"When we saw all the crowds coming in, I thought, 'Oh my goodness,'" Parton told Knox News during a sit-down interview. "It just does my heart good to see that Dollywood has done so well and after 40 years, it just gets better and better and better."

At Dollywood’s 40th anniversary event, Dolly Parton took a moment to reflect on her late husband’s passing and expressed gratitude for the love and support from fans.

Dolly Parton visited her very own Tennessee mountain home on Friday. Following the death of her husband Carl Dean on March 3, the country icon made her first public appearance at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Parton, 79, arrived at the theme park to help kick off the resort’s 40th operating season.