Cities and states across the United States are officially declaring September 25 as Dolly Parton Day, timed to honor the late country music icon and her beloved hit 9 to 5
. The nationwide wave of tributes follows her August death at age 80, combining public celebrations with widespread recognition of her lifelong literacy philanthropy.
California Leads State Proclamations While Ohio Adopts 2026 Recognition
State governments have begun codifying the tribute into official calendars. California became the first state to establish an annual September 25 observance when Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 931 on September 20. The legislation was sponsored by state senators Shannon Grove and John Laird.
We could all afford to live a little more like Dolly,
Newsom said in a statement. 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.
Meanwhile, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel signed a proclamation recognizing the day for 2026. Lawmakers in New York and Pennsylvania are weighing similar measures, with New York’s bill stalled in a senate committee and Pennsylvania’s proposal referred to a house committee.
Nashville Honors Its Longtime Resident With Lights, Fireworks, and Charity
In Nashville, where Parton had lived since she was 18, the city rolled out extensive public tributes featuring pink street lighting, commemorative posters, stickers, buttons, and bookmarks. Festivities launched with the unveiling of a custom Dolly-themed license plate, designed to funnel $25 from each sale directly to local Imagination Libraries.
Tennessee state and local officials are currently working to officially rename the local airport after the singer. Separate municipal proclamations also designated the date across Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Pittman Center.
Honors in Tennessee extended into the local nightlife and music community. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood pledged to donate all proceeds from their Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk on September 25 to the Nashville Public Library and the Imagination Library.
Coast-to-Coast Celebrations Highlight the Imagination Library
Communities nationwide shaped their events around both her musical catalog and her juvenile literacy charity, the Imagination Library, which launched in 1995 and has distributed more than 330 million free books to children worldwide.
- The Los Angeles County Library hosted Smarty Pants Storytime events featuring songs, rhymes, and school-readiness activities.
- San Francisco organizers organized a public celebration in Union Square centered on loud singing, dressing up, and practicing kindness.
- New Orleans saw the marching group Krewe of Dolly lead a memorial parade through the French Quarter, concluding at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
- Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal officially declared the date Dolly Parton Appreciation Day across the borough.
- Portland, Oregon, alongside Hays County and Montgomery County in Texas, joined the roster of municipal recognitions.
U2 Releases Final Recorded Performance Featuring Parton Duet
The nationwide remembrance coincided with a major musical release. U2 announced a new album entitled Carnaval de Luz,
which features Parton’s final recorded performance. The album’s closing track, Torn,
is a duet between Parton and Bono described in press materials as a tender country song exploring broken family ties.
What to Watch Next in State Legislatures
While California has firmly cemented its annual calendar date, other legislative bodies face upcoming legislative sessions that will determine whether statewide recognition widens. Lawmakers in Tennessee will review and vote on a proposal to establish an official statewide September 25 9 to 5 Day
in January 2027.