The holidays are bright and beautiful at Dolly Parton’s amusement park. Writer Kathy Witt got to experience it a little early this year and tells us how to have a “Holly Dolly” Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood. 

Dollywood’s award-winning Smoky Mountain Christmas festival has been named the best in America for over a decade. Photo courtesy Dollywood.

Dolly Parton gets that 2020 has been such a tough year that a little Christmas isn’t going to cut it; we need a lot, and right this very minute. The beloved entertainer pulls out all the holiday stops for her Smoky Mountain Christmas, now through Jan. 3, 2021, at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, with millions of twinkling lights, joyful and heartwarming shows, shopping with an Appalachian twist and palette-pleasing holiday dishes, treats and sweets.

I felt like I had entered a magical Christmas wonderland on my recent visit to Dollywood, which is consistently recognized as one of the world’s best theme parks. Every building and walkway is outlined in lights, from the traditional red and green to shimmering Arctic blue. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the sky above Dollywood lights up with a new Christmas fireworks show called Merry & Bright and synched to a holiday music score.

Lights outline buildings and adorn trees throughout a Smoky Mountain Christmas. Photo courtesy Dollywood.

Stands of Christmas trees glow in the landscape and showstopper trees, including the Wonderful Christmas tree in the Wilderness Pass Plaza dances to a mesmerizing synchronized light show. (Fans of Hallmark Christmas movies may already know this, but the tree figures into a key scene of the 2019 movie, “Christmas at Dollywood.”) Meanwhile, inside Wildwood Grove, another tree spins sweet Christmas stories each evening.

And the pièce de resistance: A chance to see Santa Claus in his satellite workshop in the Smokies. With the pandemic putting a halt to the age-old tradition of climbing onto Santa’s lap for photos, Dollywood set to work to create a brand new experience: Santa’s List…Naughty or Nice is a chance to peek through the window into Santa’s workshop to watch him work, see if your name is on the “Nice” list (I’m not going to say where I found my own) and grab a photo, safely.

Are you on Santa’s nice list? The naughty one? Find out at a new Santa experience at Dollywood. Photo courtesy Dollywood.

The Entertainment at a Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood

I’ll ride the train, carousel and maybe the Blazing Fury indoor roller coaster, but what I love most about Dollywood are the shows, and the holiday shows are pure magic. Christmas in the Smokies is a cherished tradition, with more than a dozen performers belting out hometown holiday favorites. The pandemic has precipitated some changes, like shortened shows, including this one, as well as every-other-row seating to allow for deep cleaning between shows.

Still, it was wonderful to be back in the audience for this show, as well as An Appalachian Christmas, held at the Back Porch Theatre and featuring a string quartet singing, strumming and telling corny jokes. My most cherished song of the season is “O Holy Night,” and hearing it sung so beautifully during the outdoor O, Holy Night show, which tells the story of the Nativity, was a highlight of my visit.

A real treat this year is the release of Dolly’s new “A Holly Dolly Christmas” CD, combining holiday classics with new songs written by the superstar songstress – and several songs are featured, along with members of Dolly’s own family, in the park’s new “Heart of the Holidays” show. (Also, CBS airs “A Holly Dolly Christmas” entertainment special on Sunday, Dec. 6.)

All told, more than 40 holiday performances take place on multiple stages, indoors and out, each day the park is open, including the new Candlelight Carolers who perform on the steps of the chapel. (See the daily schedule here.)

The Shopping at a Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood

Since I brought my Christmas shopping list to Dollywood, I made one of my first stops at Craftsman’s Valley, where dozens of master craftsmen demonstrate the skill and artistry that reflects Appalachian culture and trades of a century or two ago.

The delicate handmade ornaments from Custom Glassworks, fragrant votives from Old Flame Candles, leather belts and other accessories from Smoky Creek Leather, intricately carved figurines from the Woodcarving Shop and other items really elevate holiday gift giving with their authenticity and originality.

Still, the choice was overwhelming. So much so that I asked one of the elves at Dollywood for some gift buying guidance, which gave me the chance to visit another place (the bakery) I might have missed. Here are five ideas that topped the list:

• Hand-blown glass ornaments by Dollywood’s master craftsmen.
• Items featuring Dolly Parton – from her new holiday CD, “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” to items from her new Williams Sonoma collection to mugs and other items featuring such “Dolly-isms” as “I Will Always Love You.”
• Homemade candy made by the park’s Master Candymaker – delicious for stocking stuffers or to enjoy while trimming the tree.
• A gingerbread house kit, available at the Spotlight Bakery, that includes all the decorations and icing needed to craft a masterpiece.
• A 2021 Dollywood season pass.

Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas lights up with over 5 million lights.
Photo by Kathy Witt.

The Food at a Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood

At the Front Porch Café, I went for the glazed ham steak entrée (a new menu item) accompanied by a tangy pineapple chutney and paired with potato puree and grilled asparagus – and it is delicious. Full-on Christmas feasts may be found at the Blue Ribbon Buffet, where the holiday menu expands for all-you-can-eat carved prime rib, roasted pork loin, and more rounded out with all the traditional sides.

The line at Dollywood’s historic Grist Mill is one everyone needs to get into no matter how long because it leads to the park’s famous cinnamon bread. Hundreds of loaves are churned out each day the park operates, all season long, and you can watch the process. The Grist Mill is the perfect setting for this as it was built in 1983 as if it were being built a century earlier, in the 1880s. It became the first fully operating grist mill built in Tennessee in more than 100 years and it is where corn and wheat are ground into flour daily.

No one goes hungry at Dollywood – not with nearly two dozen venues providing everything from Dippin’ Dots to barbecue to one of my favorites, the ham, beans and greens at Granny Ogle’s Ham ‘n’ Beans.

We’re honored that Dollywood’s Executive Chef Rudy Torres shared his recipes for the Pineapple Chutney to accompany baked ham and the famous Cinnamon Bread with Real Food Traveler readers. 

BONUS – Where to stay when visiting Dolly’s Smoky Mountain Christmas

Dollywood is located in Dolly Parton’s childhood stomping grounds of Pigeon Forge, TN. With the Great Smoky Mountains serving as a dramatic backdrop, the Pigeon Forge Parkway glows with the lights of museums, castles, theatres, wacky golf, go-cart tracks and more. This is a town that loves Christmas and you can feel it in every illuminated holiday figure and symbol lining the streets, and the joy extends right into the backroads leading to a wide range of cabin accommodations – all trimmed with greenery outside and Christmas decorations within.

At Eagles Ridge Resort, guests are welcomed into cozy cabins with wrap-around decks with hot tub, rocking chairs and porch swings to take in those breathtaking mountain views. Inside, a Christmas tree glows from a corner and stockings hang merrily from the mantel. Although they feel removed from the holiday hustle-bustle of the Parkway, the cabins are minutes from the attractions, shops and restaurants.

Families large and small will find a range of amenities in these cabins that offer from one to nine bedrooms: fully equipped kitchens, comfy country-size bedrooms, game and theater rooms, Wi-Fi, fireplaces, jetted tubs and more. In an era of social distancing, the cabins are the perfect place to gather with family and friends for an intimate holiday getaway.

To learn more about Dollywood, visit the website, here.

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Hungry for more? Get the recipe for Dollywood’s famous Cinnamon Bread and for Pineapple Chutney to top a glazed ham.

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