Fall in the Smokies is a whole lot brighter — and a whole lot more pumpkin-y. Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana is now happening at the beloved theme park through Oct. 31, bringing crisp mountain air, colorful fall foliage, live music, seasonal food and thousands of glowing pumpkins to the park.
The star of the show is Great Pumpkin LumiNights, where carved and illuminated pumpkins transform areas of Dollywood into a whimsical autumn wonderland.
Wander through glowing displays in Timber Canyon, Wilderness Pass, Wildwood Grove and Craftsman’s Valley, including pumpkin creations inspired by favorite rides such as Big Bear Mountain, Wild Eagle and Lightning Rod.
As Dollywood President Eugene Naughton puts it, autumn in the Smokies is like “a page out of God’s coloring book” — and the festival aims to make the most of it.
New This Year: Dance Parties and Boo Bash
New this year, LumiNights Dance Parties add music and dancing to the nighttime festivities, giving you another reason to stick around after sunset.
Also new is Harvey’s Boo Bash (separately ticketed for $129), a family-friendly after-hours event taking place Oct. 16, 23 and 30 from 9 p.m.-midnight. You can enter as early as 4 p.m. to enjoy the Harvest Festival before the late-night fun begins with candy stations, dance parties, Great Pumpkin LumiNights and select attractions, including NightFlight Expedition.
Come Hungry
The new Apple Market, located near the Dollywood Express depot, serves up fall comfort food with an apple-filled twist. Expect fried apple pies, apple dumplings, caramel apples, apple fritters and an apple cider flight featuring traditional, cranberry and caramel cider.
The broader Harvest Festival menu brings plenty more seasonal favorites, including BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Fries, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Harvest Chicken Nachos, Apple Pie Overload, Pecan Pie Brownies and a Caramel Apple Milkshake.
A Harvest Festival Tasting Pass lets guests sample five featured foods for $44.99 plus tax, or $41.99 for Gold and Diamond season passholders.
Six Weeks of Live Entertainment
Music lovers can enjoy more than 700 live performances throughout the festival, spanning country, gospel, bluegrass and Americana. Featured performers include Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, The Isaacs, Emily Ann Roberts, The Grascals, Drake Milligan, Gold City and others. Concerts are included with park admission.
Add colossal pumpkins, visiting artisans, colorful décor and the spectacular Smoky Mountain backdrop, and Dollywood’s Harvest Festival offers plenty of ways to turn a fall day into a family tradition.
During the festival, Dollywood stays open until 9 p.m. nightly, with extended hours Oct. 3-15.
In other words: bring the family, bring your appetite and maybe leave room for one more pumpkin photo.
NOTE: Car travel to Dollywood from Nashville is approximately three-and-a-half hours.
Tickets to Dollywood are $99.99 (1-day, Good-Any-Day) per person; $109.99 (1-day, 2-park Good-Any-Day ticket. Learn more about Dollywood’s Harvest Festival here.
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