Portland will honor the late Dolly Parton with a mayoral proclamation declaring Friday, Sept. 25, Dolly Parton Day.
Council President Jamie Dunphy announced the designation Sept. 16, calling on Portlanders to mark the day by reading with a child, helping a neighbor or giving something back.
The date nods to Parton's 1980 hit "9 to 5." Mayor Keith Wilson supported the proclamation, according to the city's announcement.
"Dolly didn't make people smaller in order to make her message bigger," Dunphy said in the announcement. She added that Parton stood for working people, children and those being pushed to the margins.
A public pre-gavel ceremony celebrating the proclamation is set for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at City Council chambers. Laurie McNichols, state director of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Oregon, will speak. Portland performer Nicole Onoscopi will provide a musical tribute. Everyone is welcome.
Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80 after a private battle with cancer. In the weeks since, Portland's Morrison Bridge glowed pink for five nights, Gov. Tina Kotek ordered state flags to half-staff, and local venues staged cabaret tributes.
The proclamation also spotlights Parton's literacy legacy. She founded the Imagination Library in 1995, inspired by her father, who could not read or write. The program mails a free book each month to enrolled children under 5. It has delivered more than 300 million books worldwide.
In Oregon, the program has provided 4.5 million books to children since 2007, according to Kelly O'Lague, CEO of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, as The Oregonian reported. More than 77,400 children are enrolled statewide, about 36% of Oregonians under age 5, OPB reported. United Way has enrolled more than 16,000 children in the tri-county area and mailed them more than 230,000 books since joining the program in November 2024.
The program is now permanent. Gov. Kotek signed House Bill 4022 (HB 4022) in June, codifying the Oregon Imagination Library into state law and authorizing a 50% state matching grant for book purchases and mailing.
At a Sept. 7 Labor Day rally at Oaks Park, Kotek spoke about Parton's impact on working families. "She loved people, and she stood up for people, no matter who you were," Kotek said, as reported by The Oregonian.
The city is encouraging restaurants, venues and hospitality businesses to join in with Dolly-themed specials, playlists and pink decorations on Sept. 25. Families can enroll children in the Imagination Library at no cost at imaginationlibrary.com.
Upcoming community events
- Wednesday, Sept. 23: Dolly Parton Day pre-gavel ceremony, 9:30 a.m., Portland City Council chambers. Open to all.
- Saturday, Sept. 26: Portland gives away a record 4,500 free trees through its urban canopy program.
- Monday, Oct. 19: Laika opens early screenings of "Wildwood" in Portland.
