The 7th Annual Music of the Mountains Festival
The seventh annual “Music of the Mountains” festival, hosted by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be held on Saturday, April 9.
“We’re very pleased to again partner with the City of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains Association to offer the public a variety of musical styles for this year’s ‘Music of the Mountains festival,” said Dale Ditmanson, park superintendent. “Our staff has lined up a wide spectrum of old-time, traditional, and bluegrass music performers. With the change to an all day festival we hope to allow more of our visitors to experience the rich traditions of mountain music.”
This year’s festival features a series of free performances at the park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center by various artists.
“Music of the Mountains” is a celebration of musical traditions of the southern Appalachian Mountains, showcasing the evolution of mountain music over time,” said Kent Cave, North District supervisory park ranger. “The festival is one of several special events the park has developed to tell the story of the people who lived here prior to the park’s establishment in 1934.
“Musical expression was often, and still is, a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is tied to Smokies history like no other part of our culture.”
The event begins at 10 a.m. at the Sugarlands Visitor Center Theater. There, visitors can watch an array of traditional musical performances. Seating at Sugarlands (865-436-1291) is limited to 160 persons per concert, and available for free on a “first come, first serve” basis.
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