to themselves....lucky ducks.

I recently published four videos related to Dollywood's Flower & Food Festival, one focusing exclusively on the Festival, another one of which is a general park update more or less, and two video updates of Dollywood's more popular stores....The Sweet Shoppe / Southern Pantry as well as the Mountain Blown Glass Shop.

Let's take a look...

I captured images of the menu boards at a few of the eateries - Front Porch Cafe, Aunt Granny's, Kettle Corn, Ironhorse Pizza, Food Truck park- Gus and Son's Greek Grill and Dazzle Delights.  AND, this was new to me, all over Dollywood are Picnic in the Park locations for quick grab and go meals.  They sell Turkey Wraps, PBJ, Apples, Pickles, Hard Boiled Eggs, etc - take a look at those offerings.  I've heard some constructive criticism that the food lines have been unusually long this season, so that might be a quicker option than waiting to eat at one of the restaurants.  These are spread out all over the park - I found four locations but I would think there are even more.  I believe the same stuff is at Splash Country too.   You can see the first one I found at 04:30 in the general update below. 

In March, I was at Dollywood for Season Passholder Preview day, this was on Friday March 11th and it felt so nice to be back at Dollywood, doing something that resembles normalcy again.  It was a great day and I documented my take on it in this video.

There were a lot of changes over the brief off-season.  I knew the parking lot was redesigned and the traffic pattern would be one-way, among other changes, so that's included.   I knew the beloved tunnel between Craftsman's Valley and The Village had been removed and renovated, so I included that in my video as well.  In Wildwood Grove work looks to be ramping up on Dollywood's 2023 coaster, so I captured that too.  The two food trucks are featured.  I learned on my April trip that the one next to Tennessee Tornado is the Food Truck Park, while the one up the hill in Wilderness Pass is the Food Truck Plaza, so keep it straight people!  You can take a look at that video - above this.

The Dollywood Emporium was transformed in the off-season.  My first impression was Wow, There Is A Ton of Dolly Merchandise!  In the past there was some Dolly merch for sure, but now, finally, this is where you want to go to find Dolly's mug on a mug, or on a t-shirt, or a shot glass or nearly anything else you can think of.   Plus, the aisles are clearer, the check out area is more organized and since its the main exit to the parking lot, that makes a lot of sense that they kept the high traffic areas a bit more open.

You can watch my video about the new Emporium here...

On this same trip I took a quick run through the Mountain Laurel Store and made a video about that.  You can watch that quick video here.

Back In February I took a trip to Dolly's DreamMore Resort to check that out and I think it's a nice hotel with a lot of benefits that one would enjoy if Dollywood or Splash Country are on your itinerary.  For one, there's door-to-door shuttle service from DreamMore to the parks.  Another is the Complimentary TimeSaver Pass that gives you access to shorter ride lines for Eight Dollywood Attractions of your choice, and Unlimited access to Shows (does not work at Splash Country).  They offer package delivery.  So, if you buy an oil lamp at the Mountain Blown Glass shop, they will deliver it to DreamMore and you can go about your Dollywood-day, and pick it up when you're delivered back to DreamMore - how cool is that.  Lastly, on Saturdays you can get early entry into Splash Country or Dollywood and get a head start before it opens to the public.  Much of this information is subject to change, so for the latest information I would recommend looking at their website, which is here DreamMore Perks.

In this video I walk around the entire property, taking a look at the lobby, the group meeting rooms, lots of patios, the pool area, the fire pit and cornhole areas around the pool, the indoor pool, playground, game room, excercise room, The Song and Hearth Restaurant and lounge, The Pantry, Dolly's Time Capsule, Dolly's Hallway of Album Covers, walk past the Spa (closed on the day I was there), and as an added bonus, Dolly's explanation of her "Gypsy Wagon", which, as you will see in the video, it's Dolly's recently retired motor coach and it will be transformed into a Suite available for booking at a later date...it's called the 1986 Suite and you'll hear what she has to say about it.  Another Bonus - I stopped by the Dolly statue at the Sevier County Courthouse to check in with her there - she's doing pretty good.

Please watch my DreamMore video here: 

Might as well go back a little further...we're all dressed up and our hair looks great!

In November of 2021 I published my nearly-hour long look at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas.  You can watch that in it's entirety here...

In September of 2021 I published my look at Dollywood's Great Pumpkin LumiNights Event.  This was my first night time video and I was a bit disappointed in the footage when I took it into edit, so I am sorry it is so shaky. It is below my standards.  However, it was a learning opportunity and 2021 was the  year of the learning curve for me, so, important to learn from it....which I did make major adjustments for the Christmas video.

 
You can watch the LumiNights video here...it still turned out pretty good I think 😀

Finally, I am so thankful that I shot the Chasing Rainbows museum in 2021.  During the off-season, Dollywood announced that it would be closing, hopefully just temporarily.  At this time there have been no announcements about its return, so we'll have to wait and see what Dolly plans to do with it.  So, take a good look at it in it's last year of operation in the Adventures in Imagination area of Dollywood.

You can watch the Chasing Rainbows Museum video here....

Coming up is Dollywood's next festival, The Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration.  That runs June 18 to August 7th, so that will be my next video for Dollywood.  That will likely publish in late June I hope 🤞.  

Read more about that festival at Dollywood.com - here Summer Celebration.

Thanks for reading and watching! Until next time, take care!

Jeff