Organizers are expecting what could be in terms of crowd size and participants, the biggest Dolly Parade ever Friday night in Pigeon Forge.
Kay Powell, the assistant director of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, said a crowd of between 50 and 60,000 is expected for the 19th annual event that will showcase 160 participants.
“We started this when Dolly [Parton] came back and Silver Dollar City became Dollywood,” Powell commented. “We wanted to do something to celebrate the occasion and somebody said ‘let’s have a parade’, and 19 years later we’re still doing it.”
The parade will be part of Pigeon Forge’s Springfest 2004. Parton, the Sevier County native and country music icon, will be the Grand Marshal of the parade, this year themed “For God And Country”, which also is the title of her latest CD.
In addition to its famous Grand Marshal, the 2004 Dolly Parade will feature a number of marching bands, colorful floats courtesy of local and area businesses, and celebrities from local and area theaters. Thousands of visitors are expected to line the city’s main thoroughfare to view the parade.
“Springfest in Pigeon Forge is filled with outstanding events,” Powell stated. “The Dolly Parade marks the beginning of a new season of entertainment for us, and we’re looking forward to an exciting year for tourism in Pigeon Forge.”
The annual event is a harbinger of spring for the Sevier County area, and many residents consider it the official kickoff to the tourist season.

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