Happy birthday, Dolly Parton! 8 ways to celebrate the Queen of Country’s 78th birthday

For more than 60 years, Dolly Parton has endeared herself to the world through her music, movies and generosity. And let’s not forget about her incredibly bubbly personality and all her iconic outfits and wigs!

The Queen of Country is celebrating her 78th birthday on Jan. 19, which is a cause for us all to celebrate!

From checking out the new Dollywood attractions, reading Imagination Library books to your kids, enjoying live music performances, jamming to her new album “Rockstar” or even cheering on a few Dolly-themed drag performances, here are eight ways you can honor Dolly Parton on her birthday and throughout the year.

Winter Music Series at DreamMore

• The fun doesn’t stop just because Dollywood is in its off season. The third annual Winter Music Series at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa features live music through the end of February.

• TG Sheppard is performing on Parton’s birthday, Jan. 19, and Jan. 20. He has 21 No. 1 hits and has been ranked among the top 100 country music artists of all time.

• You don’t have to be a DreamMore guest to attend any of the Winter Music Series concerts. Tickets can be purchased at Dollywood.com. Tickets are $15-$20.

• Upcoming performers include Ronnie McDowell, Aaron Tippin, Bryan White, T. Graham Brown and Linda Davis.

Pick up a 2024 season pass to Dollywood

• Dollywood kicks of its 39th season March 8 with a preview day for passholders. The 2024 season is going to be the park's longest season ever, running for 280 days. That's 23 longer than the 2023 season.

• A season pass is the best way to experience everything Dollywood has to offer, according to the park. Passes offers access to festivals and events throughout the year, discounts and other benefits.

• Season passes are $164-$239 and can be purchased at Dollywood.com. Payment plans are available.

Dolly Parton Experience

• This spring, Dollywood visitors can experience the new Dolly Parton Experience, an immersive, multimedia expansion that will "make guests feel as if they were alongside Dolly as she journeyed from Locust Ridge to stages around the world," according to the park.

• The exhibits span her iconic career, highlight the importance of her family and show off her signature styles over the decades.

• The experience will be throughout multiple buildings. Interactive exhibits and attractions include “Behind the Seams” and “Precious Memories."

Drag-Dolly Parton Birthday Celebration

• Get ready for a night of glitter, glam and good times! The Gypsy Queens' Dolly Parton Birthday Bash at Barrelhouse is a drag show all for Dolly. The bash is filled with Dolly hits, games, prizes and drag performances.

• The show features DidiHart, Monique Alexander, Aunt Mable Crawford, Crystal Blue and Sharissa Summers

• The bash is scheduled for 8 p.m. Jan 20 at 621 Lamar Street. There is a $15 cover, and this is a 21+ event.

• Tickets and more information are available at https://gypsycircuscider.com.

Tennessee Brew Works Dolly celebration in Nashville

• If you’d like a fun getaway to Nashville, Tennessee Brew Works is throwing its 7^th Dolly Parton Birthday Bash. The Jan. 20 event has live music, craft beer and food. And there is no cover!

• Performances start at 2 p.m. with Jessi Pugh and continue with Jack Settle, Lydia Simonds, and the highlight of the evening, Erin Hazelrig and the Dolly Parton Tribute Band taking the stage at 8 p.m. More info available at https://www.tnbrew.com/dolly.

• Wear pink if you got it!

Check out HeartSong Lodge

Parton opened her second resort, HeartSong Lodge, in November. It was inspired by Parton’s love for the Great Smoky Mountains and specifically designed for families. “I like having something that's a little rustic. And I'd say this is high-fashion rustic," she joked during the resort’s grand opening ceremony last year.

You can head to the lodge to dine in Ember and Elm, the resort’s restaurant or book a stay at dollywood.com/heartsong. Other HeartSong highlights include:

• Guests of all ages are welcome to stay at the 302-room lodge. Suites are designed for families and couples. Loft options are available. Many of the rooms include balconies.

• It also features indoor and outdoor pools and multiple indoor and outdoor event spaces, including the two-story HeartSong Event Center.

• There are six dining options, including Ember and Elm, Songbird Market for quick selections and Honeysuckle & Pine mercantile for other goodies.

Rock out with Dolly

The queen of country music earned her highest-charting album debut ever when “Rockstar,” her first rock album, was released in November. It hit No. 1 on three Billboard charts and nabbed the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200. Celebrate Parton’s birthday by rocking out to the album.

“Rockstar” album highlights:

• It features a whopping 30 tracks of classic rock songs, plus nine original songs written by Parton.

• Classic rock anthems include “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin), “Heartbreaker” (Pat Benatar), “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (Rolling Stones), “Let It Be” (The Beatles) and “Purple Rain” (Prince).

• Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Steven Tyler, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Pink and Ann Wilson of Heart are just a few of the many, many artists featured.

You should also add re-watching Dolly Parton singing “Rocky Top” at Neyland Stadium last year to your Parton celebrations!

Treat a kid to an 'Imagination Library'

Sadly, bad weather this week has the Knox County Public Library closed on Jan. 19, when Imagination Library-related storytime "parties" had been scheduled in her honor. Check knoxcountylibrary.org to see if those are rescheduled.

But in the meantime, you can sign a child up at imaginationlibrary.com for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a free book program that has given nearly 200 million books to children worldwide since its launch in 1995. It serves 19,000 children in Knox County each month.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: It's Dolly Parton's birthday! Here are 8 ways to celebrate