How does Dolly Parton celebrate 40 years of Dollywood? By popping out of a giant cake!
At Dollywood on May 2, Parton went back to when it all started. The moment was a nod to the park's first anniversary on May 3, 1986, when Parton celebrated by standing atop a giant cake. For the 40th anniversary celebration, Parton even wore a "spruced up" replica of the dress she wore for that first anniversary.
"Well, can you believe it's 40 years?" Parton asked the crowd gathered at Celebrity Theater on Friday to celebrate with the park's Dreamer-in-Chief.
"I wanted to say how great it is to be here and all the years that you folks have supported us and supported me with everything that we've done here. You know, I love you, truly. As my song says, I will always love you," Parton said.
Parton walked down memory lane with Dollywood President Eugene Naughton, Dollywood partner Peter Herschend, and Ted Miller, who helped forge the partnership between Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment in 1986.
The group reflected on the early days of Dollywood, shared their favorite memories of the last 40 years and gave a glimpse of their dreams for the next 40 years of Dollywood in a discussion moderated by Beth Haynes.
"Here's a toast to all of us and all the people that have helped make this happen, and you are included in that because without you, we would not have had this park doing what it's doing today," Parton said during a toast with sweet tea, acknowledging the Dollywood crowd. "So, here's to 40 years! Thank you. Cheers!"
"Love every moment" has been Dollywood's slogan since 2014, but Parton has lived the mantra for all 40 seasons of her namesake theme park.
"I just get excited about making things happen, seeing things happen, being a part of things happening," Parton said. "It's just all a big old joy for me."
Parton first shared her desire to build a theme park near the Great Smoky Mountains in a 1982 interview with Barbara Walters. She wanted to honor her family, the place and the people that shaped her. But there was some fear that not everyone would share her dream.
"You know how when you're a kid or when you have your first party and you wonder if somebody's going to come and you're just worried to death about it," Parton recalled of the feelings she had on Dollywood's opening day. "When I saw the people coming in the parking lot, I thought, 'Thank you, Jesus! Praise the Lord!' And I was just so happy that it was going to be good."
Dollywood has been more than just good. It has made a profound impact on the theme park industry, in the opinion of Miller, who was the general manager for Silver Dollar City, Dollywood's predecessor.
"A lot of theme parks out there, they've got all the rides ... but they don't have a heart and a soul like Dollywood does, and that comes from (Dolly)," Miller said. "People really feel like our guests when they get here. Our employees treat them like they think Dolly would want them to be treated or like she does treat them."
"She always forces us to dream big," Naughton said of Dollywood's Dreamer-in-Chief. He praised Parton's instincts for family-oriented experiences, which will continue to guide the park's future.
For Parton, the next 40 years will be what Dollywood has always been about: Family.
"We love the fact that we cater to families, that this is a family vacation destination and everything we do we consider everybody − the kids, the parents, the grandparents. So, there's something for everybody," Parton said.
"As long as we can keep doing things that make people happy, make them want to come back and entertain them ... I just think that we'll just continue to do great things," she continued.
And more family fun is already on the way, with the newest Dollywood attraction slated to open in 2026. Parton and Naughton previously described the project as the "most ambitious" and "most expensive" addition to the park.
What the attraction will be remains a mystery, but Naughton shared a few new details during the May 2 event: "In a couple weeks it's going to be hard to hide that five-story, 44,000-square-foot indoor attraction that's coming," he said.
Dollywood's popular spring Flower and Food Festival is underway, and with it debuted a new "Dollywood" sign - styled like the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles - as a new photo opportunity spot in the park.
One of the major new additions for the 40th season is Wilderness Pass Restaurant, which opened May 2. The restaurant introduces rotisserie chicken to Dollywood for the first time and offers a menu of smoked meat, braised beef and fan-favorite sides.
"Play On," a new retrospective show featuring songs and scenes from past Dollywood shows, begins May 3. Cast members performed songs from the show during the May 2 event and closed out the celebration with a performance of "Hooray for Dollywood." Of course, Parton got in on the act, too.
More Season 40 celebration and fun:
In addition to the theme park's 40th season, Dollywood's Splash Country water park is celebrating its 25th season. It's also the 10th year of Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa.
Parton's Imagination Library program, which provides free books for children, is in its 30th year.
Daily Dollywood tickets are $92 for adults and $82 for kids 4-9 years old and seniors 62 and older. Tickets can be purchased at Dollywood.com.
Two- and three-day passes are $122-$132 for adults, while season passes for 2025 cost $169-$244. Payment plans are available.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter at Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter, @dturner1208.