Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

It’s time, get your Lake Eden Reunion Passes, October 16-18!

Hello friends, Fall LEAF season is coming, and we know what to do. Make your plans to come together. The story continues. Lake Eden is here for us, and lots more good news on the horizon.

I’m spreading the word to all my friends. I sense the special nature of what’s coming this fall with Lake Eden Reunion- I feel excited about being able to be part of this happening. (And I love the smaller size with onsite parking). - Tom Whittington

In the spirit of Dolly Parton, let’s keep LOVE & MUSIC going.

Hey Melissa McKinney,
What’s your favorite Dolly song? Eagle When She Flies
Who are the Artists you & Russ of The Grey Eagle Music Hall have invited to Lake Eden Reunion? We’ve invited artists that inspire us, not just for their music, but how they show up in the world; how they give back, spread love and bring people together.

Many things became very clear to me this week:
Each of us carries our own version of LEAF—our people, our memories, the music, the dancing, the misty mornings and starry nights at Lake Eden. Together we created a BEAUTIFUL story that shaped many of our lives. We don’t want to loose our friends, memories, or the possibilities for our kids and us to continue having this magic to brighten our lives. Thankfully Lake Eden is here for us,

When the news of the Leaf organization closing came last week, unbelievably within the same hour I received the final book proof of Live Life Like a Festival: 30 Years of LEAF at Lake Eden. To reach the printer deadline, I had to immerse myself for days in LEAF memories, music, dancing, families, happiness, and pure JOY. It felt like the BOOK was taking care of me during a time of change. Although I had completed my LEAF journey at work in December 2025, LEAF is part of my heart and bones. If you’d like to know more, listen to my TedX Talk & pre-buy your book (both on my website)

YES- the traditions of LEAF and festivals will continue at Lake Eden for as long as YOU and friends say YES we want to be there. We want to DANCE. Play. Dream.

Come home to Lake Eden—even if it’s your first time. ❤️
October 16–18, 2026
Lake Eden Reunion + Live Life Like a Festival Book Launch

The next chapter is waiting... and we’re dancing into it together.
Love. Always. ❤️ Jennifer

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

From James Navé

Last week, during a creative meeting for Lake Eden Reunion , a crew of us tossed around ideas for the Saturday evening Poetry Show.

We agreed that after 30 years of the LEAF Poetry SLAM, we wanted to keep its energy, risk, and audience engagement—but move in a more experimental direction, inspired by the poets of Black Mountain College.

We’re imagining a two-hour evening moving between straight-up poetry performances, in the spirit of Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam, and improvisational experiments with voice, breath, rhythm, repetition, movement, music, and chance.

Inspired by years of poetic enthusiasm, we searched for a name for our experimental poetry show. Someone tossed out The Poetics of Lake Eden. Jennifer’s husband, Leigh, said, “This Is Not That.” He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he was certain The Poetics of Lake Eden was flatter than a Michelin tire with two nails in it. Seconds later, Jeff yelled, “Hey, wait a minute. This Is Not That is the name of the poetry show.” We all instantly agreed.

Of course, none of us were sure what This Is Not That meant. But that was the whole point, if you know what I mean. It was just too good to let go.

So when you come to the Lake Eden Reunion, come to the barn on Saturday night between 8- 10 p.m., and be part of this dynamic experiment.

Spoiler: Amy Kawar, who owns Areté Boutique in downtown Asheville, plans to fill the barn with exotic rugs and couches from Morocco. Shhhhhh. Don’t tell anybody.

See you in the barn Saturday night. Be loose, be tight, be poetic. Bring your Duende. Bring your dreams. Bring the ones you love.

- James Navé
One of LEAF Founders, Poetry SLAM Host & Co-Author of Live Life Like A Festival

Hello Trees, the last week has been wild - what wisdom do you have today?
“Keep Growing. Look at us- even when people trim out branches and try to cut us down- we keep trying our best to reach towards the sky and keep growing.”
See you at Lake Eden in October, Jennifer

To recap from past Substacks:

Join us October 16–18, 2026, for music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of Living Life Like A Festival. For 45 years, Lake Eden has welcomed people together on the third weekend of October each year, creating traditions, lifelong friendships, and cherished family memories. As I completed my 30-year LEAF journey last December, we embraced the changes needed for sustainability while remaining grateful that our home, Lake Eden, would continue to be a place for gathering. You are invited back as we launch Live Life Like A Festival and begin a new chapter together.💚

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Last Call to Get Summer Early Discount Passes for Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch, October 16-18!

Hello, as we move with love from summer to fall,

There are moments at Lake Eden when you can FEEL the LOVE. Seeing Areli & Manny’s engagement (photo above) unfold against the mountain view reminds us of what Lake Eden does: it brings people together, holds memories, and creates space for new beginnings. LOVE is good.

Behind the scenes right now, amongst the trees, magic is being created.
Who’s Playing? What’s Happening? What’s New? What’s Old?
These are the questions people have been asking me for 31 years! The little girl in me jumps up and down and says, You're being here at Lake Eden will be WONDERFUL!

And we are seeking to flow in a new way - not festival frenzy marketing, but rather an INVITATION and a WELCOME with memories, with LOVE.

As we are stirring and bringing all the pieces together as a team, we FEEL the magic of what’s cooking at the Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch.

Music Curator Melissa McKinney and Event Director Leigh Maher just came home from Blues Camp inspired by “the greatest of roots music—an education vacation, an energy we’re bringing back to Lake Eden Reunion.” Stay tuned as they, along with Russ of the Grey Eagle Music Hall, announce more artists alongside the fabulous Band of Montreal and a schedule overview (aiming for next week).

