Newz(AP) — Dolly Parton ’s megawatt smile and big wavy locks are gracing fields across the U.S. and Canada this fall.Twenty farms have carved out large corn mazes to honor the late country music icon, actor and philanthropist and raise money for her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children.The “Jolene” crooner's death due to cancer on Aug. 25 in Nashville at age 80 brought an outpouring of tributes.
They ranged from a drive to rename the country music capital’s airport in Parton’s honor to a surge in online streams of “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream” and her many other hit songs.Now she is being immortalized in corn, with the mazes located in about a dozen states and two provinces, from Alabama to California and Ohio to Texas. Most also feature a Parton-themed trivia game, photo ops and other offerings.Mazes were planned months before her deathBrett Herbst, founder of The Maize Inc., the Utah-based consulting company that designed the mazes, called Parton a “true American treasure.”“Dolly’s impact on the world and her love for farming is immeasurable, and our corn maze tributes now take on new meaning and significance,” Herbst said.The company said the mazes were in the works months before Parton died and are part of its annual campaign honoring country music’s brightest stars. Previous honorees included Reba McEntire in 2023, Luke Bryan in 2024 and Lainey Wilson in 2025.Parton, who famously grew up poor in rural Tennessee, thanked organizers for supporting her charity before to her death.
In a statement provided by The Maize Inc., she encouraged people to “get lost in this year’s country music corn maze for a little fun, laughter and a real good reason to get lost.”Cornfield tributes now take on greater meaningOne of the mazes is in an expansive cornfield next to Twins BBQ in Brookfield, Connecticut, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of New York. The likeness of Parton beams skyward, ringed by the words “Dolly” and “An American Treasure” and a series of stars.Danielle Gallop, who co-owns the business with her husband, admits to not knowing much about Parton before attending last year’s corn maze convention at Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park Parton co-owned. But she came away impressed.“They told us all about her integrity and how she ran all of her businesses and how smart and generous and kind and just really et…
Twenty farms have carved out large corn mazes to honor the late country music icon, actor and philanthropist and raise money for her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children. The “Jolene” crooner’s death due to cancer on Aug. Now she is being immortalized in corn, with the mazes located in about a dozen states and two provinces, from Alabama to California and Ohio to Texas.
Mazes were planned months before her death Brett Herbst, founder of The Maize Inc., the Utah-based consulting company that designed the mazes, called Parton a “true American treasure.” “Dolly’s impact on the world and her love for farming is immeasurable, and our corn maze tributes now take on new meaning and significance,” Herbst said. The company said the mazes were in the works months before Parton died and are part of its annual campaign honoring country music’s brightest stars. Parton, who famously grew up poor in rural Tennessee, thanked organizers for supporting her charity before to her death.
Danielle Gallop, who co-owns the business with her husband, admits to not knowing much about Parton before attending last year’s corn maze convention at Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park Parton co-owned. “They told us all about her integrity and how she ran all of her businesses and how smart and generous and kind and ju…
Summary from source