Louisville is turning pink today in honor of Dolly Parton. Mayor Craig Greenberg proclaimed September 25 Dolly Parton Day in the city, tying the date to Parton's hit song “9 to 5” and announcing tributes downtown, including a special screening, along with plans to light the Big Four Bridge pink in Parton's honor.
Mayor Makes It Official
“I'm officially proclaiming today, 9-25, Dolly Parton Day in Louisville!” Mayor Craig Greenberg
announced, framing the date as a nod to Parton's decades of giving. Greenberg is Louisville's 51st mayor, and he pointed residents to the Kentucky Science Center screening while announcing pink bridge lighting in Parton's honor.
Greenberg pointed fans toward the Kentucky Science Center, which will host a special screening of “9 to 5” on its four-story screen tonight, giving the film — and the song that inspired the date — a larger-than-life showcase. He also announced that the Big Four Bridge would be lit pink in Parton's honor, turning one of the city's most recognizable landmarks into a visible tribute.
A Nationwide Wave of Tributes
Louisville's celebration is part of a broader pattern of places honoring Parton on September 25, a date chosen specifically because it echoes “9 to 5,” according to WMOR. New York state senators Erik Bottcher and Jeremy Cooney introduced legislation to designate the date as “9 to 5 Day” statewide, and Manhattan Borough in New York City is separately recognizing September 25 as Dolly Parton Day, per the same outlet's reporting.
New Orleans is marking the day with its own flair: the Krewe of Dolly planned a memorial parade and party featuring performances and fundraising in Parton's honor, the station reports. Those events join a growing list of official recognitions that have piled up around Parton in recent years, from state legislatures to city halls, each choosing a different date tied to her life or legacy.
Other States Have Their Own Dolly Days
Nashville got there first with a summer tribute: Mayor David Briley officially proclaimed August 5 as Dolly Parton Day in the city, according to WCYB. Briley signed that proclamation with Parton standing beside him, as WBIR reported at the time.
Tennessee took a different approach for its statewide honor, with Governor Bill Lee signing a proclamation designating January 19 — Parton's birthday — as Dolly Parton Day across the state, WMOR notes. California lawmakers went the legislative route, passing Senate Bill 931 to create their own Dolly Parton Day designation, the outlet's report adds.
The Career Behind the Celebrations
The tributes trace back to a career that began remarkably early. Dolly graced the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first time when she was only 13 years old, according to WCYB, and her first album, “Hello, I'm Dolly,” arrived in 1967. Decades later, her philanthropic reach has become just as central to her legacy as her music.
In 1995, she started Imagination Library to give free books to every child in Sevier County from birth to age five, the station reports. That local program has since grown into a global effort, with Parton giving away more than 100 million books to children across the globe, per WCYB's reporting — a milestone that helps explain why cities far beyond Tennessee keep finding new reasons to put her name on the calendar.
