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For more than two years and running, every Tuesday night at the Stone Church in Newmarket has been a hotbed for flannel, open-toed sandals and instruments that pluck and twang. Upon walking through the door, pepper-haired adults to teenagers adorned with flowing peasant skirts fill stools. Some wave their arms above their heads in flowing movements — looking as if their hands are cutting through the air.

"It’s a different kind of night," said Elsa Cross, Stone Church bartender.

MULTIMEDIA Slideshow:  Bluegrass series at the Stone Church

The music venue has been hosting a steady bluegrass series, usually free of a cover charge, since bartender Tristan Law proposed the idea to the management. The idea became a reality and then the regular series. Previously, bluegrass nights had been held at Dover’s Barley Pub but petered out once interest became concentrated around the Stone Church.

"I was a big supporter. I thought it would do well here," said Law.

According to Law, about 50 to 150 patrons of bluegrass music flock to the venue to indulge in a wide selection of beer and an assortment of New England musicians, both amateur and professional.

"There’s hooting and hollering, socializing. It’s a social event. There’s good music and good beer," said Cross.

Offering 15 selections of beer on tap, such as Bass and Guinness, keeps the patrons coming. The most popular choice is a Smuttynose bottle, according to Cross. A musician herself, Cross plays on stage with her guitar and homespun songs when not bartending.

"It’s nice and accommodating," said Cross.

Most nights are unstructured — anyone can get up on stage with a fiddle or mouth harp, said Cross. Fans who come week after week notice familiar faces but also hear fresh jigs.

"People show up — anyone who wants to play. They’re friends and neighbors. Some people play fiddle or banjo," said Law.

But some nights are booked with a well-known band. April 24 brought the band Hot Buttered Rum, popular with young and old listeners. The cover charge was $15 — a steep price compared to the usual charge of zip. However, the band seemed to be worth the money. The space was crowded and hard to get around. There was no problem filling the venue.

"I saw these guys and they were incredible," said Ford Natirboff, 22. "The Stone Church is one of the better venues out there. There’s a lot of history.

Founded as a Universalist meeting house in 1832, the structure changed denominations for decades until the 1960s, where it was dedicated to bringing live music. Fans like Mark the Shark, a recent graduate of UNH, stops by the Stone Church for the rustic surroundings.

"I come for the great times, drunken stupors and unprecedented atmosphere," said Mark the Shark.