From Saturday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Aug. 30, Regal will celebrate the extraordinary life and lasting legacy of Tennessee native Dolly Parton with special screenings of Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at theatres across Tennessee, supporting the literacy program she founded in her home state more than 30 years ago.
The tribute will expand to Regal theatres nationwide next weekend, with 100% of proceeds from both the Tennessee and nationwide screenings benefiting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas will screen Saturday, Aug. 29, followed by Steel Magnolias on Sunday, Aug. 30. Tickets to the Tennessee screenings will be $9.25 at 12 Regal theatres across the state. Proceeds from the Tennessee screenings will benefit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, the program’s statewide partner.
Here in Chattanooga, the special screenings will be available at Regal Hamilton Place
“Dolly has always had such a special connection to Tennessee, and Regal is proud to offer our guests a way to come together and celebrate the impact she’s had on our state and around the world,” said Vikki Neil, Head of Marketing at Regal. “As a company with our own roots in East Tennessee, bringing two of her films back to theatres while supporting the Imagination Library felt like a meaningful way to honor how she never forgot where she came from, even as her impact reached far beyond it.”
Founded by Parton in 1995 in her native Sevier County, Tennessee, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library began by providing free books to local children from birth to age five, regardless of family income. Regal has long supported the Imagination Library through the Regal Foundation and is grateful for the continued opportunity to contribute to Parton’s legacy. The program expanded statewide in Tennessee in 2004 and has since grown internationally, reaching children around the world. As of 2026, one in six children under age five in the United States receives a free book in the mail each month through Imagination Library.
"Dolly often said that she had been blessed far beyond anything she ever dreamed possible, and she believed deeply that those blessings came with a responsibility to give something back," said Jeff Conyers, President of The Dollywood Foundation. "That belief is woven into everything we do at The Dollywood Foundation. While we are heartbroken by her loss, the mission she gave us is as clear today as it has ever been, and we will carry it forward for generations to come."
Advance tickets to Tennessee showtimes are available now at theatre box offices/kiosks, on the mobile app, and through REGmovies.com.
To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and how the program continues Dolly’s commitment to inspiring a love of reading in children around the world, visit ImaginationLibrary.com.