PIGEON FORGE, Tenn., Nov. 18, 1999 -- Dolly Parton was at home in East Tennessee this afternoon to celebrate the holidays at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas festival and to announce several exciting new projects and expansions planned for her Dollywood theme park in the New Millennium.

First, Dolly announced details about a family-oriented expansion for the 2000 season -- a 15,000 square foot interactive children's area called Dreamland Forest, featuring America's largest interactive Treehouse. Hundreds of interactive gadgets, games and gizmos can be found throughout this "nature-al" attraction where kids will truly run the fun and literally reach for the sky while they play among the treetops. Dolly will be on hand at Dollywood for the official opening of her Dreamland Forest during her theme park's 15th birthday season Grand Opening Weekend April 15-16, 2000.

Dolly also announced that her Dollywood Foundation's innovative educational program, the Imagination Library, is going national. The Imagination Library provides a book every month to each pre-school child in Dolly's native Sevier County, Tenn., and this program expansion will allow communities throughout the country to work with the Dollywood Foundation and bring this wonderful program into their area. One community in Kansas has already begun its children's Imagination Library, and several more communities in Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, and Alabama will launch their programs in 2000.

But Dolly's biggest announcement yesterday was that she's building a second theme park in Pigeon Forge to open in May 2001. Dolly will be on hand to open her $20 million waterpark, where families can keep cool all summer long with splashy fun amidst attractions that simulate scenic areas and scenes actually found in the Great Smoky Mountains including the area's natural waterfalls, swimming holes, winding streams, white water adventures, and many more natural water wonders in this beautiful mountain area. Key attractions will include a Wave Pool, Single and Double Tube Slides, a family raft ride, a Children's Play Pool area, a Turbo Twister speed slide that "simulates" a mountain waterfall, and the "Lazy River," a tube float experience that explores the entire scenic expanse of the new waterpark.

"I've always wanted to create a whole new park where families and kids can experience more of the adventures that my brothers and sisters and I found in the Smokies' natural beauty and fun -- this is another 'dream come true' for me," Dolly said. "And I'm already looking forward to making a 'big splash' when my new waterpark opens around Memorial Day 2001."

While at Dollywood this afternoon, Dolly also took in a holiday sampling of the activities and entertainment at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas festival, including the premiere performance of an exciting new lighting and musical production called "Carol of the Trees." This new show features dramatic holiday music, a 40-foot tree, giant Christmas packages, more than a quarter of a million twinkling Christmas lights and some of Dolly's special holiday magic.

Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas festival also features a variety of great entertainment shows, delicious holiday foods, over 2 million colorful lights, and a variety of rides and attractions for families, including Santa's Giant Workshop.

The special holiday festival is open Thursdays through Sundays through Dec. 30 (closed Thanksgiving Day and Dec. 24 & 25). For information, call (800) DOLLYWOOD or visit www.dollywood.com.