What do YOU need Lake Eden to be this fall?
Some of the recent answers…
To unplug
To just BE at Lake Eden
To see friends I only got to see at LEAF
I need to DANCE!
To drum on the Mountain with friends
My Festival FAMILY reunion

Our memories at Lake Eden during festivals are so precious. I said a solemn prayer in Eden Hall for gatherings to continue. I was crushed when I thought they may end. I am so happy to be coming in October. _Patricia comes with her daughter. It is their tradition.

As summer comes to a close, know that your Lake Eden FALL TRADITIONS are continuing—beautifully and in new ways.

It’s good for the soul.

Just now, Chinobay of Uganda called. As always, his JOY is vibrant and so pure. He shares:

How did you meet? is the question I am asking often now.

I am working on a project today with David LaMotte. We met backstage years ago- when the festival was called Lake Eden Arts Festival. He asked about my Kalimba. And the places and stages we have now gone together - Uganda, Guatemala and next Kenya.

THIS is why the place matters.
It is the SPACES that create the FRIENDSHIPS and CONNECTIONS.

Lake Eden is that place for me and my family. It is where I have met many of the most important people in my life—David, Carrie, Sarah, Benjamin, Annie, Adama, and so many wonderful people. We meet here, and then we go on to create more stories together.

Having the PLACE that brings us together is the key.
Lake Eden is that place.

These traditions and memories shape our lives.
These friendships shape our stories.
Gathering shapes what comes next.
And together, we’re making sure there is ALWAYS a gathering here for YOU—and generations to come.

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Hi friends from Dana! As your vendor and volunteer coordinator, I get a front-row seat to something wonderful every year: watching this event come to life because of the people who roll up their sleeves and make it happen. Know the VOLUNTEER LOVE has gone old school with 4 hours shifts, choose your shifts and you can even do just a day. Ready to grab a shift? Sign up to Volunteer at Lake Eden Reunion.

James Navé reflects on what it means to volunteer

Remember when you held a door, or returned a dropped cell phone to a stranger, or listened to a friend tell her stories in your favorite coffee shop? It felt good, didn’t it?

You do these important voluntary acts just because you can. And that’s reason enough, don’t you think?

Your voluntary gestures strengthen your friendships, add value to your community, and build memories you’ll treasure for years to come. Most especially, they make you and those around you feel valued, meaningful, and included

So the next time you have a chance to voluntarily return something someone has dropped, or pause in the middle of your day to chat with a friend, or volunteer to be part of a cause greater than yourself, go ahead, lean in and say yes; you’ll be surprised at how much it’ll mean to you and those around you.

See you at the Lake Eden Reunion in October.
Warm wishes, Navé

Want to Write Like A Festival? Join me for my next Imaginative Storm 10-week Writing Intensive, 11 Tuesdays, September 15 - November 24, 2026, 6-8:30pm EST. Limit: 8 writers. Click here to learn more or text me 919-949-2113 if you have questions.

“Stand Tall. Stand Still. Sing.”
The trees keep encouraging me to sing. So as I walk now, I sing, and often sing very loudly from Barn Top. Let’s sing across Lake Eden in October, Jennifer

To recap from past Substacks:

Join us October 16–18, 2026, for music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of Living Life Like A Festival. For 45 years, Lake Eden has welcomed people together on the third weekend of October each year, creating traditions, lifelong friendships, and cherished family memories. As I completed my 30-year LEAF journey last December, we embraced the changes needed for sustainability while remaining grateful that our home, Lake Eden, would continue to be a place for gathering. You are invited back as we launch Live Life Like A Festival and begin a new chapter together.💚

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Now is the time to dream about FALL—and say YES to this beloved Reunion.

Imagine being in one of the most special places,

Arriving to Lake Eden Reunion, October 16–18 — you take a deep breath as you look across the lake and take in mountain views. Friends welcome you home. Festive family gathers. Music invites you to wander across the land. Nave’ and I have been imagining and planning alongside an extraordinary group of artist-curators. They are now ready to share their first reveal—each in their own unique spirit. And we invite YOU to bring your own uniqueness, too.

Festivals have always been about bringing many diverse voices together over the course of a few days to entertain, inform and excite. For this particular Reunion we decided to take things a bit further and invite a variety of friends to curate the spaces and stages as well as many engagements across the grounds. The curators include Russ Keith from Grey Eagle Music Hall creating the soundtrack for the Meadow Green Stage, local singing superstar Melissa McKinney at Eden Hall, Ed & Tami Howe setting the tempo in the Compton Dance Hall, Edwin Guerra bringing his love of spinning tunes, exploring world sounds and retro vinyl to the Barn, Dominique Warfield presenting healing arts experiences at the Ceremony Lawn and along lakeside by Habibi Village, and so many others cultivating a sense of play and hands on exploration throughout the weekend. There’s still much more to come but we wanted to share some of the artists and experiences you will find at Lake Eden Oct 16-18th!
-Leigh Maher, Lake Eden Reunion

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

As artists are shared, James Navé reflects back to Eden Hall magic moments of lifetime friendships:

Today I’m sitting on Walter Parks’s back porch in St. Louis, Missouri, part of my regular drive from Taos on my way to Asheville and Lake Eden.

Walter and I met in Eden Hall during the Spring LEAF Festival in 1997. He and his collaborator, Stephanie Winters, were playing beautiful music in their popular duo, The Nudes. (fun note…Stephanie will be at Lake Eden Reunion!)

A week later, Walter and I shared a meal. Afterward, Walter picked up his guitar, and we riffed our little improvisational hearts out. Years later, we recorded a spoken-word / instrumental album called Word Salad Symphony.

Today, musical instruments surround me here at Walter’s house, just as they did when I was a boy strumming my Gibson guitar while Tommy Bell fiddled The Orange Blossom Special. Whew, how lucky we are, my friends.

