Dolly Parton Day: How fans around the US are honouring a music icon

Across the world, communities are dedicating Friday to honouring their beloved country singer Dolly Parton. The day is falling on Sept. 25, a wink at Parton’s hit song "9 to 5.” Parton, who died of cancer last month at age 80, built an impressive legacy over the decades as a singer-songwriter, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur - leaving big and small ways to honour the icon. So whether it’s dusting off your rhinestones, donating a book or throwing back a pink-themed cocktail, here’s how you can celebrate Dolly Parton Day. In the U.S., a growing number of state and local leaders are establishing Sept. 25 as an annual Dolly Parton Day from California to the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The proclamations highlight Parton’s successful career and stress her lifelong commitment to promoting literacy. In Nashville - where Parton had lived since she was 18 - the city will honour the singer with pink lights and posters and give away stickers, buttons and bookmarks. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines announced that it would hold a Parton-inspired karaoke Friday for travellers and employees. Tennessee state and local officials are currently in the process of renaming the airport after Parton. A statue of country music star Dolly Parton outside of the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S., November 3, 2025. (Reuters) "Dolly Parton’s impact on Nashville will be felt for generations, through the music she has given us, the people she has helped and the example she continues to set,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell in a statement. "She has shown us that caring for a community means showing up for one another.” Over in New Orleans, the marching group Krewe of Dolly will lead a parade through the city’s French Quarter to honour Parton. And in San Francisco, organizers are planning a public event in the heart of the city, called "Dolly Day,” designed to be a celebration of life that will include "singing loud, dressing up, and being a little kinder than usual in her honour.” For those chained to their actual 9 to 5 job on Friday, sneaking away for an event may be challenging. Instead, you can channel Parton’s giving spirit. Parton made it her mission to improve literacy through her Imagination Library book giveaway program. The program has quickly expanded, resulting in more than a million books sent out each month to children in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. Tourists from Wisconsin, Megan Meyer, left, and Lauren Halmsted, watch a portrait of the late Dolly Parton get installed outside RCA Studio A, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. where Parton recorded "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" during a 1973 recording session. (AP) The Imagination Library is encouraging the public to give directly to their local Imagination Library Partner on Dolly Parton Day, or help establish a new program in their community. Don’t know where to start? The Dollywood Foundation is directing people to ImaginationLibrary.com, where a ZIP code search can find nearby programs. "For Dolly, giving was always personal and from her heart,” said Jeff Conyers, president of The Dollywood Foundation, in a statement. "She believed deeply in helping people, especially children, and she always felt if you are in a position to help, you should help.” The Queen of Country was known for her over-the-top style, proudly wearing sequins with big hair and plenty of fringe in her signature colour pink. Parton especially adored butterflies, singing that "love is like a butterfly, as soft and gentle as a sigh.” Dig into your closet and throw on something extra flashy, shiny or sparkly. Feeling adventurous? Some tattoo artists are offering Dolly-inspired tattoos on Friday, but a butterfly clip will also work. A portrait of the late Dolly Parton is installed outside RCA Studio A, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. where she recorded "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" during a 1973 recording session. (AP) Of course, there's no easier way to celebrate Parton than by playing one of her many, many albums throughout the day. Known for her hits "9 to 5,” "Jolene,” and "I Will Always Love You,” Parton's catalogue runs deep, and there's room to discover new favourites. It was Parton’s wish that her songs would have a lasting impact, and that in turn, she would be remembered for trying to make the world a better place. "I hope that a lot of my songs may last that long. And I hope I’ll be remembered as somebody that tried to do some good in the world and left, you know, a few good things,” she told The Associated Press in 2024.