Carving out a new twist on the classic fall festival, Dollywood — a famous Smoky Mountain theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee — presents their 2021 Harvest Festival with the Great Pumpkin LumiNights this October. Nearly 15,000 pumpkins, including stunning, hand-carved pumpkin displays, will decorate the park. Seasonal dishes and treats will come out to play, along with handcrafted goods from artisans across the country. Special live music will also be performed daily.
Voted America’s #1 Fall Family Event by USA Today Readers in 2019, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is a fall event worth planning a vacation to the Smokies. Plus, you’ll still have access to all the park has to offer: roller coasters, kiddy rides, restaurants, sweet treats, souvenir shops, an eagle sanctuary, museums, shows, and the Dollywood Express Train!
Harvest Festival Dates
September 24 (Friday) – October 30 (Monday)
Festive Foods
Autumn dining at Dollywood starts with a play on fall colors, traditional dishes, and hearty appetites. Classic options include a center-cut pork chop with jalapeno bacon jam (which you can grab at the Front Porch Café), a mouthwatering fried green tomato BLT sandwich, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, harvest flatbread, and smoked brisket with a bean salad and zesty slaw.
On the sweet side, you’ll find cookies galore plus fun fall treats like the must-eat pumpkin praline funnel cake and the chocolate-dipped waffle sundae — YUM!
Contemporary Design
As the leaves change with autumn and colorfully paint the Great Smoky Mountains surrounding the theme park, Dollywood enhances what Mother Nature generously gives with a contemporary design.
For 2021, Dollywood plans to incorporate flower arrangements and live plants as well as expand their fall tones to decorate with intention and more seasonal pizazz than ever before! Enjoy an array of classic fall colors, including red, yellow, and orange, sprinkled with fresh hues of purple, green, and white throughout the park.
Of course, hand-carved pumpkins will still be the stars of the show. You’ll also find jack-o-lantern shutters and eye-catching colossal pumpkins that are truly ENORMOUS. Fun fact: Dollywood’s star carver is actually a local ER nurse by day! Dollywood highlights this incredible artist with pumpkin carving tips for you.
Autumn Arts
Music and crafts help create the quintessential fall experience at Dollywood. At Harvest Festival, you’ll hear classic Southern and Appalachian tunes — including country, bluegrass, Southern gospel, and Americana. Live performances will be held indoors and outdoors daily at this fall event. You’ll be tapping your feet and grooving to the beat in no time!
Bringing in world-class artisans from all over the country to showcase their craft, this Pigeon Forge theme park steps up their already strong crafting game when fall rolls into town. Find even more one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pieces to decorate, wear, and gift this fall — including ironwork, handmade candles, blown glass ornaments, leather goods, beautiful carvings, homemade candies, and quilts.
Great Pumpkin LumiNights
Unique outdoor displays light up the park every night during Harvest Festival at Dollywood. Spooky? No. Enchanting? Yes. While seasonal food, decorations, music, and crafts enhance your autumn experience at Dollywood, the Great Pumpkin LumiNights make it truly memorable.
As the sun sets across the colorful mountain peaks, the park begins to glow. Oohs and aahs begin to sound all around as stunning creations illuminate the night. The carved pumpkins you enjoyed during the day come alive and add a little magic to your Smoky Mountain vacation.
Must-See LumiNights Displays
- Pumpkin Tree — 40 feet tall and in the center of it all!
- Glowing Pumpkin Frogs — floating on lily pads at Timber Canyon’s Drop Line Pond
- HUGE Guitar — actually plays Dolly Parton’s “Tennessee Mountain Home” song
- Sunflower Crop — hand-carved pumpkin sunflowers in Wildwood Grove
- Autumn Wildwood Tree — Dolly narrates the park’s fall transformation
Get a taste of the Great Pumpkin Luminights from years past.
Harvest Festival Tickets
Great news! You can enjoy Dollywood’s Harvest Festival with a theme park ticket or season pass at no extra cost.
Ticket: $84-109
Season Pass: $149
Cabins Near Dollywood
Make your drive to the Harvest Festival an easy one when you stay close to all the fun at Dollywood with Pigeon Forge TN Cabins. Our wide selection of Pigeon Forge cabins is sure to suit your vacation wants, needs, and budget. Ranging from 1-16 bedrooms, offering pet-friendly rentals, and accommodating 1-60+ guests, we have you covered!
Not to mention, our cabins come with great amenities to entertain and relax in the Smokies. Soak tired muscles in the hot tub, roast marshmallows around the firepit, and sip wine in the rockers. Splash in your private indoor pool, play games in the rec room, and watch movies in the home theater. Cuddle by the fireplace, take a spa bath in a garden tub, and snooze in a king suite. Need we go on? Book online or at 1.866.513.7885.
Choose your cozy cabin and light up your Smoky Mountain vacation at Dollywood’s Harvest Festival this fall!