I’m looking forward to more music, poetry and friends at the Lake Eden Reunion. See you there. -James Nave’

The trees are full of wisdom: “Plant more trees! People want to be good stewards of the planet. We the trees are GREAT inexpensive ways to be a good GREEN friend. Plant a tree.”
- See you in October, Jennifer

To recap from past Substacks:

Join us October 16–18, 2026, for music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of Living Life Like A Festival. For 45 years, Lake Eden has welcomed people together each third weekend of October, creating traditions, lifelong friendships, and cherished family memories. As I completed my 30-year LEAF journey last December, we embraced the changes needed for sustainability while remaining grateful that our home Lake Eden would continue to be a place for gathering. You are invited back as we launch Live Life Like A Festival, and begin a new chapter together.💚

Get your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Today, my birthday, is a great time to make your plans to come to Lake Eden Reunion, October 16-18, 2026.

Wow…midnight just came, and I stepped into my 60s,

My birthday is today (7/24), and I’ve always said: “My birthday is all the time.” Imagine just for a moment, a world where every day is lived like a birthday or a festival. Full of WONDER, ease, kindness, music, good health, and JOY.

Happy Birthday to me and to YOU!

Reflecting on my Big 60 milestone, CAMP was the first book of my life from birth to 29. The LEAF FESTIVAL was my second book (29-59). Now I step into my third book of being GRATEFUL, and curious of what magic we will create in this next book.

My husband, Leigh, asked, “What do you want for your birthday?” Since it’s a big one, let’s get to my 3 wishes:

• Get your Lake Eden Reunion Passes, share with friends and join for a day or weekend October 16-18, 2026 as we keep traditions alive, make new ones and launch our book!

• Speaking of Book- if you haven’t yet… Pre-Buy Live Life Like A Festival Book. Sunday, October 18th is the official Book launch in historic Eden Hall with a special lineup honoring the 30 years of LEAF. That is when you get your book which is 380+ pages of magic - the publisher just shared, “We are on target for press. It is going to be so beautiful!”

• WELCOMING with me an artist from EVERY COUNTRY to Lake Eden - 78 countries to go to fulfill my dream. Over the 30 years of my LEAF Festival, we hosted artists from 117 countries.

  *Fun news - our Lake Eden music partner Russ at Grey Eagle Music Hall just booked El Khat from Yemen for Lake Eden Reunion, thanks to our dear friend Heather Gradison’s gift - leaving just 77 countries. El Khat is stirring hearts with our Festival friends at Shakori & Grassroots with junkyard-funk and art-rock rooted in traditional Yemeni Arabic music on self-made, recycled instruments. We get to create our own instruments with them!
  Stay tuned….next week Grey Eagle will unveil their Lake Eden Reunion concerts.

Talking with my longtime friend, cellist Stephanie Winters, she shared how wondrous it feels to play the big stage in Italy. Listening to her, I realized we each have our own instrument - hers is the cello, and mine is creating gatherings at Lake Eden.

This fall, I’ll be walking along the lake and through the fields, seeing the Kinobe Family and all the people who’ve come to feel like family over these past 30 years come together along with new friends - and that makes me smile. That feels like a great song worth singing in this new book of life. Hope you join us.

From James Navé my creative collaborator for over 30 years

Happy Birthday Jennifer Pickering!

Whenever I wished my Mother a happy Mother’s Day, she’d always say, Remember, every day is Mother’s Day. I’m with you when you say, My birthday is all the time.” With that in mind, here’s wishing you two scoops of ice cream on a huge slice of homemade hot apple pie. Happy Birthday!

Warm wishes,
Navé

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Here’s a little Festival Birthday Love that just came my way to share:

The most impactful festivals I've experienced have been community-minded, something I've long admired about what Jennifer and Leigh built through LEAF (Lake Eden Arts Festival) and are continuing at Lake Eden Reunion. We strive for that same 'community first' mentality with AVL Sounds Fest, August 6-9 throughout downtown Asheville. To share in that sense of community, we're happy to give an exclusive $25 discount for Lake Eden & LEAF lovers. To access select tier titled "HBD" (Happy birthday, Jennifer!) and enter promo code LAKEEDENREUNION (all CAPS). The discount valid now til Sunday 11:59pm. —Jeff Whitworth

Today I choose JOY, as the rain gently falls, and the trees surround me at Lake Eden and share, “We love to dance, and we love to be still. This is our way of being.”
Happy Leo Days & see you in October at Lake Eden, Jennifer Pickering

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has welcomed people together each third weekend of October, creating traditions, lifelong friendships, and cherished family memories. As I completed my 30-year LEAF journey last December, we embraced the changes needed for sustainability while remaining grateful that our home Lake Eden would continue to be a place for gathering. Now, we’re honored to invite you back as we celebrate 30 years of LEAF, the launch of Live Life Like A Festival, and the beginning of a new chapter together.

Join us October 16–18, 2026, for music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of Living Life Like A Festival. ❤️

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to follow our creative journey and help carry Lake Eden’s stories and traditions forward. More to come!

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Now is the time to think FALL, and make your plans to come to Lake Eden. Get your passes when you’re ready- they are limited, and last call for early tier offers good savings.

Hello Families & Friends,

Time is a little different for me right now as my 104.5-year-old Aunt Pat just passed with grace. Her healthy longevity is rare. She shared: “Life is precious, be quick to LOVE, make haste to BE KIND, spend time with family & friends, and take lots of walks.” This is exactly WHY we are grateful to be creating Lake Eden Reunion, October 16-18, and hope to see YOU.

Imagine . . . being at Lake Eden Living Life Like A Festival with family & friends, enjoying all the gifts that create happiness and health, and you.

