Music of the Mountains Scheduled

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced the 8th annual "Music of the Mountains" celebration, which will be held this year April 20th through the 22nd. Over the years, this event has grown to span an entire weekend, with performances of traditional music in neighboring communities, including an entire day of free music at the Sugarlands Visitor Center on April 21st.

The three-day event begins with a concert of Celtic music by the Good Thymes Ceilidh Band on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend, Tenn. General admission is $5. The "Music of the Mountains" program continues on Saturday with a series of free performances of old-time mountain music during the day at the park's Sugarlands Visitor Center. Back again this year will be a Sunday afternoon program at the Smoky Mountain Visitor Center in Cosby, Tenn., where traditional Appalachian religious music will be showcased. General admission is $4.

At Sugarlands Visitor Center, six programs are planned from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (see schedule below). They are all free of charge and open to the public. The students of the East Tennessee State University Old Time Band will be performing at the event for the very first time this year. The group will play two sets, at 2 and 3 pm.

"The park has offered the 'Music of the Mountains' festival since 2005 to share with our visitors the region's rich musical traditions of the era before modern bluegrass and country music," said supervisory park ranger Kent Cave. "We are delighted to continue partnerships with our neighbors in Cosby and Townsend that present various types of music played here in the southern mountains," said Cave.

The schedule of events are:

April 20th - Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, Townsend
Admission: $5

7 pm - Celtic Music by "The Good Thymes Ceilidh Band"; come early to enjoy Art on the Porch with members of the Townsend Artisan's Guild


April 21st - Sugarlands Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Admission is free

10 am - Lost Mill String Band
11 am - Brien Fain
12 pm - Boogertown Gap Band
1 pm - Tony Thomas
2 pm - ETSU Old-Time Band
3 pm - ETSU Old-Time Band
4 pm - Mountain Strings


April 22nd - Smoky Mountain Visitor Center, Cosby
Admission: $4

2pm-4pm - "Heritage, Harps and Hymns" - traditional offerings from Cocke County


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com