Video summary
Prestonsburg Tourism is organizing a special celebration titled "Dolly Day" to honor the legendary country music icon, Dolly Parton, on Friday, September 25th. The event will be held at the local welcome center and is designed to showcase various facets of Parton's life and legacy, including her deep love for children, imagination, books, and community service. To align with Parton's famous song "9 to 5," the festivities are scheduled to run from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, inviting residents to step away from their daily work routines and enjoy a family-oriented evening in their own neighborhood rather than traveling long distances just for the occasion.
A central component of the celebration will be a book drive inspired by Parton's well-known Imagination Library program, which provides free books to children. Visitors to Rosenberg Square will find a designated "take one, leave one" box where they can contribute new books to replenish the collection, fostering a spirit of sharing and literacy within the community. In addition to the book exchange, the event will feature live music performed by female-led singer-songwriters who wish to participate are encouraged to contact Prestonsburg Tourism to reserve a spot on the lineup, ensuring the evening remains focused on celebrating women in the arts.
The celebration also includes a fun contest where attendees can compete to see who is best dressed in Dolly Parton's favorite color, adding an element of playful engagement for all ages. Organizers emphasize that the primary goal is not to attract tourists from far away but to encourage local participation and create a joyful atmosphere for families living in Prestonsburg. By bringing children and neighbors together for this unique Friday evening event, the community aims to pay tribute to Parton's enduring impact while strengthening local bonds through shared cultural appreciation.
Read the full video transcript
Prestonsburg Tourism will be hosting a
celebration in the name of Dolly Parton
on Friday, September 25th. The event
will take place at the welcome center
and will feature live music, a book
drive, and a Claro 249 contest to see
who is best dressed in Dolly's favorite
color. Sales and finance coordinator
Jennifer Horsley tells us more.
>> First off, Dolly's loved everywhere. Um,
you know, we want to celebrate Dolly and
her her love of children, imagination,
and books, and and community, and all of
that. So, we came up with 9 to 5 because
on September 25th, 9 to 5, um,
to honor, I guess, and coincide with her
song 9 to 5, and just different aspects
of her life. Um, so we're going to have
the event from 5 to 9. You know, get off
that 9 to 5 daily grind and come on over
to the tourism office. The book drive is
a nod to her Imagination Library, and in
Rosenberg Square, we have a small take
one, leave one book, um,
a box over there. So, we're asking folks
to bring a new book to replenish that
with. So, the take one, leave one book.
>> Any female artist that want to perform
that evening can contact Prestonsburg
Tourism to reserve a spot. Public
interest in Dolly Day has been high
since it was first announced.
>> So, we have live female-led, um,
musicians, singer-songwriters.
Um, if you are a
female want to participate, reach out.
We may have some room. I feel like it's
going to be a really exciting evening.
It's had a lot of response, um,
and it's This event is not about,
you know, getting people to come in from
500 miles away. It's to,
um,
have our own community participate, and
and just have, you know, something fun
to do on a Friday evening. Um, bring the
kids, bring, you know, whoever, and and
come and see us. It doesn't matter where
you're coming from. We just want to to
honor Dolly and have a good family
oriented community event.
>> Reporting for Mountain Top News, I'm
Nick Collum.