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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!
New for 2022
Dollywood has some new stuff planned for GPL&HF. Here's what they've said about it...
NEW Hoot Owl Hollow
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| 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