One of the essential elements when I started LEAF Festival was Healing Arts. Thai Massage Artist, Dominique Warfield, is curating the Lake Eden Reunion’s healing arts experiences with fresh inspiration from her work at Sohum Sanctuary and her Way of Touch Studio.

If you’re a Healing Artist creating inspiring wellness experiences or workshops that maybe wonderful to offer at Lake Eden Reunion- fill out: Healing Arts Interest Form.

Healing arts offers a chance to come back to ourselves, to the earth, to the places and people we’d forgotten. -Jess Toan, from Living Life Like A Festival Book. Fun fact: Jess met her husband at Lake Eden & named their daughter Eden.

Edwin, DJ Haviken Hayes - How do you feel about Music as a Healing tool?

Music is Healing! I’ve always recognized music’s ability to move us in ways that words can’t. A song can unlock a forgotten memory, shift your mood in an instant, or send goosebumps across your skin without any logical explanation. Vibrations and frequencies speak to something deeper than thought. They reach us on a level we can feel, even when we can’t explain it.

When I discovered that people intentionally use music as a tool for healing, it felt completely natural. Our ancestors may have called it magic. Today, many would call it science. Whatever name you give it, the experience is undeniably real.

The Barn at Lake Eden has a kind of magic all its own. For generations, it has drawn both healers and those seeking healing. Musicians, vocalists, DJs, poets, dancers, and storytellers have all transformed that space into something far greater than a performance venue.

Its greatest strength is its intimacy. You’re not watching from a distance. You’re immersed in the experience. You don’t just see it or hear it, you feel it. And sometimes, that’s exactly where healing begins.

James Navé

While living life like a festival certainly includes dancing around the Maypole, it more broadly means cultivating an optimistic attitude — offering unlimited opportunities to approach life in significant, meaningful ways that keep you balanced during blue-sky and cloudy days.

Recently, I was in Paris visiting my good friend John Van Hasselt, who’s living with Parkinson’s disease. If you’ve known someone with Parkinson’s — or if you’re living with it yourself — you know it’s difficult. We’ve been friends since 1968.

Would it be fair to call our time in Paris festive? At one point, he slipped from his chair. Yes, it was difficult; even so, we laughed like boys as I helped him off the floor. Somehow his chair tumble was humorous, light-hearted, and surprising. If that wasn’t a festival vibe, I don’t know what is.

“My God,” I said, “can you believe we’ve arrived here?” We both understood we were living our version of life like a festival, a full-tilt collage of everything life offers, rolled into one.

Here’s to all the days with old and new friends.

Warmly, Navé

Here’s a Fabulous RSVP just in for Reunion? Elfhaven Childcare family crew, led by Leah Hyde, continues a 40-year tradition, and Caroline & Steve will continue their 20-year selfie photos in the same place by Lake Eden, now with their sons. Good family time is wellness.

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The trees welcome us for healing and health with family and friends- come sit and be. -- See you in October, Jennifer Pickering

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change. As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories. This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation. ❤️

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to follow our creative journey and help carry Lake Eden’s stories and traditions forward. More to come!

Get Your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Now is the time to think FALL, and mark your calendar to come to Lake Eden. Get your passes when you’re ready- they are limited, and the early tier offers good savings.

Happy Summer Days with Friends & Families,

Reunions shape who we are. We chose to call this fall’s gathering Lake Eden Reunion because that is exactly what it is—a gathering of friends and family who haven’t seen each other for a while. I am so excited and grateful to welcome you back to Lake Eden this October 16–18, 2026!

While I was recently at my family reunion—recognized by National Geographic as “The Largest House Party in the World”—I realized how deeply this gathering has shaped my life and the dreams we’ve nurtured here at Lake Eden. It’s hot and a different world from my mountain home, yet the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi feels like home, tradition, and family. I leave with dirty shoes, yet my spirit is refilled.

I thought we were going to your family reunion—I didn’t realize it was 2,000 family reunions all happening at the same time!
-My husband Leigh exclaimed when he first arrived.

Laughing and simply sitting with three and four generations on the cabin porches is what we do. There’s a rhythm to the days: family and friends visiting, getting the next costumes ready, eating and more cold drinks, running off to dance to the bands for a bit, or just wandering from porch to porch, visiting and telling more stories.

I was born during the 1966 Fair, so I started going when I was one year old, and my family’s roots there stretch back to 1892, when my grandfather and his friends founded the Fair.

My dear friend Kerri Hampton joined our family reunion one year and saw something I had never fully put into words:

The Fair Is Where the Dream of Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) Began. When I walked through the Neshoba County Fair with Jennifer—the games, the food, the decorations, the laughter—something clicked.

Watching four generations eat together, sleep under one roof, sit on the porch, wander the midway, and play side by side was extraordinary. So many personalities. So many opinions. And somehow, an incredible ability to laugh through it all.

Every year, more than 45 family members—from babies to grandparents—sleep together in one giant bunk room. That’s just what they do. It’s living history.

All those years at the Festival, Jennifer would somehow gather everyone together, bunking dozens of people into shared spaces, making room for one more person, one more connection of an amazing new person.

It finally made sense. Life at the Fair, just like at Lake Eden, isn’t about rigid plans. It’s about trusting the community, embracing the unexpected, and knowing that joy usually waits just around the corner.

The Fair reminded me that festivals are built on families and friends who know how to make room for each other—and invite everyone else to join.

-Kerri, a dedicated middle school teacher and Founding Director of LEAF Schools & Streets, is right.

The spirit that has guided gatherings at Lake Eden is about creating a place where people make room for one another, where strangers become friends, and where traditions are passed from one generation to the next.

Reunions aren’t simply about returning to a place. They are about returning to a shared rhythm, familiar faces, old stories, and traditions that continue to shape us year after year... and the people who remind us who we are at our best.

