Dolly Parton Day Declared Across the US: Nashville, California and Beyond Honor the Queen of Country

One month after the death of Dolly Parton at age 80, cities and states across the United States are coming together to declare 25 September Dolly Parton Day. The date itself is a tribute to her beloved single "9 to 5," and the celebrations are as vibrant and wide-ranging as the woman they honor — spanning parades, pink lights, karaoke, literacy events, and a downtown fireworks display in Nashville timed for 9.25pm.

A Date That Says It All

The choice of 9/25 is a characteristically clever nod to Parton's catalog. "9 to 5," the title track from the 1980 comedy film in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining songs of her career. It remains one of the most recognizable entries in a songbook that also includes "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," "I Will Always Love You," and the Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream."

California and Ohio have officially declared the date Dolly Parton Day. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation last week establishing 25 September as Dolly Parton Day in the state every year, with the bill sponsored by state senators Shannon Grove and John Laird. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel signed a proclamation earlier this month recognizing the day — though, unlike California's law, Ohio's proclamation applies only to 2026. Lawmakers in New York and Pennsylvania are considering similar measures; New York's bill remained in a senate committee, while Pennsylvania's legislation had been referred to a house committee.

"We Could All Afford to Live a Little More Like Dolly"

Newsom's statement captured the spirit of the occasion. "We could all afford to live a little more like Dolly," he said. "Be kind, be humble and have some fun … Be a diamond in a rhinestone world. With this bill, we are not just establishing a day to celebrate Dolly Parton, we are creating an annual reminder to us, every year, to live the way she did – joyfully, graciously and with a whole lot of heart."

That emphasis on kindness and humility was echoed in Nashville, where Parton had lived since she was 18. The city is honoring the singer with pink lights and posters while handing out stickers, buttons and bookmarks. The celebration began with the unveiling of a new Dolly-themed license plate, with $25 from each plate sold going to support local Imagination Libraries. A downtown fireworks tribute is planned for 9.25pm.

"It's just bittersweet that Dolly isn't here with us," Nashville's mayor, Freddie O'Connell, said during the event's kick-off. "Today isn't about the music or the fame, it's about Dolly's best gift to all of us: her kindness, the way she cared, the depths of her caring and the enduring lessons she taught us about how to care for one another." Tennessee state and local officials are currently working to rename the airport after Parton.

Literacy, Karaoke and a Second Line

The nationwide tributes reflect the many facets of Parton's legacy. In Los Angeles, the county library will host a Dolly Parton Day event at several locations: Dolly Day: Smarty Pants Storytime, which will include songs, rhymes and movement along with teaching school-readiness skills. The event is a natural extension of Parton's long-standing advocacy for young readers — her juvenile literacy charity, the Imagination Library, provided millions of books for children around the world.

Southwest Airlines also announced plans to host a Parton-inspired karaoke Friday for travelers and employees. In New Orleans, the marching group Krewe of Dolly will lead a memorial parade commencing at 5pm, passing through the French Quarter and ending at the Jazz Museum. And in San Francisco, organizers are planning a public celebration in the heart of the city called Dolly Day, described as a celebration of life that will include "singing loud, dressing up and being a little kinder than usual in her honor."

A Career That Redefined Country Music

The scale of these tributes is a measure of a career that spanned nearly six decades. Parton wrote her first song at age six, performed regularly on television by age ten, made her first recording a year later, and became a professional songwriter at sixteen. After writing songs for others, she released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967 — the beginning of a run that would include 49 studio albums and more than 3,000 songs written.

Her commercial and critical achievements are staggering: more than a hundred million records sold, 52 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards. She logged 25 No. 1 Billboard country singles — tied with Reba McEntire for the most by a woman — 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over forty years. Her final solo studio album, Rockstar (2023), became her highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 3. She was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984, the National Medal of Arts in 2004, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2006, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2025.

Beyond music, Parton starred in films including 9 to 5 (1980), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Joyful Noise (2012), produced and starred in Netflix features including Christmas on the Square (2021), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, and wrote the music and lyrics for Broadway's 9 to 5 (2009), which earned her a Tony Award nomination.

A Final Duet with Bono

There is also new music to mark the moment. On Thursday, U2 announced a new album, entitled Carnaval de Luz, which will include the final recorded performance by Parton. Closing out the album's 12 tracks is "Torn," a duet performed by Parton and Bono. The song is described in press materials as "a tender country song detailing broken family ties, that holds wider resonances."

For a global fanbase still processing her loss, Dolly Parton Day offers something more than remembrance. As the celebrations in Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles and beyond suggest, the occasion is less a memorial than an instruction — a yearly invitation to sing a little louder, dress up a little brighter, and, in the words of a California governor quoting a Tennessee icon, be a diamond in a rhinestone world.