A strong helping of entertainment and arts displays, a dash of healing arts and youth education, and a pinch of community togetherness are key ingredients of the wellness stew that is the 22nd Lake Eden Arts Festival.
The festival, now in its 11th year, kicks off Thursday night and boasts a lineup of local, national, and international performers spanning 50 musical genres. Event organizers made a conscious effort this year, however, to invite as many New Orleans and Louisiana-based artists as possible, executive director Jennifer Pickering said.
“I wanted to do a great Saturday lineup with New Orleans artists well-represented, so I called (renowned New Orleans music venue) Tipitina’s and they recommended that I call Ivan Neville and take it from there,” she said. “We try to do things that people won’t necessarily expect. We want music you might not have heard of before that is rooted in good influences and comes from a real place.”
Several performers, such as Cyril Neville’s Tribe 13, Martha Redbone, and Zulu Connection will also be participating in the Leaf in Schools and Streets residencies and programs. A youth outreach program founded in 2004, LSS has reached over 3,500 children in Western North Carolina with mentoring, hands on workshops, and performances.
This year, the program will extend its outreach efforts to 16 schools, community centers, and development programs, including the Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center and Black Mountain Primary School. The effort is expected to reach over 1,200 children this spring.
The relationship between the LEAF community, Tipitina’s, and New Orleans musicians has been a symbiotic one since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. LEAF supporters have donated over $50,000 worth of instruments to New Orleans musicians who lost their instruments during the devastation. Some artists, such as Rebirth Brass Band, the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, and Zulu Connection, will likely be performing with instruments given to them through LEAF efforts.
In spite of the dynamic lineup of performers at LEAF, don’t expect all of the festival’s most memorable moments to be musical. The high-quality crafts and artists’ market and healing arts events are an integral part of the LEAF weekend.
“The music sets the tone, but there are a ton of other activities and events to experience,” Pickering said. “LEAF provides a good sampler of healing arts that includes entertainment, physical exertion and workshops.”
The workshops will include everything from yodeling basics and bamboo cup making to couples massage and dancing instructions. From morning to night, nearly 20 healing arts booths will also be set up to help attendees free their mind and spirit.
While thousands of attendees are expected from around the southeast, the bi-annual festivities around Lake Eden is coveted by many Black Mountain residents who serve as volunteers or attend as guests every spring and fall.
“I don’t go to many festivals, but I can’t imagine one better than LEAF,” said Kathy Sharkey, a local who has volunteered at the festival for the past several years. “You have people coming from all over the country who will have their family reunions here and there is a real sense of community you can feel during the weekend.”
After 10 years of LEAF in the books, Sharkey remains surprised at how positive the experience is each year for the performers, volunteers, organizers, and guests.
“We (the volunteers) will watch four, five, six thousand people come through the gates,” Sharkey said. “How many parties can handle that many people and everyone goes home having had a great time every time?”
For more information about LEAF in Schools and Streets and for a full schedule of events, visit www.theLEAF.com.