Orlando is set to say its own goodbye to Dolly Parton tonight. Will's Pub has scheduled an all-acoustic tribute show running from 7 to 10 p.m., with $10 admission and several local musicians lending their voices to Parton's catalog of hits and deep cuts.
According to Will's Pub, the venue promised that on October 28th, from 7-10pm, several of Orlando's finest musicians will come together for the performance. The venue described it as an all-acoustic performance with unique takes on Dolly's hits and deep cuts, and said an after party with DJ Pawli would follow once the music wraps.
The Orlando gathering comes two months after Parton's death. Her family announced that she died on Tuesday aged 80, as Reuters reported in late August, closing out a career that reshaped country music and reached far beyond it.
A Night of Local Voices Honoring a Towering Catalog
As Orlando Weekly reported, the Orlando music community is holding its own tribute honoring Dolly Parton, framing the Will's Pub bill as a way for the city's performers to pay their respects. Tonight's event arrives against the backdrop of a wave of remembrances staged across the country since August, from intimate club shows to primetime television specials.
Just last week, that national outpouring culminated in a star-studded concert broadcast. Country stars paid tribute to Dolly Parton during a live concert event at Belmont University on October 21, according to Country Living, a show that drew heavy viewership when it aired nationally.
National Tribute Drew Nearly 5 Million Viewers
That Nashville event, held at Belmont University's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, delivered 4.74 million total viewers on ABC and Disney+, Billboard reported. The lineup featured performances from artists including Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Ella Langley, Darius Rucker, Lady A and Zac Brown, according to the same outlet. The special remains available for fans to revisit, currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, with Country Living noting it became available on Hulu the day after it aired.
Parton's Deep Roots in Central Florida
Orlando's connection to Parton runs deeper than Wednesday night's lineup. Dolly Parton once had a significant presence in Orlando through Dixie Stampede, a dinner attraction that combined live entertainment, horses and a meal, according to Fox 35 Orlando. The Stampede opened on Vineland Avenue along I-4 in 2003, Orlando Weekly reported, before the Orlando location closed in 2008, per Fox 35's reporting.
Parton's legacy in the region didn't end there. She was inducted into Orlando-based global attractions association IAAPA's Hall of Fame in 2025 for her work creating Dollywood, Orlando Weekly noted. Her philanthropic reach has also been measured in staggering numbers: the Imagination Library has distributed more than 300 million books worldwide, Fox 35 reported, while Orlando Weekly put the figure in more personal terms, noting the organization has given free books to more than 2.5 million kids.
A Career Measured in Records and Honors
Parton's commercial and artistic footprint was just as vast. She sold more than 160 million albums, won 11 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Country Music, Rock & Roll and Songwriters halls of fame, according to Fox 35's report. For Orlando fans unable to make the Nashville broadcast or simply wanting a more intimate farewell, tonight's acoustic set at Will's Pub offers a hometown chance to send off an artist whose influence touched the city in ways both musical and personal.
