Overview
- Parton addressed guests in a prerecorded video, saying a kidney stone caused an infection and assuring fans she will be okay.
- Dollywood proceeded with the on‑site announcement of Night Flight Expedition, which is scheduled to open in 2026.
- Park officials presented the attraction as the next step in a $500 million expansion first announced in 2021 and described it as their most ambitious project yet.
- Dollywood had notified followers a day earlier via Instagram that Parton would not attend, citing a change in schedule.
- Her absence comes in a year marked by personal loss after husband Carl Thomas Dean’s death in March, though she continues to engage in select public projects.