Borough-wide proclamation ties date to Dolly Parton's 1980 hit and honors her literacy and public health philanthropy following her death.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal issued an official proclamation on Sept. 2, 2026, declaring Sept. 25, 2026 as Dolly Parton Appreciation Day across the Borough of Manhattan, according to a press release from his office. The date was chosen as a numeric tribute to Parton's 1980 song and film "9 to 5," playing on the digits 9/25, the release said.
Tennessee Governor Backs Plan to Rename Nashville Airport After Dolly Parton
Timing and Official Statement
The proclamation came roughly a week after Parton died on Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer, according to the borough president's office and multiple news outlets. In his statement, Hoylman-Sigal said Parton "wasn't just a legend of country music, she was one of the defining American icons of our lifetime." He praised her "devotion to literacy and public health, including through helping to finance the development of Covid-19 vaccines," and noted her Imagination Library program has placed more than 300 million free books into the hands of 3 million children worldwide. Hoylman-Sigal closed his statement by saying, "On behalf of 1.6 million Manhattanites, I'm proud to proclaim September 25, 2026 Dolly Parton Appreciation Day, in honor of her timeless contributions to music, culture, and humanity. We will always love you."
Broader Wave of Tributes
The Manhattan proclamation is part of a wider pattern of posthumous honors for Parton. Gothamist and People magazine both reported on the borough-level designation, while the Empire State Building was lit pink in tribute to the singer around the same period, according to social media activity referencing the building's account. Separately, lawmakers in other jurisdictions have pursued similar recognitions: California's Senate Bill 931 would establish a statewide Dolly Parton Day, Montgomery County, Texas, officials proclaimed their own Sept. 25 observance, and legislators in Tennessee and Pennsylvania have introduced measures tied to the same date. New York state Sens. Erik Bottcher and Jeremy Cooney are also working on a statewide holiday proposal, according to Governing. These parallel efforts remain distinct from Hoylman-Sigal's action, which applies only to the Borough of Manhattan and does not carry state or citywide legal force. No further Manhattan events or programming for the observance have been detailed in official materials to date.
