Does Dollywood serve alcohol? Where to find drinks and what to know before your visit this summer

Dollywood can be just as much fun for adults as it is for kids. But there’s one question that often comes up for first-time grown-up visitors: Does Dollywood serve alcohol?

The answer is not as straightforward as it might seem, especially since Dolly Parton, the park’s namesake, recently launched her own line of wines.

But the popular theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has plenty of other beverages, entrées and sweet treats to enjoy this summer. And we’re not just talking about the famous cinnamon bread – even though that is highly recommended during any visit.

Here are few tips to finding spirits and good food at Dollywood and related properties.

Does Dollywood serve alcohol?

No. Dollywood does not serve alcohol, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted on Dollywood property. It is a family-friendly, alcohol-free theme park.

Although alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the park itself, alcohol can be purchased at the two nearby Dollywood resorts , DreamMore and HeartSong Lodge.

Several nearby dinner theaters partly owned by Parton offer alcohol before the shows start, too. These include Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Pirates Voyage and the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud dinner shows. They are located in Pigeon Forge, near Dollywood.

How to get Dolly Parton's new wine

Parton launched Dolly Wines in June. The wine line's first product, the Dolly Chardonnay, is available now via Vivino. It is a California Chardonnay 2023 white wine described as bold with flavors of white peach, sweet cream and toasty oak.

Summer beverages and food to enjoy at Dollywood

You can’t get any alcoholic beverages at Dollywood, but you can enjoy other beverages at the park. Honey raspberry sweet tea, homemade southern sweet tea, iced boba coffee and lemonade are on the park’s summer menu.

Other foods on the summer menu include:

• Apple cider BBQ pork sandwich
• Creamy bacon mac & cheese pizza
• The Summer Showers Cupcake, a vanilla blue cupcake iced with cream cheese, sprinkles and a sugar flower.

Showstreet Ice Cream at Dollywood

Hand-scooped ice cream, milkshakes and other frozen treats can be found at Showstreet Ice Cream. The ice cream shop will likely be one of the "coolest" spots to be in the park during hot summer days.

The Mount Laurel Blue Spritzer Float is this year’s featured summer item at Showstreet. It blends the tastes of lemon lime soda and pineapple juice with blue curacao and vanilla ice cream.

A variety of sundaes, churns, and cones are available, too, made from your pick of ice cream flavors and toppings.

The best theme park restaurant

Aunt Granny’s restaurant at Dollywood has repeatedly been named one of the top 10 theme park restaurants in the country by USA TODAY’s 10Best Awards. This year was no different.

The restaurant snagged the No. 3 spot on this year’s 10Best theme park restaurant list. Aunt Granny's serves family-style comfort food such as fried chicken and macaroni and cheese.

What’s Dolly’s favorite food at Dollywood?

If you need a Dollywood food suggestion from Dolly, she revealed her go-to snack to USA TODAY in 2023.

“I love all the stuff. I always like the funnel cakes,” Parton said.

And she praised the food available at Dollywood resorts.

“We have really upscale dinner foods. And the local people, a lot of them come to the restaurant just for a night out, in addition to the guests that stay at the hotel,” she said of DreamMore Resort and Spa.

Dine at Dollywood

Pizza, pork, pies and everything in between: Dollywood has it all. Elevated menu items for the 2024 season include honey garlic chicken, fried green tomatoes and mozzarella, DragonFly Lemonade and white chocolate cranberry bread pudding.

Find your perfect Dollywood meal at one of these restaurants inside the park:

• Aunt Granny’s Restaurant: Featuring family-style dishes, Aunt Granny’s has consistently been named as one of the top 10 best theme park restaurants in the country by USA TODAY.
• Front Porch Café: This family restaurant features many of Dolly's favorite meals and Southern dishes like fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits.
• Grandstand Café: If you love the foods served at the county fair, stop by Grandstand Café to grab a bite.
• Till & Harvest Food Hall: Enjoy a variety of classic savory American and Mexican dishes.
• Miss Lillian's Mill House: Get some delicious home cooking at Miss Lillian’s. There’s also a barbecue corner nearby.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com . On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208 .

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Does Dollywood serve alcohol? Where to find drinks and what to know before your visit this summer