Dollywood's Festival of Nations is out of this world this year!
Ha, excuse my terrible puns! It'll be worth enduring for the awesome coupon code for Dollywood tickets at the end of this post!
But really, it's fantastic. The food passport is phenomenal, the shows are incredible, and did I mention the food?
Beyond the general glory of the festival itself, visiting the park in spring is a great decision. It's not too hot, the chance of rain thins the crowds, and on sunny days it's warm enough for water rides. Plus...the food! I know, I'm a food nut. But a variety of international flavors and demonstrations that are in line with the superior quality of all Dollywood food? It's an unstoppable combination. It may be my favorite food festival of the year (well, until BBQ & Bluegrass).
The Food Passport
With nine countries and four continents, there is plenty of food to sample. Our favorites include the paella from Spain (the kids especially loved this one!) and the empanadas from Ecuador. We also sampled Canada's food, and you just can't go wrong with fried cheese! It made for a great snack, but we preferred Spain and Ecuador for more filling meals.
Grab a food passport- it's a great guide to where the food stalls are, what they're serving, and the kids love getting the stamps. Our goal is to fill ours up before the Festival of Nations ends April 14!
International Shows
Dollywood's shows are always astounding. These traveling troupes are no different. We've heard wonderful things about Drumstruck and it's interactive components, but our youngest family member is sensitive to loud noises so we didn't get to experience it firsthand this year.
We got to attend one of the chef demonstrations. Considering our 6 year old wants to be a chef when he grows up, this was a dream come true for him. The chef, from Dollywood's Dreammore Resort & Spa, did a fantastic job of teaching us how to make paella. And our little one was even brave enough to speak up when the chef asked a question to the audience! They sampled out the empanadas they demonstrated making when the demonstration was complete.
We also visited Cuba Vibra and it was FANTASTIC!!! I cannot express how much we loved this show. From ages 3 to 34 in our group, everyone loved it. The kids were entranced by the different dancing, I drooled over all the costumes (Dear Dollywood, please sell these in the park! I'm dying for those dresses!!). The dancing, the singing, the drumming...it was all so fantastic. I could watch it again and again. It's a 45 minute show, so be prepared if you have younger kids to make a mad dash to the bathrooms or grab some popcorn to help entertain them if they lose interest (because not all little kids will enjoy every show, so having a backup plan is a great way to make sure the grownups enjoy the show!)
The Decorations
Dollywood is decked out with flags and globes. It's a great way to introduce little ones to new cultures in a familiar environment, where they're more willing to try new things. It's a great experience to mix the fun rides you typically go for with the fun decorations, food, and experiences.
Coupon Code
Are you ready to print your tickets and head to Festival of Nations? Would you like to save $10 per ticket? Print online using the following code and you'll save $10 per ticket! These tickets are upgradable to a season pass, and more fun festivals are just around the corner!
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