Everything you love about fall promises to appear before your eyes when you attend the 2020 Harvest Festival at Dollywood. You will enjoy delicious pumpkin spice delights, creatively carved jack-o-lanterns, and much more while attending this event. It begins on September 25th and continues through Halloween on October 31st, providing plenty of time to get in on the fun and excitement. So, jot it down on your calendar, then check out some of the things to look forward to this year. Before you know it, you will be raring to go to this coveted fall event.
Spend the Evening Gazing Upon Great Pumpkin LumiNights
To kick off the Harvest Festival, Dollywood transforms Timber Canyon into a jack-o-lantern filled funfest. They use hundreds of carved pumpkins to create amazing scenes that you must see to believe. Frogs hopping across the pond, giant spiders lurking alongside the paths, and other delightful creations show off the talents of the designated pumpkin carvers.
Although the scenes are awe-inspiring to see during the day, they truly come alive at night. As the bright lights illuminate the jack-o-lanterns from within, they seem to gain a life of their own, creating a truly spooky atmosphere for all ages to enjoy.
Let the Southern Gospel Jubilee Fill Your Days with Uplifting Hymns
To further set the mood for fun and games, more than 500 bands and solo artists will play their music live for the crowds. To fit all those performances into this one event, the Southern Gospel Jubilee will present more than a dozen concerts per day. You can drop in at your leisure since attendance is free with your admissions ticket.
The 2020 lineup is under wraps for now, but you can check in often to see which musicians will make their appearance. In 2019, the stages saw the likes of The Isaacs, Cathedrals Family Reunion, Tim Lovelace, and many other fan favorites.
This year, you will find equally talented artists playing all throughout the park, including at the:
- Back Porch Theater
- The Valley Theater
- Showstreet Palace
As you wander around gazing upon all the beautiful sights, just follow the music flowing through the air to check out all the talented acts putting on their live shows. Their uplifting hymns promise to soothe the spirit and leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to explore the rest of the park.
Enjoy the Best Foods of Fall While Taking in the Sights and Sounds
While gazing upon the jack-o-lantern scenes and listening to uplifting hymns, you can nosh on all your favorite fall flavors. All the eateries within the park change their menus a tad just for this event. Depending on their focus, they may add everything pumpkin spice and the many other fall dishes everyone adores.
If you head over to the Market Square for a bite to eat, for example, you can get a BLT specially made with scrumptious fried green tomatoes.
At other eateries, you might find:
- Roasted chicken with mushroom sauce
- Pumpkin spice funnel cake
- Fried apple pie
Look for the signs in front of each eatery to learn what new snacks and drinks they have on tap.
Check Out Endless Demonstrations from Talented Artisans
The Harvest Festival at Dollywood brings out some of the most talented craftsmen found all around the Great Smoky Mountains and beyond. These skilled artisans come out to show their commitment to creating handmade goods and give demonstrations on just how it is done.
Throughout the park, you may see blacksmiths and wagonmakers plus those who work with:
- Glass
- Leather
- Wood
- Slate
Even candy makers show up to create hard candies, caramels, chocolates, and much more. And the best part? They all put their goods up for sale so you can get a taste of what they are all about. You can take home handmade candles and other items as souvenirs. Or just load up on different candies to enjoy during your trip.
Enjoy Everything You Love About Dollywood
All the activities you know and love at Dollywood will remain up and running through the Harvest Festival. You can go on all the amusement park rides, including the rollercoasters, and even visit Splash Country to cool off in the waterpark. They will even keep the dinner shows going to give you a moment to rest your feet, catch an awesome performance, and fill up your belly with homecooked food. If you want to extend your stay well beyond a day visit, you can grab a room at the resort or rent your very own cabin.
Although the Harvest Festival runs from the end of September until Halloween, plan your visit early to have enough time to experience all the fun. You will likely want to come back, again and again, to check out all the sights and hear your favorite musicians play live.
