Ready to ride into a new season and catch the latest acts?
I was pondering the other day about Skeeter – the comedic heart of Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner show in Pigeon Forge. As the Stampede enters its 39th season, I wonder how many people have had the honor of donning the Tennessee hat and overhauls and earning the right to call themselves Skeeter.
Like a Dread Pirate Roberts of the mountains, the mantle of this comedic hero is passed from one to the next, bringing joy, laughter, and a certain level of sanctioned shenanigans to an often cruel, uncaring world.
But while Skeeter is one of the few truly eternal beings of the world, the only other real constant in Pigeon Forge is change. Change, like Skeeter, is eternal. Season after season, the cold of winter begins to thaw, or at least considers thawing. And a season of renewal starts again in the mountains and its various entertainment venues.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede is embracing change, delivering both the familiar and the novelty of change in 2026.
What is Dolly Parton’s Stampede?
Born as the Dixie Stampede and now renamed in honor of its co-owner, Dolly Parton’s Stampede is one of three dinner shows in Pigeon Forge. Each is part of the partnership between Dolly Parton and Herschend Entertainment, which also co-owns Dollywood. The Stampede is now billed as the World’s Most Visited Dinner Attraction.
The show features vibrant music, storytelling, equine excellence, butterflies, and the comedic wonder of Skeeter. He, in addition to passing his mantle like a Smoky Mountain version of the Dread Pirate Roberts, is also something of an Appalachian Puck, straight from Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Skeeter is a chaos agent; his job is to be the everyman, providing mirth and merriment to the proceedings.
The Stampede also provides a four-course meal
“When I first dreamed up my Stampede, I wanted it to have delicious food that people could feast on while being swept up in a thrilling, fun, and entertaining show – something the whole family could experience together,” Dolly said. “Every time I see the show, I find myself grinning from ear to ear – watching our talented riders and beautiful horses never gets old. And I always get a kick out of the friendly competitions with folks from the audience. But my favorite part? You probably won’t be surprised that it’s the ‘Butterfly Dreams’ segment. Seeing our horses turn into magnificent butterflies is one of my dreams come to life, right there in the arena.”
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Is the show good?
Yeah. It’s entertaining if a little corny. Of course, being a little corny is a Smoky Mountain entertainment tradition. The Stampede arena is 35,000 square feet, giving plenty of room for the cast and the 32 horses that perform “extraordinary equestrian feats.” But the show starts before the show starts if you know what I mean.
“The Stampede experience begins before the show starts with an opportunity for guests to meet some of the show’s equine stars at the Horse Walk,” Stampede officials explained in a release. “Next, the much-loved pre-show entertainment is bigger and better than ever, with a variety of bluegrass and country music performed live in the Saloon.”
Once the show starts, it feels even bigger than its large arena. This is in part due to an LED backdrop that creates an expansive view into the “Great Plains of Yesteryear.” There are a variety of competitions – each guest entering the Stampede will be placed on one of two teams. It used to be that the teams were based on the North and the South – hence the Dixie Stampede – but they cut that out. Now, you’re assigned Team Blue or Team Red.
Is the dinner good?
No, not really. But some people like it. The partnership that owns the Stampede also owns the Pirates Dinner Show and the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show in town. All three are similarly depressing when it comes to food.
I used to be nice about this, but you pay a good amount of money for a dinner and a show. Therefore, the dinner should be better than it is. You start with a soup, and that’s the best part of the meal. I actually like the soup; it’s a creamy vegetable. Your main course includes a small rotisserie chicken, some pulled pork (not bad), corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes. The meal is essentially flavorless. You’d be better off at the Shoney’s after. For dessert, it’s an apple turnover or coconut chocolate cake.
The truth is, I would enjoy the theatre more if they dropped the meal and just charged for the show, letting me go out to eat before or after. But after nearly 40 years, I imagine the meal is too entrenched in the tradition to replace.
What’s new this season?
Well, it’s time for the horses to moooove over. The show has a new animal act. It’s Buttercup, a Highland Cow that makes both my “moooove” reference in the last sentence and my previous mentions of the Dread Pirate Roberts extremely clever. Buttercup’s job is to be Skeeter’s sidekick. Skeeter has decided the show needs a magic act, and Buttercup serves as his bovine assistant.
And the relatively new Butterfly Dreams segment featuring the LED screen and the horses in Pegasus-style Day-Glo butterfly wings will be back. The segment debuted in May of 2024 and has quickly become a favorite for the crowd and Dolly Parton herself.
How much does the Stampede cost?
Prices start at $60 for adults and vary by date and showtime. Visit the website here. The show’s location is 3849 Parkway in Pigeon Forge.