Dancing on the Square Returns to Robbinsville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2026

Dancing on the Square Returns to Robbinsville with Expanded Season and Two America 250th Square Dance Celebrations

ROBBINSVILLE, N.C. — Dancing on the Square, the beloved Friday tradition on the Robbinsville Courthouse Square, returns this year with an expanded season running from May 15 through August 28, providing more opportunities for locals and visitors alike. The series features a mix of returning favorites and new performers as well as two marquee America 250 Square Dance Nights scheduled for Friday, June 19 and Friday, August 28.

Special America 250th Square Dance Celebrations

The special Dancing on the Square America 250th Square Dance celebrations feature Grammy-nominated bluegrass musician Darren Nicholson and renowned Appalachian dance caller Heidi Kulas. Both are teaching nights open to dancers of every age and experience level. No prior dance experience is required.

“You don’t need to know a single step to come out and join in,” organizers of a recent event with Nicholson and Kulas at Cataloochee Ranch said. “If you can walk, you can square dance. The caller will walk you through every figure. By the end of the first tune, everyone’s a dancer.”

Darren Nicholson is one of Western North Carolina’s most celebrated musicians — a Haywood County native, Grammy nominee, founding member of the award-winning bluegrass quintet Balsam Range, thirteen-time International Bluegrass Music Association award winner, and recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor given by North Carolina’s governor. Heidi Kulas is a Western North Carolina-based dance caller, choreographer, and percussive dance specialist. A former principal dancer with the renowned Footworks ensemble, she is the owner of Sole Impact Studios in Boone and a longtime instructor with Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM).

A Mountain Tradition

Dancing on the Square is part of a Southern Appalachian community dance tradition that has filled the streets of mountain towns for generations. In Robbinsville, the bleachers come out, cornmeal is sprinkled on the pavement, and as dusk settles and the music begins to play, dancers fill the square — cloggers, flat footers, two steppers, line dancers, and everyone in between.

“Dance is just as much a part of our mountain traditions as the music,” said performer Darren Nicholson. “We play a lot of shows where people just come out and listen — and that’s great, but we’re really excited to come out to Robbinsville and get folks on their feet and have some fun!”

Community dances like Dancing on the Square grew from the dance forms of the old countries and were reshaped through the confluence of cultures in the New World into a uniquely American hybrid — one that took root in these mountains and has flourished here for 250 years.

2026 Season Lineup

The full season runs Friday nights, 7:30 – 9:30 PM, on the Robbinsville Courthouse Square at 12 Court Street. In case of rain, events move to the Graham County Community Building at 196 Knight Street. All events are free and open to the public.

• May 15 — Betty Vaughn & The Rick Morris Band
• May 22 — Tim Austin — Special Line Dance Night
• May 29 — Bill Pruett
• Jun 5 — Robert RunningWolf
• Jun 12 — Steve Jordan Band
• Jun 19 — Darren Nicholson & The Shedhouse Trio — Special 250th with Live Square Dance Caller
• Jun 26 — Mandy Millsaps & GraceSky Revival
• Jul 10 — The Sundown Band — Special Oldies Night
• Jul 17 — Kevin Tuck & TUCK-aseegee
• Jul 24 — Betty Vaughn & The Rick Morris Band
• Jul 31 — Johnny Webb Band
• Aug 7 — Tim Austin — Special Line Dance Night
• Aug 14 — Steve Jordan Band
• Aug 21 — Bill Pruett
• Aug 28 — Darren Nicholson Band — Special 250th with Live Square Dance Caller

About the Series

Our State magazine has highlighted the event as one of the essential ways to experience nightlife in Graham County, describing how the “Courthouse Square in downtown Robbinsville turns into a dance hall” each Friday evening.

Dancing on the Square is produced through a partnership of Graham County Festivals, Graham County Travel and Tourism Authority, the Robbinsville Tourism Authority, and the Town of Robbinsville. This 2026 series is part of Graham County’s ongoing celebration of America’s 250th birthday — honoring the mountain music and dance traditions that have brought our community together for generations.

For media inquiries, high-resolution images, or interview requests with featured performers, please contact
Amber Benton at 704-840-8525 or by email at amber.benton@grahamcounty.org.