PIGEON FORGE — Dollywood continued it’s yearlong celebration of its 25th birthday and “the dreamer in each of us” Friday as the park’s namesake, country music legend Dolly Parton, threw a party for her family, friends and special guests.

Parton made public appearances at the park and in the area for the second time this year as she joined in festivities for the attraction’s silver anniversary. She brought her trademark Sevier County wit to a morning event in which she was lauded by local and state officials, then invited 25 random folks to bring a guest and join her for an intimate lunch.

“Ain’t we done good?” Parton asked, letting out a giggle as the crowd of thousands in the park’s Celebrity Theater cheered. “Do you remember Pigeon Forge 25 years ago? A lot of things have changed and they’ve changed because we’ve worked together to change them. I just want to say, ‘Thank you.’”

Among those Parton thanked are the people she said are on the “front lines,” those who deal personally at the park and in local shops, attractions and accommodations with the millions of tourists who visit the area each year.

“All these good things are a reflection on all of you,” she said.

Also getting a special tip of the hat from Parton, who donned a white dress spangled with silver accents and the high heels she’s known for, were Jack and Shirley Herschend. The couple attended the festivities and Parton called on them to stand and be recognized by the crowd for the 25 years their company — Herschend Family Entertainment — has partnered with Parton in running Dollywood.

“I feel so blessed that we have the wonderful partners we do,” Parton said, inviting applause for the Herschends as she recounted them suggesting the collaboration after worrying to her she’d put their Silver Dollar City theme park out of business if she opened her own.

Twenty-five years on, what was Silver Dollar City and became Dollywood in 1986 has welcomed more than 40 million people. Parton reflected on the journey, pointing out the park has won countless awards, the Dollywood Foundation has grown beyond her initial dreams for it, the birthing center at the new LeConte Medical Center bears her name — an honor she says she’s not sure she deserves — because of her efforts to support its construction and her Imagination Library will give away its 25 millionth book this year.

“Could that be any more appropriate?” she asked.

She also recounted her own memories of Pigeon Forge and all of Sevier County 25 years ago. Where the town essentially became a ghost town after Halloween then, now the area has boomed into a nearly year-round tourism destination that draws upwards of 10 million visitors a year, about 4 million of whom visit one of the attractions that are part of the Dollywood company.

Parton shares the credit for the county’s new life with everyone who has a hand in ensuring each visitor has a good experience in her homeplace and said she hasn’t given up on dreaming about what the future may hold.

“We hope our relationship continues for another 25 years and beyond,” Parton said, joking with Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster and Tennessee Department Tourist Development Commissioner Susan Whitaker, “I wonder how we’ll look then, girls. I know I’ll still be in rhinestones.”

Parton pointed out every person in the room has some special connection with the park, but Whitaker and Teaster have some of the longest-standing. Whitaker first got started in a tourism career at Dollywood after the Herschends, as she describes it, “took a chance” and gave her a job that later led her to lead the state department. Teaster, meanwhile, is the only manager the city has had in the 25 years since Dollywood opened its gates.

Both women shared the stage with Parton for a short time before she joined in songs with the cast of “Sha-Kon-O-Hey!” and park musical group the Silvertones. They brought greetings and proclamations from their respective government bodies.

“This is a great day for the city of Pigeon Forge, as well as the entire county of Sevier,” Teaster said. “You can see in our town what accomplishments we’ve made. We’ve had a lot of challenges. We’ve had a lot of opportunities.”

Teaster presented Parton with an official proclamation declaring 2010 the “Year of Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.”

Whitaker took her turn at the microphone to point out the huge impact Dollywood has on the state’s tourism industry, its second-largest economic engine, being Tennessee’s top paid attraction. She also brought a message from Gov. Phil Bredesen, whom she said was unable to attend because he is touring flood-ravaged Middle Tennessee with federal officials.

“I am confident the next 25 will be as successful as the first,” Whitaker read from Bredesen’s letter.

Also joining in the proclaiming were State Rep. Richard Montgomery and State Sen. Doug Overbey, who presented a resolution approved by both houses of the General Assembly recognizing the park’s milestone year.

Parton capped the event by asking those in attendance to check the backs of souvenir notebooks they were handed as they entered the park. Those who found a rose-colored sticker in their binders were invited to share lunch with Parton before she rushed off to prepare for a parade at the park first, then through Pigeon Forge in the evening.

dhodges@themountainpress.com