California Moves to Name Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Day

California lawmakers approved SB 931 to recognize Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day, as tributes, chart surges, and 2027 festival plans multiply after her death.

According to Yahoo, California lawmakers on Tuesday approved SB 931, a bill recognizing Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day in California. The bipartisan measure was introduced Jan. 29 by Sens. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, and John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, and was expedited after Parton's death on Aug. Yahoo reports the bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is expected to sign it.

The date honors the working-hours anthem 'Nine to Five,' which Yahoo says spoke to millions and made Sept. 25 a natural choice. Amendments added after her death celebrate her dual legacy as musician and philanthropist, and the bill's text notes California was the first state to offer a fully bilingual English-Spanish selection through her Imagination Library. Yahoo quotes Sen. Grove calling Parton's heart for children and literacy one of the greatest parts of her legacy.

The push is not confined to one state. 19, and that Tennessee's governor plans to name Nashville International Airport after Parton. Yahoo notes a Pennsylvania legislator has promised his own Dolly Parton Day bill, while in the UK, BBC says '9 to 5' is on course to top the singles chart this week on a wave of fan streaming. Billboard adds Parton's catalog surged 1,143 percent in streams after her death.

BBC reports Parton was buried privately beside her late husband Carl Dean at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville on Friday, with a Saturday tribute concert at the Grand Ole Opry House featuring her niece Jada Star performing 'The Orchard,' plus a surprise Jelly Roll appearance during a group finale of '9 to 5.' The FINCHANNEL adds that Parton's manager Danny Nozell said she did not want a traditional memorial, and that guest books and velvet ropes now ring the mausoleum for fans.

These gestures convert grief into lasting institutional recognition. The family asked, per BBC, that donations go to the Imagination Library instead of flowers, the literacy program Billboard notes has given away more than 140 million books. On TODAY, Little Big Town's Kimberly Schlapman recalled Parton's affection for her young daughter Dolly, her namesake, calling her 'my Parton,' while bandmate Karen Fairchild said the band texted agents to invite themselves to the planned Dollyfest. The FINCHANNEL reports Dollyfest is a two-weekend celebration planned for Nashville and London in 2027.

The bill awaits Governor Newsom's signature, which Yahoo reports is expected, potentially adding California to a growing list of states honoring Parton and extending what Yahoo calls a possible countrywide phenomenon. BBC notes the UK chart position for '9 to 5' will be finalized Friday and may slip as streams decline. Meanwhile, the FINCHANNEL reports her estate plans to move forward with projects she had in development, including a Broadway musical, Nashville attractions, and consumer-product ventures, alongside Dollyfest in 2027.