Dollywood Set to Celebrate Best and Brightest' Christmas Ever

As the only theme park in the world to win Amusement Today's Golden Ticket award for Best Christmas Event, it is fair to say Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 5 - Jan. 1) can be considered a gold standard for Christmas festivals. This year, however, the park is outdoing itself with the best and brightest Christmas event in Dollywood's history.

Guests can expect a multitude of merriment this year with the awe-inspiring new Parade of Many Colors, the remastered Christmas in the Smokies, the all-new It's a Wonderful Life, four million festive lights and a joyous holiday atmosphere guests have come to enjoy during this lively festival.

"Christmas is such a special time of year for me because some of my most precious memories are the wonderful times I had with my family during the holidays as a kid," Dolly Parton said. "It's the time of year when our traditions, along with our faith and the love of family, combine to create those sweet experiences we always remember. After all of the things I've been able to see and do in my life, it's the times from those Christmases with my family I still hold most dear.

"I know the families who come to visit my Dollywood during this beautiful time of year will leave with some of those same moments they'll treasure forever."

Like her new NBC holiday movie, Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, Parton's new parade celebrates the fun, faith, family and harmony of the holiday season. The new parade, which begins mid-November, includes whimsical floats, interactive characters and a heart-warming, cheerful message for Dollywood guests to enjoy.

Dollywood's entertainment team brings a Christmas classic to life with the debut of It's a Wonderful Life. Based on the timeless holiday story of love and generosity, small town businessman George Bailey discovers the true value of life, family and friends with a little help from his guardian angel, Clarence. Additionally, one of Dollywood's greatest entertainment offerings is remastered in 2016, as Christmas in the Smokies returns to its traditional home at D.P.'s Celebrity Theater. Guests can celebrate the joy of the season while a cast of singers and dancers performs hometown holiday favorites while accompanied by a band of live musicians!

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, the beloved Christmas television special, again comes to life at Dollywood this season. Guests can meet Rudolph and his friends, including Clarice, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster and Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph's Holly Jolly Junction, a magical area where festive fun awaits. After meeting Rudolph and his friends, families can head to Clarice's kitchen to decorate custom Christmas cookies or even take part in a few reindeer games!

Dollywood's entertainment, which in 2016 earned its eighth consecutive Golden Ticket Award for Best Shows, features several other beloved shows this season, including An Appalachian Christmas, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, O' Holy Night, My People and Christmas with The Kingdom Heirs. Guests also can experience Santa Land, a whimsical workshop where the smallest guests can share their wish list with Kris Kringle.

Families can finish their visit with a traditional Christmas meal as several of Dollywood's menus feature holiday-themed items. Among the new offerings this year are a Cornish hen, complete with sweet potato casserole and green beans, and a hot chocolate station. Returning favorites include turkey and dressing, Christmas ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot flavored drinks like wassail, and much more. Holiday desserts available throughout the park include pumpkin pies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin spice funnel cakes and a make-your-own s'mores pit.

Smoky Mountain Christmas guests can upgrade a paid one-day admission ticket to a regular 2017 season pass for as low as $27 (plus tax when buying four or more). Ticket purchasers receive credit for the value of a regular one-day ticket ($65) toward the purchase of a 2017 season pass. A season pass purchased during Smoky Mountain Christmas provides unlimited admission to this year's Christmas festival along with Dollywood's entire 2017 season. (A one-day ticket is valid for upgrade on the day of visit only.) Also, guests who purchase a Dollywood one-day ticket after 6 p.m. receive free admission to the park's next operating day.

Please visit www.dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD for more information, including operating days and hours, daily show schedule and more helpful tips to help plan a visit.

About The Dollywood Company: A highly-awarded and widely-recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 150-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood's Splash Country; Dollywood's DreamMore Resort; and Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry's highest accolade; winner of nearly 30 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 25 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). In 2014, Dollywood was named a top three US theme park by USA Today and TripAdvisor recognized Dollywood as a top 20 worldwide theme park in 2015. Dollywood is open nine months a year (late March through early January) and offers rides and attractions, shows, and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood's Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the country's most beautiful waterparks and named 2009's Must-See Waterpark by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The 300-room Dollywood's DreamMore Resort provides guests spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country. Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.

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