It’s Dolly Parton Day: What fans can do today to celebrate her on 9/25

September 25 has a new meaning for Dolly Parton fans. Dolly Parton Day is being celebrated today, Sept. 25, with events, music, pink lights, charitable giving and tributes across the country and beyond. The date itself is part of the tribute: 9/25 is a playful reference to one of Parton’s most famous songs, “9 to 5.”

The celebration carries particular weight this year. It comes one month after Parton died at age 80, turning what might have been another appreciation day into a much larger celebration of her music and philanthropy. Nashville is among the cities leaning heavily into the occasion, while California has formally designated Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day.

What can you actually do for Dolly Parton Day?

One of the easiest ways to participate happens at exactly 5 p.m. local time: play or sing “9 to 5.” Nashville businesses, music venues and fans are being encouraged to join the synchronized tribute. In Music City, landmarks will also light up pink, while the night is scheduled to end with fireworks at 9:25 p.m., another deliberate nod to the date.

Fans can also make the day about something Parton cared deeply about: books and children. Events around the country are collecting books and supporting her Imagination Library, the literacy program Parton launched in 1995 that has distributed hundreds of millions of free books to children. Nashville’s “Give Like Dolly” campaign is also directing donations toward 20 nonprofits working in areas including literacy, housing, health, recovery, music and the arts.

And for fans who happen to be in Tennessee, the tribute can become a full experience. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge remains the obvious pilgrimage, including the Dolly Parton Experience devoted to her life, family, career and famous style. In Nashville, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium offer different pieces of the country-music history Parton helped shape.

But you don’t need to be in Tennessee to participate. Put on “9 to 5” at 5 p.m., wear something pink or sparkly, donate a children’s book, support a literacy program or simply spend the evening revisiting her music. That may ultimately be the point of Dolly Parton Day: 9/25 isn’t only about remembering the performer, but keeping some of the generosity she became known for moving forward.