Dolly Parton Day celebrated across the US: What to know

Pour yourself a cup of ambition on Friday, because it’s Dolly Parton’s day.

Dozens of municipalities and one state have declared Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Day, a celebration timed to the date’s nod to Parton’s beloved hit song, “9 to 5.”

While Tennessee, Parton’s home state, already recognizes Jan. 19 — her birthday — as Dolly Parton Day, and is looking to add a Sept. 25 “9 to 5 Day,” California became the first state to officially establish Sept. 25 as an annual Dolly Parton Day.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 931 by Senators Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), which establishes Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day in California.

“We could all afford to live a little more like Dolly,” Newsom said in a statement. “Be kind, be humble, and have some fun…Be a diamond in a rhinestone world. With this bill, we are not just establishing a day to celebrate Dolly Parton, we are creating an annual reminder to us, every year, to live the way she did — joyfully, graciously, and with a whole lot of heart.”

Read on to learn more about Dolly Parton Day.

Where else is Dolly Parton Day being celebrated?

While state lawmakers in Tennessee will have to wait until January 2027 to review and vote on the proposal to add a Sept. 25 “9 to 5 Day,” cities and local governments across the state have separately declared Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day, including Nashville, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the town of Pittman Center.

In early September, Manhattan Borough president Brad Hoylman-Sigal also declared Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Appreciation Day across the borough.

Cities and counties also recognizing Dolly Parton Day include Portland, Oregon, and Hays County, Texas, and Montgomery County, Texas.

Why Dolly Parton is being celebrated?

In each of the proclamations declaring Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25, California, cities and counties have not only recognized Parton’s work as an entertainer, but many are putting a spotlight on Parton’s advocacy for literacy.

Her Imagination Library, which launched in 1995 and has distributed over 330 million free books worldwide, is highlighted in almost every declaration.

How is Dolly Parton Day being celebrated?

Across the country, celebrations are being held to honor the late singer.

Nashville will honor Parton with pink lights and Dolly posters across the city, according to the official website for the city. The website also states that Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will donate all proceeds on Sept. 25 from their Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk to the Nashville Public Library and the Imagination Library.

A daytime celebration filled with live music and more will also be held on Sept. 25 in San Francisco’s Union Square.

New Orleans-based marching group, Krewe of Dolly, will lead a parade through the French Quarter and end at the New Orleans Jazz Museum to celebrate Parton.