That is the heart behind the Lake Eden Reunion.

Whether you arrive with family, old friends, or come on your own, my hope is that Lake Eden continues to be—or becomes—one of those places that feels like home. A place where memories are made, stories are shared, and traditions continue to grow across generations.

Talking to the trees about family reunions, I was curious if they had anything to say: “We are family. We are a mix of ages, sizes, styles, and we stand together and are like a family with all the variations of life”.
- See you in October, Jennifer

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Now my creative co-author James Navé takes us into the power of Poetry:

The LEAF Poetry Slam’s Reunion Vibe

1995–2025: Every Saturday night in Eden Hall, more folks gathered to watch 12 poets compete through five rounds for a $1,000 prize. In the third round, the four poets left standing performed an improvisational poem. Sometimes they soared. Sometimes they stumbled gloriously. Either way, it was a ton of fun.

Choosing the improv topic was simple: I called on the first hand that caught my eye. Whatever came out of that person’s mouth became the topic each of the poets had to work with. The audience loved it. What audience doesn’t?

The topics were spontaneous: lost love, mud, smelly shoes, elections, bad pancakes. Sometimes a smart aleck would yell, “A turkey’s rear end!”

That’s Improvisation

You gotta be cool, thoughtful, quick on your feet. Adios ego! Take it easy. No hurry. Forget trying to impress people. Let your spontaneity carry the moment. Trust your imaginative swagger—pops, dazzles, backflips, quick turns. That’s improvisation.

The Slam Family LEAF Reunion

The competition brought us together. The reunion brought us back.

Slam poets have always referred to themselves as the Slam Family. Every May and October, Lake Eden became one of our family reunions. That’s one reason so many terrific poets returned year after year.

If you’d like to be part of our upcoming Lake Eden Reunion, which will include poets and spoken word experiences, of course, join us October 16–18, 2026. Click here to learn more.

Warmly with a flashback to Ed Maybry’s improv on the subject of MUD,
Navé

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change. As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories. This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation. ❤️

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to follow our creative journey and help carry Lake Eden’s stories and traditions forward. More to come!

Get your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

Hello Artists & Friends- A HUGE RECOGNITION just happened here,

My mind is still swirling, and this news makes me want to dance (scroll down for dance schedule unveiled!).

Yesterday on June 30, 2026, the Black Mountain College Studies Building was recognized as one of the top 10 Heritage Places by the World Monuments Fund's Irreplaceable America List. This place has helped shape the nation's unique history as America marks its 250th anniversary.

Dr. Montlaur of the World Monuments Fund tells us:

This is a call to protect the places that reflect the richness of our history, and the role heritage plays in education, community memory, and civic life.

This is significant in a time when support for the arts has been challenged. The history of this iconic building and Lake Eden has “embodied values of creativity, inclusivity and interdisciplinary inquiry that continues to shape global cultural discourse.”

For decades, LEAF Main Stage came to life beside this iconic building—we sang with Mavis Staples, danced to Galactic, stood in awe watching India.Arie, celebrated with Bootsy Collins, and discovered music that shaped so many memories while shopping with artisans.

In 2020, the main stage moved to higher ground with a view of this iconic, often perplexing building, and we began playing in new ways, from music jams to games.

600,000 festivalgoers at Lake Eden in the past 30 years have kept the ARTS alive and thriving in and around this place. Now history will continue to grow, shine in new ways, and inspire us to dance, play, create, and dream on its porches and under its eaves with a catalyzed spirit.

Growing up, this building, which we called The Ship, seemed to be the largest trailer in the world to me. A photo of The Studies Building was shown in my architecture class in university.

“That’s in my front yard,” I shared in surprise. That was the moment I realized there was more to the history of the land that raised me.

Amanda Fortini, NY Times Writer + Black Mountain Institute Fellow, spoke at the Recognition Ceremony:

Nine Decades since Black Mountain College, and we are still talking about it. Why? They put the ARTS at the center of everything, and with our lives becoming ever more detached, lived on screens, I think physical spaces like this one and people gathering in them are more important than ever.

In the following video, Dr. Darin J. Waters, NC Deputy Secretary of the Office of Archives and History, reads a letter from Governor Stein and makes an important historic acknowledgment on this special occasion:

However you arrive at Lake Eden—as an artist, volunteer, camper, musician, dancer, or friend—you are part of this continuing history. The work of preserving it, celebrating it, and adding new chapters belongs to all of us.

James Navé reflects:

The first time I saw the Black Mountain College Studies Building, fondly known as The Ship, was in 1983, when I was on the production staff for the 1st Black Mountain Music Festival. My thought was, “That’s the oddest building I’ve ever seen.” I didn’t dislike it; I just didn’t understand its design. Over the years, I walked under and around The Ship, and each time I experience a deeper appreciated of its magic.

Good news makes us want to unveil the DANCE schedule!

Dance has been a beloved tradition at Lake Eden since the days of Black Mountain College, continuing through the festivals and remaining at the heart of this special Reunion. Get ready to balance and swing your partners and neighbors!

Get your Lake Eden Reunion Passes + Book

The trees have been an important part of this extraordinary history. They have given a place for kids to play, writing a song, many first kisses, or a friend to lean on.
Happy Summer & see you in October at Lake Eden, Jennifer Pickering

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories. This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation. ❤️

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to follow our creative journey and help carry Lake Eden’s stories and traditions forward. More to come!

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

RSVP Friends: Check your email for the Reunion Passes link! This special 1st tier is reserved for you & your friends til Monday, then passes open to all. Thank YOU to the nearly 500 RSVPs who inspired us on this new journey! You can still RSVP & connect!

