After 32 years leading the Music in the Mountains Spring Parade in Pigeon Forge, Dolly Parton is stepping down and letting someone new serve as grand marshal.
Cal Ripken Jr., a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and chairman and co-founder of Ripken Baseball, will serve as parade grand marshal this year.
Ripken also owns the Ripken Experience youth baseball facility in Pigeon Forge.
“For 32 years, it’s been my honor and privilege to serve as the grand marshal,” Dolly Parton said in a statement. “In that time, Pigeon Forge has grown so much and so many new businesses and attractions have come to town, everyone agrees that this is the perfect time for me to step aside and share the spotlight with some other folks. Dollywood has hogged the spotlight long enough!”
Pigeon Forge’s Homecoming Parade began in 1987. Officials from the city of Pigeon Forge and Dollywood said they want to provide an opportunity for a new grand marshal to preside over its annual springtime parade this year.
It's unclear if Dolly will be at the parade, but you won't see her as grand marshal.
“We want to thank Dolly for all that she has done, and we are so very grateful for the kindness and generosity she has shown to both our visitors and our residents,” Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster said. “Given Pigeon Forge’s progress and unprecedented growth during the last three decades, both Dollywood and Pigeon Forge city officials recognized that we have so much to celebrate with our parade.”
Teaster said she understands people are upset about the change, but the city is excited to welcome a new face to the parade's spotlight.
"He's wonderful, they have a great business here, so we're really looking forward to Cal being a participant here," Teaster said. "But we want folks to know too that any time Dolly Parton wants to come back, and participate, be the grand marshal in our parade, she is more than welcome to do that because Dolly is so loved here in Pigeon Forge."
The parade takes place on the Parkway on May 4 at 6 p.m.
Some people in Pigeon Forge say they are upset, but are trying to understand the change. Danette Rolen owns Norma Dan Motel across the street from Dolly's Stampede. She said people book rooms a year in advance for the parade.
The news of the new grand marshal, coupled with the recent name change of Dolly's Stampede, has been tough for fans.
"I hate it," Rolen said. "She's tired. She's done this for 30 something years. It's time for somebody else to take it on is her thoughts on it, but my problem with her not being the grand marshal is that everybody that's coming to the parade is coming to see Dolly. I mean you have thousands and thousands of people that come every year just to see her."