Mystical Mountain Lodge

09/16/2026

Discover the Ghosts of Gatlinburg with Ghost City Tours – a Family-Friendly Ghost Tour perfect for all ages. Explore haunted history and spooky legends in the Smoky Mountains!

09/06/2026

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The Pride of the Southland Band honored the late Dolly Parton durin...

09/02/2026

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🧡🦋When the Tennessee Volunteers take the field this season, they’ll be carrying a little piece of Dolly Parton with them 🦋🧡

The University of Tennessee football team announced today that every Tennessee player will wear a commemorative Dolly Parton butterfly sticker on the back of the helmet for every game of the 2026 season. The decal features an orange butterfly with “Dolly” written across the center, a simple and beautiful tribute to Tennessee’s beloved Smoky Mountain girl.

Head Coach Josh Heupel in The Washington Post called Dolly “the queen of East Tennessee” as he reflected on what she meant not only to Tennessee, but to people around the world. He also spoke of her pride in her roots and the extraordinary impact she made by giving back to others.

The butterfly could hardly be a more fitting symbol. Dolly loved butterflies throughout her life. She once recalled chasing them through the mountains as a little girl and over the years the butterfly became one of the symbols most closely associated with her.

In 2023, she stood inside Neyland Stadium dressed in Tennessee orange and joined in singing “Rocky Top” one of those unforgettable Tennessee moments that means even more today.

Now, every time the Volunteers run through the T this season, that little orange butterfly will go with them. From the mountains where Dolly was born to Neyland Stadium and far beyond, her light continues to travel.

🧡🦋 For Dolly For Tennessee For the dreamer who never forgot where she came from🦋🧡

Go Big Orange 🍊

08/29/2026

The U.S. has a president. East Tennessee had a queen!

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08/25/2026

East Tennessee is in deep mourning today after the loss of an icon, a supporter, and a friend
Godspeed Dolly❤️

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: American Country music superstar Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80, her family announced this afternoon.

The news came through an announcement from her nephew Brian Seaver, the son of Parton’s sister Cassie. Seaver said Parton had asked him years ago to be the person to publicly announce her death.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said. He described making the announcement as an honor mixed with “absolute pride and great sadness,” while sharing the family’s faith that Parton is now reunited with loved ones who died before her. “Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others.”

Parton had recently been dealing with several health struggles, which she made public over the last several months.

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.

Parton also leaves a significant mark on Southern Illinois. Her Imagination Library launched locally through Read SI in July 2024 and has since enrolled more than 10,000 children and delivered more than 200,000 free books across 18 Southern Illinois counties. Parton also performed in the region during her career, including a 1977 concert at SIU Arena in Carbondale and appearances at the Du Quoin State Fair in 1975 and 1979.

07/04/2026

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01/31/2026

Pigeon Forge today

01/31/2026

It is a winter wonderland today!