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The Herald-News

Will County joins Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday celebration

Jan. 22 event at Hollywood Casino Joliet

Dolly Parton

Will County will throw a unique birthday party for country music icon Dolly Parton as she turns 80.

The party will be Jan. 22 at Hollywood Casino Joliet, and proceeds will support the local edition of Parton’s Imagination Library.

The Imagination Library fosters literacy by making age-appropriate books available at no cost to children up to age 5.

The local program started this past summer, providing more than 20,000 books to 5,500 children, according to a news release from the Will County Executive’s office.

Dolly Parton is celebrating 30 years of her Imagination Library, founded in 1995 to provide free books for children around the country. The program has since expanded to become a worldwide service.

The party will feature Singo Bingo, prizes and a birthday cake, according to the news release.

The doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased in advance at willcountyillinois.org/dolly-partons-80th-birthday-party/.

The event also will spotlight the first six months of the Imagination Library in Will County.

“Expanding access to books and promoting literacy has been a driving mission of Dolly Parton over the decades, and we’re proud to be celebrating the positive impact of the Imagination Library in our local communities,” Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in the release.

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant greets attendees at the Will
County Center for Economic Development (CED) Eye-Opener Breakfast on June 26, 2025.

Will County Center for Economic Development President & CEO Doug Pryor commented in the release on the money that will be raised at the party.

“Every dollar raised stays local, helping us continue gifting books to children and investing in Will County’s future,” Pryor said.

The Imagination Library of Will County is a partnership between the Will County Executive Office, the Will County Economic Development Foundation and the Dollywood Foundation.

More information about the Imagination Library of Will County is available at WillCountyImaginationLibrary.org.

Bob Okon

Bob Okon

Bob Okon covers local government for The Herald-News