Hello Artists & Friends- Today is a Good Day,

Celebrating Juneteenth today honors history never to be lost - the day slavery ended and the road to freedom began. Musicians forged this path with freedom songs, and continue to be beacons of light. What’s a freedom song that stirs your soul? Mine is Nina Simone’s I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, and every song sung at Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

Over the past few months, getting lost in trailblazing music and people’s wonderful LEAF and Lake Eden stories has become my sanctuary while writing our book, Live Life Like A Festival.

Another sanctuary has been spending time with my Costa Rican little nephews. I’m re-learning to appreciate the positive power of getting lost in PLAY. Today, the boys’ school celebrated Día del Papa. All the dads were invited to PLAY. I photographed. The games were robust and left us all drenched in happiness and sweat. Happy Father’s Day!

Meanwhile, back at Lake Eden, my husband, Leigh, has taken the lead as the Lake Eden Reunion Festival Director. Every day, he talks more and more about PLAY. And when he does, his voice sparkles with fresh ideas, and a new fun-loving spirit comes to life.

Leigh and I met at LEAF in 2001 when he was a sponsor with Global Rhythm Music Magazine in NYC. Thank you, Leigh, for being the key that turned so many of my festival dreams into reality.

Yes, we’re adding plenty of PLAY into our Lake Eden Reunion mix!

What’s a Fabulous RSVP just in for Reunion? Local superstars and longtime LEAFers, Devil’s Foot Beverage Co., will keep their traditions going, bringing their families, friends, and their all-natural, amazing sodas for the Reunion weekend. Ben Colvin, Devil’s Foot Co-Founder and 3 Generation LEAF Family shared this week:

The Colvin Family is so happy for future gatherings at Lake Eden! Vashti, who has been coming since she was 12 years old, and our kids who have been coming since their birth were unreal excited and happy. Lake Eden means so much to so many people- and in a world or worry and fear, it’s a bright shining light that helps us all see goodness, friendship and hope.

James Navé

Yesterday, Leigh Maher, Director of Lake Eden Retreat and former CFO of LEAF Global Arts, and I had a lengthy zoom conversation about the planning he and his team are doing around future events at Lake Eden, especially the upcoming Lake Eden Reunion and Book Launch this October.

During the conversation, Leigh told me a playful story about what happened while he was setting up the online ticketing system for the Lake Eden Reunion.

I’ve been working with this guy at Etix, which The Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville uses to sell their concert tickets. During our conversation, I told him that ‘getting lost at Lake Eden is a rite of passage,’ a line I’ve jokingly used for years.

A few hours later, he sent me a sample draft of the Friday ticket, which he literally called Friday Single Day Pass-Lost at Lake Eden. I laughed like crazy because I never expected he’d put it on the ticket. I’m not sure if I’ll use Lost at Lake Eden on the final ticket, but I might.

Leigh pointed out that there are many ways to get lost at Lake Eden.

If you’re lucky, you might spot the very secretive Jackalope hiding under a bush. You could wander into a bocce game or sit in at a drum circle. It’s likely you’ll try something you’ve always wanted to try but never quite got around to.

I want people to stumble onto things. I want them to experience things they’ve never done before. I want movement. I want folks to PLAY.

Jennifer Pickering, my wife & collaborator, and I completely agree that one of the most important reasons for the Lake Eden Reunion is to honor the people who have told us how much Lake Eden has meant to them and to their families across generations.

We want to create new ways for families to continue to gather here, play here, make memories here, and continue having those get-lost experiences that Lake Eden offers.

It’s okay to get lost at Lake Eden. It’s amazing what you find. Besides, you never really get lost. You always know where the lake is. -Leigh Maher, Lake Eden Retreat & a great guide for Black Mountain College history on the grounds.

I hope you’ll come get a little lost with us. Thanks for all your support.

Warmly, Navé

Sirenas & Mermaids keep finding me this week: “Choose your attitude, and stay positive. When things look like you may have lost something - it may become your biggest gift”. -- See you in October, Jennifer

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change. As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories. This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation. ❤️

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to follow our creative journey and help carry Lake Eden’s stories and traditions forward. More to come!

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Hello Beautiful Artists & Friends,

Jennifer here, thinking about how artists brighten our lives…

As in the flow of life, this week brought a beautiful HELLO and a touching GOODBYE.

Hello. Artist Sir Tom Foolery (Tommy Lee) dedicated the “Black Boy Joy” mural in Asheville’s RAD District. For more than 15 years, Tommy Lee surprised LEAF headliners with extraordinary portraits, many of which are featured in the Live Life Like a Festival book alongside his posters. Having watched him grow as an artist at Lake Eden, it’s a joy to see his murals now brighten the streets of downtown Asheville.

YES! Tommy Lee and his wife, Kristin, who were recently married at Lake Eden Retreat, will be part of the Lake Eden Reunion, creating ART-filled moments.

Goodbye. Eddie Smith, the potter, held an iconic spot along the shores of Lake Eden from the Black Mountain Festival days through the LEAF years. His pottery harkened back to Black Mountain College:

“The black glaze formula I use was created right here at Black Mountain College”.

Since 2020, as Eddie grew a bit older, he rarely traveled from Chapel Hill, but he always called and remained part of the Lake Eden community in spirit. Many of you may have one of his treasured mugs. We raise a cup to Eddie as he crossed the rainbow bridge of life this week.

The Arts chapter of Live Life Like a Festival is dedicated to Eddie. I had so hoped to share it with him and have one more dance in the Barn—he loved to dance. Artists live on through their creations. My home is filled with art by Eddie and others who spark curiosity and hold a deep appreciation for the traditions they keep alive.

A quick update! We’re in the ARTful flow, which means we take a bit more time and care. Lake Eden Reunion passes are expected to go on sale June 15.

