Have a Ball for Dolly

PHOTO VIA PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

Want to raise a drink (or the roof) for Dolly Parton?

Here are a few events happening around Pittsburgh to honor the pop culture icon:

Nine Two Five

From 5 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 26, Dancing Gnome’s cocktail bar at 925 Main St. in Sharpsburg, will be blasting Dolly tunes while serving the singer’s favorite cocktail, the Dirt Road Martini. This Tennessean twist on the classic cocktail features vodka, unsweetened iced tea and pickled giardiniera brine. There will also be hot dogs inspired by Dolly’s go-to grub, a pimento-cheese sandwich.

Bottlerocket Social Hall

Bottlerocket is throwing a hootenanny for the Queen of Country on Aug. 28.

Billed as a “happy/sad DJ Dance Party” for folks 21 and over, the fond farewell starts at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and proceeds benefit Dolly’s Imagination Library, a charity to support funding children’s literacy.

DJ Rodeo Starr, a lifelong Dolly devotee, will be spinning songs from every era of the singer’s career, along with tracks from other artists she inspired.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Kennywood

Dolly didn’t personally have dibs on Kennywood, but Herschend, parent company of Dollywood, acquired the West Mifflin park, along with Sandcastle and Idlewild & SoakZone, in 2025.

“Dolly Parton was a once-in-a-generation partner whose humor, vision and talent were unmistakable, but it was her heart for people — especially our guests and our hosts — that left the deepest mark,” Andrew Wexler, Herschend’s CEO, said in a statement. “That spirit lives on not just in the destinations we built together, but in how we treat one another, our guests and the communities we serve. We are incredibly grateful for her partnership and are committed to carrying her spirit with us in everything we do.”

Spend the final days of the Summer of Sebak at Kennywood. Swap yarns about Dolly with Cowboy Joe or pretend Kenny Kangaroo is Kenny Rogers, her friend and frequent collaborator. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 29 and 30 and Sept. 5-7. First responders, including police, fire, dispatch, corrections and EMTs, get free admission to the park with a valid work ID.

Kennywood’s sister park, Dollywood, located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.