Dolly Parton Day is being marked Friday with parades, pink lights, and book drives as communities worldwide honor the country icon on Sept. 25—a date that winks at her hit “9 to 5,” the Associated Press reported. From Nashville glow-ups to a New Orleans French Quarter march, organizers are pairing glitter with literacy giving.
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AP’s Kimberlee Kruesi noted that Parton died of cancer last month at age 80, leaving a legacy as singer-songwriter, actor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur that cities are now formalizing with official proclamations.
Dolly Parton Day events from Nashville to San Francisco
In Nashville, where Parton lived since age 18, the city is lighting buildings pink, posting tributes, and giving away stickers, buttons, and bookmarks, AP reported. Mayor Freddie O’Connell said her impact will be felt for generations through music, help for others, and an example of showing up for community.
New Orleans’ Krewe of Dolly is leading a French Quarter parade. San Francisco organizers planned a public “Dolly Day” centered on singing loud, dressing up, and being a little kinder. Southwest Airlines scheduled Parton-inspired karaoke for travelers and employees, while Tennessee officials continue work on renaming the airport in her honor.
Imagination Library book drives and how to give
Parton’s Imagination Library now ships more than a million books a month to children in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, according to AP. The Dollywood Foundation is urging donations to local Imagination Library partners—or help starting a new affiliate—via a ZIP-code search at ImaginationLibrary.com.
Foundation president Jeff Conyers said Parton treated giving as personal and believed that if you are able to help—especially children—you should. For people stuck at a real 9-to-5, a book donation is the easiest way to join Dolly Parton Day without leaving work.
Sequins, butterflies, and the soundtrack of the day
AP reminded readers that Parton’s signature style ran to sequins, big hair, fringe, and pink—plus a soft spot for butterflies. Some tattoo shops offered Dolly-inspired ink Friday; a butterfly clip works for everyone else. Playlists built around “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You” are the day’s unofficial soundtrack.
Growing numbers of state and local leaders—from California to Manhattan—have established Sept. 25 as an annual Dolly Parton Day, citing both her career and lifelong literacy advocacy.
How Parton hoped to be remembered
In a 2024 Associated Press interview cited in Friday’s wire story, Parton said she hoped many of her songs would last and that she would be remembered as someone who tried to do good and left a few good things behind. Dolly Parton Day turns that wish into a civic ritual of pink lights, parades, and books in kids’ hands.
Whether the tribute is a French Quarter march, a pink skyline, or a ZIP-code gift to Imagination Library, Friday’s celebrations keep the focus on music, kindness, and early literacy—the parts of Parton’s brand that outlast any single chart hit.
Vanderbilt University and other Nashville institutions also tied Friday tributes to early-literacy gifts in Nashville and New York, extending Parton’s Imagination Library ethos beyond street parties. Dolly Parton Day lands as both a memorial and a fundraising cadence—pink lights for the skyline, books for the next generation of readers.
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Sources
- AP News: Celebrate Dolly Parton Day on 9/25
- Seattle Times: Space Needle lights up pink for Dolly Parton
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