If you haven’t RSVP’d for the Lake Eden Reunion & Book Launch, October 16–18, you still can. RSVPing ensures access to first-tier passes and consideration for your special lodging requests. RSVPs are rolling in! We’re excited to gather, create, and celebrate together at Lake Eden—honoring cherished traditions while dreaming up new ones.

RSVP

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

James Navé here

October 1983: The First Black Mountain Music Festival

Can you guess where and when the black-and-white photo above was taken?

If you’ve attended a LEAF Festival, you may recognize the entrance to Camp Rockmont. What you probably won’t guess is that this photo was taken during the first Black Mountain Music Festival in October 1983.

The two people sitting on the porch are Anna and Keith. Their job was simple: sell tickets and greet the folks who showed up.

I took the photograph. I was also in charge of parking, which meant directing cars into the field behind the tennis courts and pointing people toward the festival grounds.

Anna and Keith sat on the porch waiting for arrivals. I stood in a field directing traffic. Nobody knew what would happen. We hoped people would come. They did.

The Black Mountain Music Festival helped lay the groundwork for what would become the LEAF Festival twelve years later.

Looking at the photograph today, I’m struck by its simplicity. Two people on a porch, waiting to welcome whoever showed up.

This coming October, we’ll be doing much the same thing. We’ll be waiting to welcome you to the Lake Eden Reunion and book launch of our book Live Life Like a Festival, a thirty-year history of the LEAF Festival.

Warm wishes, Navé

The trees are always creating. New leaves, roots, berries. Just take a look.
LOVE - See you in October at Lake Eden, Jennifer

Discover More On My New Website

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change. As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories. This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation. ❤️

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Hello Friends,

Jennifer here, thinking about each of us finding our songs & stories…

It feels so good to sing- in the car, walking in the woods, and once in a blue moon on stage - I just sang at The Monkey Bar in Key West. Karaoke that is.

What’s your SONG? Mine is Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker, ever since I was little and heard it at the county fair. Nave’s song is Crazy by Willie Nelson. Marissa of Firefly Gathering sings I Will Survive by the Queen- Diana Ross.

“Being YOU” and finding your song is unique to each of us. In this month of celebrating PRIDE, so much LOVE to Brian Linus Ngatunga of Tanzania. If you’ve been to LEAF in the past 10 years, you may know Brian from LEAF International, as an MC, and as a global ambassador. We often refer to him as “The World’s Kindest Human”, and for many, Brian is now family. He just shared:

My TEDx video is FINALLY out and so am I! I’m glad it’s out just right in time with Pride Month. I hope somebody somewhere (who can relate to everything, a few things, or even nothing) will see the video and feel some sort of empowerment or strength they aren’t alone. I’m reliving the big emotions (fear, anxiety, and anger) I experienced leading up to the talk, and I have to share with my parents very soon. It is not going to be easy.

Let’s send him so much LOVE on his journey. By the way, Brian’s Karaoke song is Arcade by Duncan Laurence.

Brian's TEDx Talk "Relearning Yourself"

Connecting via Substack with a small group, including you, has been a sweet experiment. Next week I will start including more readers, so before that...

If you haven’t RSVP’d for Lake Eden Reunion & Book Launch, October 16–18, now is the time. Include any last-call lodging requests. Passes go on sale June 10 via The Grey Eagle.

• If you haven’t RSVP’d for Lake Eden Reunion & Book Launch, October 16–18, now is the time. Include any last-call lodging requests. Passes go on sale June 10 via The Grey Eagle. RSVPs are coming in. We’re feeling at ease and happy — setting a new vibe and flow for our new dreams. We are grateful.

• Fun RSVP just in for October Reunion is the Firefly Gathering crew with Marissa!

  We are already dreaming up all of the magic that will be had at Lake Eden, during this October’s gathering, where we will be celebrating community and sharing earth skills with you! And we are over the moon that our new future home will be —LAKE EDEN RETREAT!!!

  Till then, no need to delay your festival life, catch our annual Firefly gathering, this July 7-12 at Wild Human Preserve- fireflygathering.org/annual gets you all the details!

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Navé here: What Does Living Like a Festival Mean to You?

What pops into your mind when you think of living life like a festival and songs?

Maybe it’s sitting in the front row at a local venue listening to a band like Rising Appalachia play Medicine. For many of us, it’s a special song.

Or maybe it’s the barista at Dynamite Coffee handing you your morning cup and, when you turn around, there stands an old friend you haven’t seen in years.

Maybe it’s sitting quietly and listening to the birds on a June morning.
Maybe it’s going to a PRIDE parade in one of the 100 countries which celebrates/

Living life like a festival is about remembering that you can view life’s ups and downs through a festive lens rather than a grumpy old-troll-under-the-bridge lens. Jot them down. Share them with a friend.

You may be surprised by how many you find.

This week I was away by the sea, but I know the trees will be there to welcome me home, and you as well, to Lake Eden.
LOVE - See you in October, Jennifer

Listen to my TEDx Talk: Finding Home

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change.

As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories.

This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation.

RSVP now to reserve your place. When passes are released through The Grey Eagle, you’ll receive early notification and access details.

Our early “Bookies” — those who preordered the book ❤️ — will receive first access to lodging and a few additional surprises along the way.

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Hello Beautiful Kind People,

Jennifer here thinking about LOVE and HEALING…

Shifting from spring to summer, from dreaming to activation, I was reminded yesterday to stay anchored in LOVE. “How would you lead differently if you were rooted in love -and let fear go? If you hold onto ‘I am worthy, I am loved’”, Kripalu Transformational Leader Alumni & founder of Be Well Beautiful People, Demarra West, asked in our session. So, as I miss my May traditions, I am choosing LOVE, which leads to good health and healing.

