Dollywood opened its gates to the public the day after its namesake, ...

The story

Visitors packed Dollywood to pay tribute to Dolly Parton following her passing, keeping the park open in the spirit of her belief that the show must go on. Fans gathered from across the country to celebrate the entertainer, describing her as a unifier who brought people together as family.

Dollywood remained open and filled with crowds on the heels of Dolly Parton's passing, an outcome those close to her say she would have wanted. While some attendees were already visiting on previously scheduled vacations, many others arrived unexpectedly to honor her memory.

Among the crowd was a group of approximately ten people from four different states who arranged last-minute trips, booking flights and purchasing tickets as late as the night before and the morning of their arrival. The friends originally met at Dollywood at least two decades ago as strangers and subsequently spent the last 20 years traveling across the country and the world together to watch Parton perform.

Members of the group reflected on Parton's power to connect people, calling her a unifier who built lasting relationships among strangers. Having followed her since her first album, they stated that Parton was far more than an icon to them, describing her as family and noting that gathering at Dollywood allowed them to mourn their shared loss together.