One of the first shows I ever took my children to see was the Dolly Parton’s Stampede in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They loved everything about it, from the feats of daring performed on horseback to the delicious dinner served during the show. The entire performance kept them captivated. That’s saying something because the first time my son attended the show he was ten months old. When I visited Branson in November, I was delighted to see that we would be attending a viewing of the Dolly Parton’s Stampede Christmas Show.
This post was written in partnership with the Stone Castle Hotel and Branson Attractions. All opinions are my own.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
The first thing to know about the Dolly Parton Stampede is to get there at least 30 minutes early. Even though the show won’t start for a while, you’ll find plenty of things to keep you entertained. Begin your evening by taking a stroll along the horse stalls. You’ll find the horses used in the show and you’ll be able to snap pictures. This is a must for any horse lover.
From there you’ll want to find seats for the Carriage Room opening act pre-show; a combination of country music, bluegrass, and comedy that begins 50 minutes before the main event. The seats are on a first come-first serve basis and fill up quickly. While you’re enjoying the preshow, be sure to stop by the snack bar for one of their fun mocktails. They’re served in a keepsake Dolly Parton boot mug that the kids will enjoy drinking from even after you return home.
The Show
The Dolly Parton Stampede is truly a show for all ages. There’s music, daring feats on horseback, comedy, audience participation and more. Each year the Stampede prepares two shows, the Christmas show, which runs in November and December, and the traditional dinner show which is performed the rest of the year.
This year we visited the Christmas Show, a magical competition between the elves of the North and South pole, who, while making toys for Santa, also happen to be excellent horse riders. Between the stunts performed by the riders, kids will thrill to see the bison “stampede,” the friendly competition between the trained rescue dogs, and the pig racing. Throughout the show, visitors are treated to the antics of Skeeter, who appears in the arena every few minutes to inject a dose of comedy.
The Christmas component shows both religious and contemporary elements. Included in the show is a magical carousel with glowing horses and a nativity scene that descends into the arena and is surrounded by wise men and their camels and shepherds and their sheep, along with angels descending from the “heavens.”
The Meal
You won’t go hungry when you attend Dolly Parton’s stampede. Not only are the portions huge, but you’ll receive a four-course meal. This attraction doesn’t have the nickname “Branson’s Most Fun Place to Eat’ for nothing! Here’s the meal you’ll be served.
The meal starts with their Original Creamy Vegetable Soup and a homemade biscuit. Next comes the main course; a Mouth-Watering Tender Whole Rotisserie Chicken, a Delicious Hickory Smoked Barbecued Pork Loin, an ear of Hot Buttered Corn on the Cob, and a Tasty Herb-basted Potato. The meal ends with the Stampede’s very own Specialty Dessert, a flaky apple turnover. Throughout the meal, you’ll be served unlimited Coca-Cola®, tea or coffee.
I’ll be honest, I’ve been attending the Stampede for years and I’ve never been able to eat all of my food. I’m thrilled that they give “doggy bags” to carry home the leftovers. I always have enough left over for an entire meal.
One of my favorite things about this show is how they accommodate allergies. Not only can you receive a gluten-free meal or a vegetarian meal. When we attended with the two-year-old who had a severe dairy allergy, they went out of their way to be accommodating. These adapted meals are still tasty. You won’t leave feeling you’ve been deprived of the feast your friends are eating.
One of my kids’ favorite food included in the meal is the Creamy Vegetable Soup. You can pick up the mix in the gift shop and serve it at home. I added some veggies and a little bit of leftover meat to my mix and had a meal the entire family raved about.
Tips To Know Before Attending The Show:
*Children ages 3 and under are free only if they sit in a parent’s lap during the show. Believe me, there is plenty of food to share with the kids.
*If you have a food allergy, let the staff know when reserving your tickets so they will be prepared.
*Gratuities for the server are not included in the ticket price.
*The show is family-friendly and is appropriate for anyone aged infants to adults. On the nights we’ve attended, I’ve seen people of all ages and all of them have been captivated by the performance.
The Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner show is available in Pigeon Forge and Branson. They have a sister show, the Pirates Voyage, available in Myrtle Beach which is a must see. We took a two-year-old to see the show and she still informs people months later of “the time she saw the mermaids at the beach.”
Have you visited the Dolly Parton’s Stampede in either Pigeon Forge or Branson or the Pirate’s Voyage in Myrtle Beach?
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Dolly Parton’s Stampede looks like fun. Food looks homely and delicious. love that biscuits and potatoes along with juicy meat.
Oh my family would love to see this. We’ve been thinking of making an RV trip to Branson, this is now on our must see list.
Such a fun event! Glad you go to go and see it. Dolly has been good to Branson!
I’ve never been to her shows but they look awesome! I bet my family would love to see the horses, the show, and have some of that tasty looking food!
We were interested in checking out Dolly Parton’s place down in Tennessee but we ran of time. This looks like fun.
This seems to be a lot of fun! We all do love horses and my kid will be happy to attend the Dolly Parton Stampede show. And I am impressed by that huge meal!
Well this looks like a fun place! I love Dolly. I’ve always wanted to go to Dollywood!
This looks like it would be a good time. We have a lot of friends that go to Branson and we haven’t ever made the trip.
My oldest sister was a big Dolly Patton fan back in the 70s. She would love to see this show! The older I get, the more I appreciate Dolly Parton.
I keep hearing about visiting Branson and it looks so great. I am going to have to put it on my list.
I would love to experience this someday. Branson looks like it has so many attractions to offer, I am surely going to add it to my bucket list. I loved Dolly Parton as a kid!
Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner is one of our fave places to visit whenever we’re in Branson. The show is great the portions are huuuuuuugggggggeeee.
Branson just has so much going on. This looks like such a fun show to attend. Your food looks yummy as well.
We have been here before. It has been several years now. I can’t remember much about the show. It looks like we need to go back again!
I have never heard of the show. I knew Dolly Parton had Dollywood in Tennessee, I had no idea she had anything in Branson Missouri. I can’t wait to see it.
I would love this show! So would my family. We hope to make it back to Branson at some point. We had a blast when we were there years ago, but we didn’t have time to do as much.
I have been to either attraction although I would like to take my son to both. Because my family are huge fans of Dolly Parton.
Dolly never disappoints on any of her shows. The food is always some down home cooking and is always delicious and plenty of it to go around.
My husband and I were just talking about going to Branson. He went a long time ago, but it’s much different there now. I am dying to go because I have never been!