Dolly Parton has dropped the word “Dixie” from her popular Dixie Stampede dinner attraction, citing changing attitudes as one of the reasons for the rebranding. The change was announced in a press release earlier this week, revealing that the dinner show would simply become Dolly Parton’s Stampede for the 2018 season. Explaining the decision to change the name, Dolly said, “We recognize that attitudes change and feel that by streamlining the names of our shows, it will remove any confusion or concerns about our shows and will help our efforts to expand into new cities.”
The move comes following a scathing article published by Slate in August of 2017, which criticized Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede for its portrayal of the “old South,” saying it “play-acts the Civil War but never once mentions slavery.” The name change also comes as towns and municipalities across the country show an urgency to remove Confederate monuments.
World Choice Investments, the company that runs Dolly Parton’s Stampede, currently operates dinner show attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
