Sweetwater Amphitheater may not be opening this summer, but the venue's developers are planning summer concerts at a temporary location.

Holly Sweet, project developer with her husband, Darrin Snyder, said they've acquired a 30-day use permit to host outdoor concerts in August.

"We're planning seven or eight shows that month," said Sweet. "There will be one national headliner with a local or regional opener."

Artists will include Sara Evans, STYX, Lonestar, TobyMac, Diamond Rio and Grand Funk Railroad. Sweet said this summer's series will feature a mixture of country, classical rock and contemporary Christian groups.

"It will give the community an idea of the type of events we'll bring in," said Sweet. "In the long term at Sweetwater, we definitely see incorporating blues and jazz and all genres of music."

Because it is a private venue, the couple can be selective about the groups chosen to perform. Sweet said she and her husband have an appreciation for various genres, so they'll look to the community when choosing performers, taking into account what is desired and what is appropriate for the area. Performers such as Marilyn Manson, for example, would not be selected, said Sweet.

The August shows will be held at the East Lake Commons site, across Smith Mountain Lake Parkway from Mariners Landing. The development is the title sponsor, and Sweet said she and her husband chose to put its moniker in the series' title -- The Mariners Landing Concert Series -- so residents wouldn't think the shows would be held at the planned site for Sweetwater Amphitheater near the intersection of Virginia 122 and Hendricks Store Road.

Currently, Sweet said they're working on engineering and infrastructure at the amphitheater site, which will seat 7,000 people in 2,500 under-roof seats and 4,500 lawn seats.

"We're still working diligently on it," she said. "We have to be very careful design-wise because you can only build it once, so you need to build it right."

Sweet and Snyder have seen their fair share of concert venues. The couple recently relocated to Huddleston from Nashville after more than a decade. Their roots are in Southwest Virginia: Sweet is a Moneta native; Snyder is originally from Boones Mill.

Sweet is a former singer. Her husband is a production manager and audio engineer currently on tour with country music star Darryl Worley.

"He definitely has seen the good, the bad and the ugly as far as design for music venues," said Sweet. "His focus is very much on customer service and making not only the attendees happy, but the artists and crew members."

The behind-the-scenes areas have to be created with the musicians, crew members and staff in mind, said Sweet. If they have a pleasant experience, she said they'll be more likely to return during later tours. She said she believes the draw of the lake would help pull concert attendees back to the area and encourage them to stay for a few days to enjoy the lake's amenities.

But the amphitheater would not only be a venue for musical concerts. Sweet said it also would incorporate theater and they would open the venue up to the community for events such as graduations or fundraisers.

For more information about the summer concert series, visit www.smlconcerts.com.