Dolly Week at The Graduate Hotel Will Celebrate Her Highness’ 75th Birthday

Dolly Parton’s birthday is not yet a national holiday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Her Highness each January. Tennessee’s favorite songwriter, performer, humanitarian, fashion icon, actor and businesswoman hits a new milestone next week — her 75th birthday. The Graduate Nashville hotel is celebrating her semisesquicentennial with events in her honor. The festivities start on Monday, Jan. 18, with a Dolly-themed balloon installation made by Rock Paper Scissors, which will be on view all week in the Graduate lobby.

At 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 23, the Imagination Library rolls in. Dolly’s nonprofit sends books to 850,000 children per month — boasting 150,606,052 books total — to promote literacy around the world. The nonprofit will have book giveaways and membership signups. This is where you can also buy hot-pink glittery Dolly ornaments made by local artist, set decorator and prop maker Emily Davis. They are just the thing to add a pop of color to your Yuletide decor, but, if you ask me, Dolly is to be celebrated in every season. Stock up on these now, and, come December, you’ll be able to cross off names on your gift list with aplomb. 

Also on Tuesday and Saturday, you can check out the Dolly-themed mini-market. Grab some art and coloring pages from Sam Sidney, nibble on Dolly-themed sweets from KCG Cookies and shop for goods from The Tilly Goose and Sarah Tate. 

In other Dolly news, District 41 State Rep. John Mark Windle introduced legislation earlier this week proposing that the state of Tennessee fund and create a statue of the icon that would be displayed on the Capitol grounds. The Smoky Mountain Songbird donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in support of COVID-19 research. I support this measure and recommend that the monument contain a heart of gold. Your official Dolly correspondent is following this legislation closely and will keep you informed. 

Masks are required for the birthday celebration; read about the hotel's COVID-19 protocols here so you can celebrate Dolly safely. Or if you’d rather keep sheltering in place, why not watch 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, or the Netflix documentary Dolly Parton: Here I Am? There's also Jad Abumrad's excellent podcast Dolly Parton's America, Dolly's memoir, and two more new books about the artist. Make a playlist of your favorite Dolly songs. Don a big wig.

Long may She reign!