Good Day Atlanta viewer information: Nov. 10, 2023
ATLANTA - Here's what you may have missed on today's Good Day Atlanta:
Dollywood's new Heartsong Lodge and Resort
Dolly Parton's new five-story Heartsong Lodge and Resort began welcoming guests this fall. Good Day's Paul Milliken was at the grand opening last week and had a special chat with the living country music legend herself.
One-on-one with Dolly Parton at new HeartSong Lodge and Resort:
"People are calling me, what do they call it? A ‘hotelier’ now?"
Entertainment icon Dolly Parton may be joking, but with two hotels under her rhinestone-studded belt, she’s well on her way.
Parton spent last Friday morning in her beloved Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, celebrating the grand opening of Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort. The five-story, 302-room resort is the second of its kind at Dollywood, following the popular DreamMore Resort and Spa; Parton says HeartSong is themed around her love for the Smoky Mountains.
"I love these hills," says the singer-songwriter and actress. "[I’m] proud to be a Tennessee girl, and I love being able to come back…and help provide jobs for my neighbors and friends."
To that end, HeartSong Lodge and Resort features 26,000 square feet of flexible convention space, something Dollywood executives (including its so-called "dreamer-in-chief") hope will drive even more business to the area.
"People can come from all over the country — all over the world, actually — to be here," says Parton. "You can actually stay in the rooms, be entertained, be fed, and have all the recreation and things that we provide in the park…and here in the hotel. There’s so many wonderful things to see and do."
Dollywood prepares for Christmas
It may not be Thanksgiving yet, but it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Dollywood. The park's annual Smoky Mountain Christmas event kicked off last weekend, and Dolly Parton herself was there to bring a little holiday joy.
That’s especially true this time of year; Dollywood launched its annual Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration on Nov. 4, blanketing the park with more than 6 million lights and entertaining guests with live shows and those famous gravity-defying thrill rides. The seasonal event is routinely named the best of its kind in the nation.
"I take great pride in all that. I have such wonderful people, they represent me so well," she said. "I always say, I get so much credit for all the hard work that all these wonderful people and my wonderful team put together. So, they just do a great job and I take great pride in it all."
The park’s Smoky Mountain Christmas event continues through Jan. 6, and features a new light show this year using hundreds of drones — click here for more information on visiting.
Latin Restaurant Weeks in Atlanta
We're right in the middle of Atlanta's Latin Restaurant Weeks, and Burgers with Buck is celebrating with a visit to La Chingada Sports Bar.
Burgers with Buck: It's Latin Restaurant week, and Buck visits one of the participating businesses. Find out more about the restaurant and what Buck thought about the burger by clicking the video player. Learn more about the menu here.
Rechelle Dennis on the Essence Girls summit
The fourth-annual Essence Girls United Disruptor Summit is free and will feature notable speakers with the goal of inspiring young Black people. Co-creator Rechelle Dennis sits down with Alyse Eady to discuss the summit and her advice for creators and influencers.
Rechelle Dennis, co-creator and program manager forESSENCE Girls United: ESSENCE Girls United is bringing notable speakers, influencers and creatives and musical performers to the 2023 summit such as dynamic sister-duo Jordyn Woods and Jodie Woods, South African singer-songwriter Tyla, If Not for My Girls cast members BIA, Muni Long and Pretty Vee, alongside many more! This year’s GU Disruptor Summit will touch down in the ATL for a full day of conversations, workshops and on-site activities such as photo experiences throughout, the kick-off of GU Office Hours, speed mentoring sessions to get connected with key industry players, and the Soko Marketplace where attendees can shop & support a mix of Black-owned businesses. The one-day event is set to take place at the PC&E sound stage from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information click here.
Wife of fallen officer honored with scholarship
The Atlanta Falcons and Bud Light are honoring families of fallen and disabled service members and first responders by helping to educate their children. This year's of the Folds of Honor scholarship is Alex Maddox, and she talks with Alyse Eady about her personal story and her message to family members who are thinking of applying.
Falcons Friday Folds of Honor: On Nov. 5, during the call to service game, the Atlanta Falcons hosted Alex and her family as a Folds of Honors scholarship recipient. As the recipient of this scholarship, Alex’s family went to the Bud Light tailgate, experienced a meet and greet with a Falcons Legend, a check presentation on stage in the Home Depot Backyard awarding a scholarship donation to the family and sideline passes to the game. Alex will discuss her story and share what her experience was like this Sunday- being celebrated and recognized as the recipient of this scholarship.
Plant your own holiday container
Planters are a great way to consolidate the change of seasons and bring the feeling of autumn to your doorstep. Rena Sartain of Pike Nurseries has some ideas to inspire you to create your own containers.
Pike Nursery gives tips on planting holiday containers: To find a location near you, click here.