LITTLETON, N.C. — Elyse Brown was raised around the arts and found her home on the performance stage at Lakeland Cultural Arts Center. 

What You Need To Know

  •  The Levitt AMP grant is only awarded to cities with populations under 250,000  

  •  Littleton, with a population of about 560, is the smallest town to ever receive the grant

  •  The money will help the Lakeland Cultural Arts Center host free concerts this summer

“I started coming here when I was 17, in 2004. I didn’t know a lot of people in the area. I was new, and this place sort of welcomed me," Brown said. "Everyone took me under their wing, and I got on stage for the first time, and I don’t think I ever got off.” 

Over the last 20 years, Brown has watched the arts center in the Halifax County town of Littleton grow, moving from its less promising past to its now promising future. 

“That is what our original stage looked like. We had black mold. The ceiling frequently fell in," Brown said, scrolling through old photos of the indoor stage. 

Even in the mess, she saw its impact.

“A lot of teenagers, who started out here like myself, really had nowhere else to go in the area," Brown said. "It’s a really small, rural area. If you’re an artistic kid, and a creative kid, there’s not a lot of places to feel safe and welcomed. Lakeland definitely did that for me."

The cultural arts center has roots that go back to 1977. Over the years, many talented performers have graced the stage. 

In a town of just over 500, and a surrounding area near 40,000, supporting a performance center like this can be expensive. 

But Lakeland was recently awarded the Levitt AMP grant that will ease the financial burden.

“This grant is given to about 15 towns in America. Cities that are population 250,000 or less, which honestly is 90% of America," Brown said. "We are the smallest town to ever receive a Levitt AMP grant, and we are the only and first town in North Carolina to ever get it.”

The grant, which will be spread over time, is being used on the center's 10-week outdoor concert series. 

These performances are free, to encourage people to come out and support local talent. 

Through the first few weeks, hundreds have poured into this small town.

Brown says she’s happy to see the place that embraced her also open its arms to others. 

“It’s actually wonderful because at every concert, we usually ask the crowd, who here hasn’t been to Littleton? Who’s new? At least half the crowd," Brown said. "So, it’s amazing it’s finally getting the exposure it deserves.”

The arts center has seven more weekends of its outdoor concert series. 

The events are free to the public, and guests can even bring in their own food and drinks.

Brown says some of their best performances are still to come.