Listen To This Article - Click Play
|
2019 featured Dollywood’s largest expansion ever with the opening of Wildwood Grove, but the theme park wasn’t done growing. For its 2020 season, Dollywood introduced a brand new festival! The Flower and Food Festival commemorates Dollywood’s 35th anniversary season. We’ve got all the details on the new Dollywood festival.
Flower and Food Festival at Dollywood: Flowers
Dollywood added one more festival to its mix during its 2020 season. The Flower and Food Festival kicked off when Dollywood opened on June 15. During the festival, visitors can enjoy over half a million new flowers and plants throughout the park. Some displays you will see are Smoky Mountain turtles, frogs, black bears, and a tribute to “Coat of Many Colors” with a butterfly and scenic sculpture of Dolly’s mother sewing the coat. The tallest sculpture in the park is the one of Dolly’s mother, which is 14-feet tall! These sculptures throughout the park are called “mosaics.” Mosaiculture is the art of creating larger-than life plant sculptures using thousands of plants to cover a steel frame. There are more than 6,000 plants in these mosaics.
The mosaics aren’t the only “flower” elements in the park! There are also beautiful floral carpet beds around the walkways and plenty of flowerbeds throughout the park. You’ll also notice more pots and window boxes throughout Dollywood.
The festival also features a number of interactive displays, and a visual element called “Umbrella Sky” on Showstreet. Hundreds of colorful umbrellas are suspended over the pathway, creating a beautiful sight.
Flower and Food Festival at Dollywood: Food
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Dollywood festival without delicious food options — especially since food is in the name of the festival! You can enjoy brand new food and drink options at a number of restaurants and eateries throughout Dollywood. Here’s where you can find some of the delicious new food additions:
Spotlight Bakery
- Flower and Food Festival shortbread cookies
- Spring blooms cupcakes
Showstreet Snacks
- Belgian waffle topped with Nutella
- Belgian waffle topped with lemon curd and blueberries
- Strawberry hibiscus refresher
Booth beside Front Porch Cafe
- Citrus shrimp
- Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon
- Strawberry guava quencher
Booth in Market Square
- Gyro
- Greek orzo pasta
Market Square Steak
- Grilled chili lime skirt steak
- Carmelized brussels sprouts
- Toasted coconut cupcake
Market Square Sausage
- Chicken stir fry
- Zucchini fritter cakes
Booth beside Kettle Korn
- Lobster roll
- Blueberry tart
- Blueberry lavender lemonade
Booth beside Rivertown Train Trestle
- Italian sandwich
- Charcuterie in a cone
- Blood orange lemonade
Booth between Tennessee Mountain Home and Smoky Mountain River Rampage
- Pineapple pork sliders
- Chocolate ganache brownie
- Watermelon lime fresca
In their press release regarding the event, Dollywood described this festival as a “must-experience” event, so start making your plans to celebrate the 35th anniversary season with them at the Flower and Food Festival!
Dollywood plans for the festival to go through mid-July, at least. They are evaluating the health of the plants to see how they withstand the summer heat.
Other Dollywood Festivals in 2020
Of course you can still experience some of your other favorite Dollywood festivals during the 2020 season. Whether it’s listening to gospel music while admiring thousands of carved pumpkins or enjoying millions of twinkling Christmas lights, you’ll love everything Dollywood has to offer throughout the year. Here are the dates for the remaining Dollywood festivals:
- Thrills in the Hills (July 10 – 11)
- Harvest Festival (Sept. 25 – Oct. 31)
- Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 7 – Jan. 2)
Plan Your Trip to Dollywood Today!
It’s never too early to start planning your trip to Dollywood. Come celebrate the 35th anniversary of the theme park! For more information, check out our ultimate Dollywood vacation guide.