Tumble out of bed, stumble to the square, grab yourself a cup of ambition, and watch the streets of Springfield come to life.

On Friday, September 25, Springfield is putting its own spin on “9 to 5” with Dolly Day, a colorful, sparkling celebration of Dolly Parton’s life, legacy, and the community she inspired.

Dolly Day is not meant to be quiet or ordinary, because neither was Dolly. Common Thread is inviting the community to celebrate one of Tennessee’s most beloved icons with big hair, bold colors, local flavor, and plenty of rhinestones.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., guests are encouraged to grab their girlfriends, don their rhinestones, tease their hair a little higher, and experience Springfield through Dolly-inspired food, drinks, shopping, music, art, and plenty of surprises.

But underneath all that sparkle is a pretty important reason for bringing the community together.

The Robertson County Imagination Library mails an average of 32,000 books each year to local children from birth through age five.

Since 2006, more than 527,000 books have been delivered locally, maybe even a few to you or your family.

Those books arrive in families’ mailboxes at no cost to them, but making that possible requires local support. The Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation covers 50% of the cost, while the local community is responsible for funding the remaining half.

Right now, the Robertson County Imagination Library is facing a $10,000 funding gap.

That is where Dolly Day becomes about much more than big hair and rhinestones.

What began as an idea to celebrate Dolly’s legacy has grown into a communitywide effort as Springfield businesses create special menus, products, entertainment and experiences while giving back to the program she started.

One of those Dolly Day stops even comes with a little piece of Dolly history.

Before Public House occupied its spot, the space was home to Burdett’s Tea Shop, where Dolly Parton herself once stopped for lunch while visiting her sister.

(Dolly ate at Table Number 5 that day, which was affectionately renamed the “Dolly Parton Table” after her visit.)

According to the story shared at the time, Dolly had read about Burdett’s and wanted to try it for herself. After lunch, she asked to visit the kitchen so she could personally thank the six or seven people working behind the scenes.

When owner Sandy Ramsey commented on how strange it felt hearing that Dolly had read about them when everyone was usually reading about her, Dolly responded, “We’re all famous somehow’r nother.”

Robertson County was not entirely unfamiliar to the Parton family either. Dolly shared that her husband, Carl Dean, occasionally came to Robertson County to purchase farm equipment, giving the couple another connection to the area.

It's a connection you can continue to fuel on September 25th.

Wear the pink. Add the rhinestones. Make the hair bigger than necessary and bring your friends along.

Springfield has a “9 to 5” worth celebrating, and this time, spending a day supporting local businesses also means supporting local kids.

Somewhere between the big hair, pink drinks, and rhinestones of Dolly Day, you will help put another book into the hands of a Robertson County child.

September 25 is shaping up to be a day filled with plenty of pink, a little extra sparkle, and a whole lot of love for Dolly right here in Springfield.