It was Aug. 25 when the world lost a lot of its shine with the tragic news of music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton’s passing. From the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to the highest stages of stardom, she kept the world in a sparkling trance from the moment she arrived. Sisters of Sound Records and other local businesses in Manhattan unofficially designated Sept. 25 as “Dolly Day,” a day that the record store described as full of “music, film, art and acts of kindness.” They’ve reserved this day not to mourn — but to celebrate.
When visitors walked down the alley leading to Sisters of Sound, Parton’s voice greeted them before anything else. From spinning records to watching her award-winning movies and television shows, Sisters of Sound made the entire day all about Parton. Sarah Cunnick, co-owner of Sisters of Sound, said she saw Manhattan as the perfect bright spot to celebrate Parton’s life.
“I knew there was something about Dolly in this town,” Cunnick said. “It was easy for us to go, ‘Let’s do a Dolly Day.’ She was something for everybody … not just record stores, but so many people from so many different walks of life.”
Cunnick and other local participating businesses, such as The Dusty Bookshelf, Thread, Coffee Pott Co., Olson’s Shoe Service, On The Wildside, ACME Gift, Happy Hippie, Varsity Donuts, Sunflower Pets, Switch Wicked, ANW Gallery, Auntie Mae’s, Manhattan Brewing Company and Rock-A-Belly Deli, crafted special punch cards just for the occasion.
“We really wanted it to be a town endeavor,” Cunnick said. “You go to all of these different places … and hopefully you experience something new.”
Participants filled out their cards and brought them back to Sisters of Sound, where they got to choose from a plethora of prizes. Though Dolly Day was on Sept. 25, punch cards last until Oct. 2, giving the Manhattan community plenty of time to enjoy local businesses and remember Parton.
Cunnick said she had a specific goal for Dolly Day. She wanted not only to celebrate Parton, but also to remind others how they could emulate her.
“We all need a bit more Dolly,” Cunnick said. “We have forgotten what it means to help your fellow human … no matter where they’re from. Hopefully Dolly would see what we’re doing and appreciate it.”
Parton’s impact went global in 1967 when she released her debut studio album, “Hello, I’m Dolly.” Instantly, she became America’s favorite superstar and later climbed the ranks to global sweetheart. However, what most remember about her isn’t just her star-studded vocals, but her ceaseless kindness and altruism.
Sam Creagar, manager of The Dusty Bookshelf, spoke from the heart about Parton as both a bookstore leader and a father.
“As a bookstore owner, [Parton] setting up the Imagination Library for people to have access to books that they couldn’t have, and feel seen and heard by her … is huge,” Creager said. “Then as a father, my kids both got Imagination Library books all through their growing up. … It’s just an incredible, generous thing.”
Parton’s Imagination Library, founded in 1995, offered over 300 million free books to young children around the world, with over 40 million mailed out in 2025 alone. Parton’s love for literature, coupled with her millions in charitable donations, including the My People Fund and contributions to COVID research efforts, solidified her as the beloved cultural icon she is — and forever will be — today.
“After she died, I think she made a lot of people remember how they really felt about her,” Cunnick said. “It felt like it changed some people.”
That feeling extended throughout the businesses participating in Dolly Day. Parton and her efforts moved the people of Manhattan so deeply that participating businesses affixed the acronym “WWDD” on all their flyers and punch cards, short for “What Would Dolly Do?”
“I think everyone, every single day of their life, should try to be more like Dolly,” April Wagnon, curator at ACME Gift, said. “[Being] giving, open-minded, funny … not taking things too seriously and still having fun.”
Parton’s last gift to the world was to remind others to sing, laugh and love unconditionally, just as she did. Her incessant wit and efforts do not go unnoticed, and the people of Manhattan will continuously celebrate them.
