Dollywood’s Great Pumpkin LumiNights returns this September

The warm, gleaming glow of fall returns with Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Dollywood’s Harvest Festival, starting Sept. 28.

A guest-favorite last year, Great Pumpkin LumiNights will return with new immersive harvest-themed displays, activities and a footprint that’s more than twice the size of 2017’s version.

The event will run for six additional days this year, from Sept. 28 – Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., giving guests more time to enjoy the fall fun. Last year’s pumpkin displays, like the pumpkin spider and the pumpkin dance party, will be joined with elaborate new additions, including a couple of Dolly Parton-inspired displays.

The Plaza at Wilderness Pass will serve as the centerpiece for the event, and include an area for character interactions, additional displays, and a 40-foot-tall carved pumpkin tree.

“We knew families were going to love all those glowing pumpkins last year,” said Parton. “but with the way they responded, we found they were looking for a different and fun, family-friendly way to spend time together during this special time of year; Great Pumpkin LumiNights was certainly it. That’s why we’re giving them even more to love during this year’s festival. During the day, they can see all those beautiful colors God has painted across the mountains, and at night, they can experience the fun of a Smoky Mountain harvest.”

Guests can bask in the glow of the thousands of carved pumpkins as they pass by the displays throughout Timber Canyon, Wilderness Pass, and upper Craftsman’s Valley. Along with the displays, families can find “pumpkin artists” who will host demonstrations to teach how to produce a pumpkin masterpiece.

In addition to the Great Pumpkin LumiNights, some of the biggest names in Southern gospel music will perform during the Southern Gospel Jubilee. Over 625 individual performances will take place on stages throughout the park during the festival.

“You really can say my career started back in those days when we’d visit all those small country churches just singin’ about God,” said Parton. “That music is close to my heart, so I’m truly proud we’re able to offer our guests so many opportunities to hear this great music during the Harvest Festival at Dollywood.”

During the Harvest Festival, over 30 visiting artisans from across the country will bring their wares and share their talents with Dollywood guests, including textile art, inspirational jewelry, paper marbling, rug hooking, fiddle and dulcimer making, and more.

To learn more about Dollywood’s Harvest Festival, Great Pumpkin LumiNights and Southern Gospel Jubilee, visit Dollywood.com.