‘A tribute to her legacy': Brookfield corn maze honors Dolly Parton

A Brookfield corn maze is supporting Dolly Parton’s children’s literacy program with its fall festival.

The owners of the corn maze at Twins BBQ Co. chose Parton to be part of the maze months ago. From a bird’s-eye view, the maze includes Dolly’s face and her name, followed by “an American treasure.”

The owners, Danielle and Mike Gallop, said her passing makes the design bittersweet, but more meaningful.

“We were so excited to honor her and celebrate her life,” Danielle said. “She’s a fantastic woman.”

This maze is one of 20 across the country that is taking part in the “Get Lost with Dolly” fall festival campaign. From September 5 to November 7, families can put their Dolly Parton knowledge to the test, listen to her music and sit down for story time.

“She was just always so giving and caring, and we own preschools as well, and she’s very much about literacy with young people, and she always did everything for the children,” Danielle explained.

Part of the proceeds from the festival will go to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library that sends free books to children from birth to five years old.

The Russell Library in Middletown is part of the program. The Stratford Education Foundation brought the Imagination Library to the town.

The United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut partnered with the library, sending a quarter of a million books to more than 11,000 kids in Hartford and New Britain since 2020.

“If a child is literate, is able to hit those milestones and be able to read, especially by the third grade, they’re going to really succeed in life or at least have had the chance to – and so I think Dolly really was passionate about that,” Eric Harrison, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut President and CEO, said.

Parton has said her father’s inability to read or write inspired her to find a way to make kids fall in love with reading.

That passion and music, which spanned generations, are some of the reasons why fans will miss her.

“As she grew in her stature and fame, she kept singing about things that matters,” Laura Noble from Maine said. “And her voice is amazing.”