Dollywood’s Harvest Festival

Dollywood turns over to fall on September 14 and stays that way through Halloween. Harvest Festival presented by Humana is the park’s longest festival of the year, and it runs on two clocks. Daytime is live Southern music and seasonal food. After dark the whole place lights up for Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Both are included with regular park admission, which is the question most visitors ask first.

Great Pumpkin LumiNights

LumiNights is why a lot of people come. Thousands of hand-carved pumpkins line the walkways, a 40-foot pumpkin tree anchors the display, and Dolly’s giant illuminated guitar glows over one corner of the park. Hoot Owl Hollow returns with its enormous lit owl and dozens of smaller ones roosting in the trees and across the hillside. It is built to be pretty rather than frightening, so it suits small kids and anyone who would rather skip a haunted house. USA Today 10Best readers voted the festival America’s Best Fall Event.

Music, Food, and What’s New This Year

Dozens of country, bluegrass and Southern gospel acts perform daily on stages and street corners across the park. Showtimes shift day to day, and the Dollywood app carries the current schedule.

Two things are new for 2026:

• Candy Corn Country. The Country Fair area gets a candy-corn takeover, with characters to meet and seasonal surprises.
• Harvey’s Boo Bash. A separately ticketed after-hours event on three October nights only.

A Harvest Festival Tasting Pass covers up to five festival foods for one price, which beats buying them one at a time. Park admission is not included with the pass.

Tickets and Add-ons

• Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights: included with park admission or a Season Pass
• Harvey’s Boo Bash, ages 4 and up: $129.99 plus tax, $5 off for Gold and Diamond passholders
• Boo Bash dates: October 16, 23 and 30, park entry from 4 p.m. with the exclusive event 9 p.m. to midnight
• Parking: $25 per day

Day ticket prices move by date, so pull yours for the day you want at dollywood.com/tickets. Prices here come from Dollywood’s official pages and can change.

Planning Notes

Park hours shift across the seven weeks. Most days run 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and early October stretches to 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. Confirm your date on the park calendar before you drive up.

October Saturdays are the busiest stretch, and they land on peak leaf color, which is also when Sevier County lodging fills. Tuesday through Thursday is noticeably calmer. If LumiNights is the main draw, arrive in the afternoon instead of at opening. The glow starts at sundown and you will want energy left for it.