A small farming town in New South Wales held its largest Dolly Parton tribute festival yet, drawing a record 1,600 ticket holders — roughly half the town's population — for a weekend of dress-up, live music and drag performances.
The fifth edition of the festival in Narromine, about 430km north-west of Sydney, was the first to take place since Parton died in August, according to The Guardian. For the weekend the town was renamed "Dollymine," with shopfronts along the main street decorated in pink, rhinestones and butterflies, and images of the singer's face appearing on windows, cupcakes and merchandise.
The Guardian reports that many attendees wore memorial T-shirts bearing messages such as "We will always love you, Dolly" and "forever and always."
Why it matters
The festival began as an effort to lift a community that had been hit hard by drought from 2017 to 2019, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which pushed the first event back to 2022. Jen Ballhausen, a local resident who has volunteered on the festival committee since it started, told The Guardian the idea came from a group of mostly women who wanted to give something back to the town. A super fan on the volunteer team proposed a Dolly Parton theme, and the committee agreed the singer was the right figure to build it around.
Ballhausen said the first year surprised organisers with how many people dressed up, and that this year's turnout went well beyond what they had set as a benchmark. She said the event helps put Narromine on the map and makes the case that small towns are worth taking seriously.
A day of rhinestones, heat and line dancing
Festivities began at 9.30am in the main street, which The Guardian describes as having been transformed into a miniature Dollywood. Line dancers, drag queens and children from the local primary school performed, with the school group delivering a rendition of "Baby I'm Burnin'" accompanied by pom poms.
Temperatures climbed to 30C, and performers in full Dolly drag wiped sweat through their makeup. Narromine sits in hot, flat country about 40km west of Dubbo, where shade awnings offer limited relief. According to The Guardian, some attendees used tea towels to imitate the singer's figure rather than silicone, to avoid overheating.
Wynonah Dove, who performed as a Dolly impersonator on the Saturday evening, told The Guardian that Parton's death made this year's event especially emotional. She said rehearsals began the day after Parton died and that she struggled to get through the songs. Dove, who grew up in Tennessee in circumstances she described as similar to Parton's working-class background, recalled a year without running water and said Parton's success transformed the local economy. She said Parton wanted to make the world better and that people felt close to her even without knowing her personally.
By the afternoon, crowds moved to the local pub for cold drinks and live music. Many visitors stayed in the pub's upstairs rooms, which The Guardian reports were left strewn with glitter, tasselled jackets and bottles of rosé.
Among them was Nikolaas Kostraby, who performs as Dolly Delicious and has travelled from Canberra for the past three years on the recommendation of a neighbour from Narromine. He won best-dressed Dolly in 2023 and returned this year as a committee member and judge. He told The Guardian that people in the town are kind and respectful and that there is no judgement, describing his first visit as nerve-wracking but the experience as the opposite of what he had feared.
Hoedowns, homemade shirts and a crowning
The main stage programme started at 5pm, with attendees arriving at the sporting oval carrying camping chairs and wigs. The Guardian reports that couples, families and strangers soon linked arms to dance on the grass to banjo music.
Lucas, who travelled from Sydney with his partner Scott, his sister and her two children, said the family had custom-made T-shirts for the occasion printed with names and joke job titles under a "Dolly Department Company" banner. His shirt read "director of hair and volume," while Scott's read "chief vibes officer." Lucas told The Guardian the group had decided a year earlier to attend together and that coming after Parton's death made the trip more meaningful. He said the appeal lies in the warmth and inclusiveness behind her songs.
The evening was set to end with the crowning of the best-dressed Dolly, with a sash, trophy and bragging rights on offer. The drag queen Timberlina, who grew up in regional New South Wales, has emceed the festival for the past five years and was due to lead the proceedings again.
Organisers and attendees will now look ahead to next year's event, with the committee's track record suggesting the festival's growth may continue.
