One of the interesting things about Dollywood is they have different events, decorations, and food for each season. Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is one of my favorites. They have lots of crafters showing off their skills and you can purchase their products if you want. This time, their decorations feature pumpkins that light up at night. It’s been a while since we visited Dollywood in the fall, so we decided it was time to go back.

For more information about Dollywood, see our Dollywood review.

Crafters

There were many crafters there showcasing their work. They were set up in small booths along the walking paths. Some were giving live demonstrations. I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated artistic skills, so I was looking forward to seeing them. we watched several demonstrations and talked with several of the artisans. You can purchase their products on the spot. If you like crafts and artistic work, you’ll want to go just to see the crafters.

Great Pumpkin Luminights

The Great Pumpkin Luminights consists of hundreds, if not thousands, of pumpkins with lights inside. Most of them have carved faces, drawings, etc. Some create sculptures. They’re scattered throughout the entire park. It was fun walking through and seeing them.

Colossal Pumpkins

There were several colossal pumpkins in an area with signs that include information about the grower and weight. These are prize-winning pumpkins from all over the eastern United States. Many were over 1000 pounds. The largest I saw was 1350 pounds. These were interesting and fascinating to see.

Other Things we Did

Here are a few other things we didn’t get to do last time.

Dollywood Express Train Ride

This time we got to ride the Dollywood Express. I’ve ridden the train before, but it had been several years. It runs around the mountain at almost 24 MPH. You’ll see areas within the park as well as some large fields. The conductor tells information about the train and the area as you go down the track. They play a couple of old country train songs on the way back. This is an enjoyable ride that lasts around 20 minutes. The line starts 30 minutes early.

Victoria’s Pizza

Victoria’s Pizza has indoor and outdoor dining. The menu is simple with just a few pizzas to choose from. We chose The Conductor. This is a thin-crust combination pizza with pepperoni, bacon, and ground beef. We got one of the small rectangular pizzas (4 slices) to share and it was enough lunch for us.

It had a good flavor. The bacon was a little too chewy. The crust was almost like a flatbread. It tasted good too, but the edges had a burned taste that we didn’t care for. If I wanted pizza I’d get it again, but I’d like to try the other pizzeria, Lumber Jack’s Pizza, first. Unfortunately, it was closed the day we were there.

Wings of America Birds of Prey

We had to try the bird show again and sit in the front where we could see the birds up close. They had a couple of new birds that were fun to watch. The hawk flew so low that we had to duck.

One of the presenters asked me if I wanted the screech owl. I said yes and she told me I’d have to build my own owl house to attract one. They placed the instructions on the screen and you can download them from their website.

Randy’s Thoughts

I’ve always enjoyed Dollywood in the fall. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing the crafters. There were a lot of crafters to watch and purchase from, but I was hoping for a few more. There were more than we’re showing here. We also watched a few of the singing groups. They’re always fun. I also enjoyed seeing the pumpkins. The sculptures were especially interesting. We didn’t try any of the fall food. We’ll just have to go back for that.

Would you go back? Yes. Next time, I’ll stay later to see the pumpkins lit up and try the fall food.

Lucinda’s Thoughts

Dollywood in the fall is a lot of fun. I always love seeing all the crafters and artists, especially the ones who give demonstrations. Of the extra crafters there the hand-painted ornaments were my favorite item and making patterned paper using paint floating on water was my favorite demonstration. I loved the wide variety of carved pumpkins and that a lot of them were country, nature, and fall-themed instead of all being Halloween. I always love the bumper cars, train rides, and the Birds of Prey show. The pizza wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping it would be, but overall it was a very enjoyable visit.

Would you go back? Yes. The fall weather makes being outside all day more enjoyable. The decorations, performers, and other seasonal changes make season tickets and return trips in the same year a great experience. The only thing I miss in the fall is the River Rampage water ride.

More Information

Learn more about Dollywood’s fall festival at their Harvest Festival page.

For more information about Dollywood, see our review.