Throughout the Summer, Bryson City offers many options for lovers of traditional mountain music. On Saturday evenings through October, you can take in the free 6:30 pm “Music in the Mountains” concerts at the train depot. And throughout July and August, the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center presents “An Appalachian Evening”, the annual Summer concert series, now in its 12th season.

In the ’40s and  ’50s, Stecoah’s historic stage (above) was graced by such top bluegrass performers as Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and The Carter Family. This year’s 10-concert series begins on June 28 with the internationally-known Kruger Brothers. Other groups include Balsam Range, Dismembered Tennesseans and the Jeff Little Trio.

The Bryson City area offers even more music and entertainment options. It’s all in this area performance schedule.

You may associate southern Appalachia with square dancing and clogging, but another dance form is alive and well — bellydancing.

Recently, the newly-formed ‘Bryson City Bellydance‘ organization invited the community to a dance party, or “Hafla”, where dancers from Waynesville, Morganton and Bryson City performed different styles of bellydance.

The group’s mission is to “share the ancient art of bellydance with the Bryson City community through education, instruction and performance and to use this empowering dance form to create a sense of self and community for the women of Bryson City.”

The Bryson City Bellydancers above are (l-r) Raquel Moore, Kim Holt, Diane Cutler, Tayla Holt, Sarah Miller, Paige Christie. The group is currently offering beginner, intermediate, and cardio-bellydance classes and welcomes anyone interested in joining the performance troupe.

Can a room full of angry jurors ever reach a verdict? You’ll find out when you attend the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre’s current production of “Twelve Angry Jurors,” a play by Reginald Rose. Remaining performances are July 23, 24, 25, 26 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $8 for adults, and $5 for students ages 6 to 18. Children under six are admitted free. For information or reservations, contact Director Toby Allman at 828-488-8103 or 828-508-6645.

The Smoky Mountain Community Theatre is just one of the entertainment options available when you visit Bryson City and the North Carolina Smokies this Summer. There’s Saturday evening music at the Depot and Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center; as well as programs at the Swain County Center for the Arts and the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in nearby Franklin. You’ll find a complete schedule here.

A tradition of southern gospel runs deep in bluegrass music, almost as deep as the traditional cowboy hats that many groups wear on stage. Except when it’s time to sing a gospel song, the hats generally come off — another tradition observed by the Rye Holler Boys at the Freedom Fest celebration last weekend.

Ranging in age from 15 to 17, the Bryson City foursome has attracted a growing fan base. They’re scheduled to perform twice at the Saturday evening Music In The Mountains concerts at the Bryson City depot — August 7 and September 18. You can learn more about the free Music In The Mountains concerts here.

The 2010 season of Bryson City’s Music in the Mountains gets underway the first Saturday in June with a free concert by Dusk Weaver, a performer whose music has been described as “unique, toe-tapping, thought-provoking fun.” The following week’s concert features Bryson City’s own “The Barn Cats”, pictured above.

Each Saturday night, through October, Music in the Mountains brings a different performer to the stage at the Bryson City train depot. The groups range from old-time country to bluegrass, to jazz, to Celtic music. And Elvis will even make an appearance as the final show in October. The concerts are free and last from 6:30 to 8 pm. You’ll find a complete schedule on the Bryson City area entertainment calendar.