Watch a seasonal musical--showtimes run throughout the day.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Get a Taste of Christmas at Dollywood" is from the December 2005 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.

Web Exclusive:
Visit a Festive Winter Celebration

Here's a little secret: Now 'tis the season to avoid the crowds at Dollywood and enjoy the park's two-month-long holiday festival, Smoky Mountain Christmas.

Tucked in the hills of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Dollywood is a popular place to celebrate any time of year. So popular, in fact, that the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development ranks this park the state's number one paid attraction. But now is a great time to go. The lights are strung, the carolers are singing, the lines are shorter, and the beauty of the park is at its peak.

Way Off Broadway
"Chocolate-covered peanuts! Kettle corn! Sweet corn!" hollers a vendor hawking goodies in a theater before the show. The lights dim, and the stage comes alive with a Broadway-style musical. Still a hit after 11 years, Christmas in the Smokies is Dollywood's longest-running show.

Like Dolly herself, who is the first to make a joke at her own expense ("People ask me how long it takes to do my hair," she once said. "I say, ‘I don't know, I'm never there!' "), the musical exhibits a sense of humor. The choreography may incorporate jugs, washboards, and other down-home instruments. Even the old two-guys-in-a-horse-costume number maintains its slapstick hilarity.