LOUISVILLE - Mayor Craig Greenberg proclaimed Thursday, Sept. 25, 2026, as Dolly Parton 9 to 5 Day in Louisville Metro, urging residents to "work hard, dream big, and add a little Dolly to their day" in honor of a performer the city described as a national treasure whose music, generosity, and unmistakable spirit have inspired generations.

The proclamation, signed at Louisville Metro Hall and bearing the mayor's seal, notes that "9/25" gives the city a natural occasion to celebrate Parton - from her signature anthem "9 to 5" to decades of songwriting, philanthropy, and cultural influence that extend far beyond Nashville.

"WHEREAS, September 25, or '9/25,' gives Louisville the perfect reason to celebrate a national treasure whose music, generosity, and unmistakable spirit have inspired generations," the document reads. "WHEREAS, from '9 to 5' and beyond, Dolly Parton has shown us that a little hard work, a lot of heart, and a great song can go a long way."

Greenberg announced the designation publicly alongside the Louisville Free Public Library and community partners, framing the day as both civic celebration and open invitation. The mayor's office encouraged residents to join public programming Thursday evening rather than treat the proclamation as ceremonial language alone.

Kentucky Science Center screening

The centerpiece event is a special screening of the 1980 workplace comedy 9 to 5 at the Kentucky Science Center, projected on the venue's four-story screen - a format suited to a film whose title track became an anthem for office workers nationwide. The screening gives families and fans a communal way to mark the day indoors as September weather turns toward fall.

Science Center officials did not immediately release final start times or ticketing details in the mayor's initial announcement; residents were directed to follow Louisville Metro and partner channels for updates. The choice of venue underscores how broadly Parton's appeal crosses generations: a film that once satirized corporate culture now plays as both comedy classic and cultural reference point on a scale rarely available outside a festival screen.

Big Four Bridge lighting

After dark, Louisville will light the Big Four Bridge pink in Parton's honor - a visible tribute along the Ohio River waterfront visible from both Kentucky and Indiana. Bridge lightings have become a standard civic gesture for causes and celebrations across the region; pink aligns with Parton's public persona and the affectionate tone of the proclamation.

City officials described the lighting as a way for residents who cannot attend the screening to participate from neighborhoods, parks, and riverfront trails. The bridge's pedestrian span regularly draws evening walkers; Thursday's display is expected to attract photographers and social posts carrying the #DollyPartonDay message into wider circulation.

Official proclamation language

Greenberg's signed order uses formal WHEREAS clauses typical of municipal proclamations before the declarative NOW, THEREFORE block naming the observance. The document was executed "in Louisville, Commonwealth of Kentucky" on the twenty-fifth day of September 2026, with the mayor's signature and the Louisville-Jefferson County seal affixed.

Proclamations of this type carry no statutory force - they do not create a public holiday or close government offices - but they do enter the public record as an expression of civic values. In this case, the values named are perseverance, creativity, and generosity, attributed explicitly to Parton's career and charity work, including her literacy programs and disaster-relief contributions that national media have chronicled for decades.

Library and community partners

The mayor credited the Louisville Free Public Library among partners helping spread word of the day's events. Libraries across Jefferson County have long hosted film programs, author talks, and music-history displays; aligning with a Parton celebration fits LFPL's public programming mission and Parton's own Imagination Library roots, which have mailed millions of books to children regardless of municipality.

Community organizations were invited to host their own small observances - workplace playlists, charity drives, or story-hour readings - so long as they reflect the proclamation's encouragement to work hard and dream big. No city funding figure was attached to the one-day designation; costs for the screening and bridge lighting were not itemized in the initial release.

What residents should know

| Item | Detail | |------|--------| | Observance | Dolly Parton 9 to 5 Day - Sept. 25, 2026 | | Issued by | Mayor Craig Greenberg, Louisville Metro | | Evening event | *9 to 5* screening, Kentucky Science Center (four-story screen) | | Nighttime tribute | Big Four Bridge lit pink | | Partners | Louisville Free Public Library and community organizations |

For fans, the day offers a rare overlap of official civic recognition and pop-culture joy - a mayor's seal on the same evening as a four-story screening of a film whose theme song still plays in break rooms across America. In a city that already hosts major music festivals, a Dolly Parton proclamation feels, as the document suggests, like adding a little Dolly to an ordinary Thursday.

Greenberg closed his public message with a simple benediction: "Happy Dolly Parton Day, Louisville."