Lake Charles Dolly Run 2026: Updated Times Released

Lake Charles, LA — If you’ve been waitin on an excuse to get out the house, have some fun, and maybe work off a little of that crawfish weight… I got you.

The Dolly Run is comin back to downtown Lake Charles on April 18, 2026… and now we got the official race day schedule locked in. So if you were thinkin about goin… this is your heads up right here.

What's the Schedule for the Dolly Run in Lake Charles, LA

Here’s how the morning’s gonna go.

7:00AM - Packet pickup and race day registration Opens

7:45AM - Registration shuts down

8:00AM - The Race is On!.

9:00AM - The Dolly Stroll costume contest gets goin.

9:30Am - Awards

Now I told y’all before… this ain’t some serious, head-down, no-fun kinda race. This is a full-on Dolly Parton party right through the streets of downtown. You got folks runnin, walkin, laughin… and a whole lotta big wigs and sparkles everywhere. If you show up dressed like Dolly, you already doin it right. And yeah… they’re givin out awards for best dressed, so you know folks around Southwest Louisiana gonna show out for that.

They’re bringin the party too. There’s gonna be a DJ and karaoke set up, so if you’ve ever been sittin in your truck belting out “Jolene”… now’s your moment. No judgment… just good times and a lotta laughs.

But here’s the part that really matters. They’re gonna have a Book Donation Station set up, and all those books are goin straight to local teachers to help build classroom libraries. That’s real impact right there. The United Way of Southwest Louisiana uses this event to help about 3,480 kids every single month. We’re talkin about helpin kids learn how to read and actually enjoy it.

Everything starts around 815 Ryan Street in downtown Lake Charles, and for the runners out there, yeah, the course is officially measured so it counts.

So here’s what you need to do. Grab your best Dolly outfit. Call up your friends. Maybe warm up those vocals a little bit. Then come on out and be part of it.

Get your tickets here: TICKETS

Come have some fun… laugh a little… and do a little good while you’re at it. I’ll probably see y’all out there… and yeah, I might be in a wig too.