I love that the Live Life Like a Festival Book is in the final stages with the publishers! Healing Arts has always been core to LEAF since the founding - Sierra Hollister, beloved “yoga universalist”, helped create these offerings at LEAF, and she continues to hold so much love at Lake Eden. She met her fiancé at Lake Eden during our Covid Drive-Thru, and perhaps once upon a LEAF, conceived a child here.

A Love gift for you today from Live Life Like a Festival Book:
Practice: Living Yoga with Sierra Hollister
(Follow along—no experience needed)

• STOP what you are doing. Pause.

• GROUND your feet to the earth. Feel the way earth is holding you. Feel the enormous, gorgeous, continual nourishing sustenance flowing into you from earth.

• BREATHE deeply and let go of thought (as much as possible).

• FEEL TIME EXPAND. Feel how the container of time & space is a contrived structure of past & future—and how this very moment has the potential to expand, infinitely in all directions.

• SENSE THE BEAUTY. Feel how this very moment is tinged with gold, sunrise & sunset, waves of breath, of air, of water— and how we are all deeply connected.

• REMEMBER FAMILY. Feel how the trees are family, the owl and the water, and the people on the other side of the earth are family— how together, every living being creates a shimmering fabric of aliveness, of love.

• KEEP BREATHING. Stay in this space until you remember with every cell of your body that love is all there is—that you are love, I am love, everything and everyone is love, and only love is real.

• Now—go and live that LOVE.

I just bought Sierra’s book Moon Path Yoga; it’s beautiful.

Healing Arts Curator, Dominique Warfield,

“Love is the way of devotion”, Dominique says as she bounces off to do a Thai Massage session. Next week on this Substack, Dominique will share her dreams for the October 16-18, 2026 Lake Eden Reunion as she curates the Healing Arts and how you can catch up with her in the wondrous world of healing.

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Navé here

Over the past 30 years, if you’ve attended a LEAF Festival, you probably remember children romping around campsites while their parents made lunch, young fiddlers jamming with their elders beside Lake Eden, or spotting a friend you hadn’t seen in years practicing yoga under the healing arts tent. Maybe, if you got lucky, you fell in love with someone you’d live with for the rest of your life.

As Jennifer, Lauren, and I have been creating Live Life Like a Festival, we’ve come to understand that, of the 600,000 people who have experienced a LEAF Festival over the past 30 years, it would be impossible to count all the memories and stories people still share.

We’ve tried to honor as many of those memories as possible in Live Life Like a Festival, and we know there are thousands more still out there. As we move toward the Lake Eden reunion, we invite you to gather your photographs, friendships, stories, and memories from LEAF and the many gatherings here over the years.

We hope you’ll bring some of those stories back to Lake Eden this fall.

The Trees have a sense of humor, one of their messages this week, “Keep it simple. Look, we chose one basic color.” My husband, whom I met at LEAF 2003, reminded me that many leaves change colors in the fall.

LOVE - see you in October, Jennifer

Listen to my TEDx Talk: Finding Home

To recap from past Substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change.

As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories.

This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation.

RSVP now to reserve your place. When passes are released through The Grey Eagle, you’ll receive early notification and access details.

Our early “Bookies” — those who preordered the book ❤️ — will receive first access to lodging and a few additional surprises along the way.

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Greetings from Jennifer & Navé,

Jennifer here with some BIG news…

Monday Midnight, Live Life Like a Festival Book designer, Lauren Breher, texted, “I’m so stressed! The book is 364 pages…NOT 240 (124 pages over)!” I replied, “this book is all about JOY. We all need more joy so it is going to be BIG and beautiful.”

Our publisher, GracePoint, thankfully agreed - now onto final proofs and get ready for book launch at Lake Eden.

If you pre-bought your Live Life Like a Festival, YOU are getting a BIG book now! Bonus love for your patience. Haven’t pre-bought your Live Life Like a Festival? Now is the time for soon the price will go up to match the new BIG reality.

Now the real reason the book is so BIG? Steve Atkins’ thousands of photographs created our memories and captured the magic moments. Right now, Steve & family are excited for Lake Eden Reunion and Book Launch, and busy with hoot-hoot and pom-poms, photographing owls and sports for Explore Asheville.

Someone asked why Nave’ is doing Substacks with me? The answer is simple: we dreamed up LEAF together and have been creative collaborators for 32 years. As we honor 30 years of LEAF through Live Life Like a Festival and begin planning the book launch and Lake Eden Reunion October 16-18, we are so happy to continue collaborating. Nave’ hosts Poetry SLAMS and the person who kicks me into writing gear. He was also my TEDx AVL cheerleader- please watch if you haven’t - you are part of the story.

Who are the longtime co-creators in your life — the people who would show up, anytime and anywhere, to help bring your dreams to life?

Listen to my TEDx Talk: Finding Home

Navé here

When people ask me what I mean by Living Life Like a Festival, here’s what I tell them.

You can live life like a festival while dancing a jig. Or you can find quieter moments: sitting with a warm cup of morning coffee, watching hawks circle, holding the door for a stranger, or noticing the sudden kindness in someone’s eyes.

You’re living like a festival when you host a surprise birthday party, help a friend recover from illness, sing off-key in public, or learn a simple magic trick like the Disappearing Toothpick or the Vanishing Napkin.

Some of my greatest moments at The LEAF Festival have been eating ice cream on the Eden Hall deck, listening to Sunday morning fiddle tunes in the Black Mountain College barn, talking with oodles of friends, or watching slam poets rock the stage.

Living life like a festival is a choice. Let your imagination guide you as you lean into life — sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes round and round.

The Trees reminded me today, “We are here for you all day and all night -even under rainbows. During the day birds like to sit on us and sing, and at night the stars dance high above us.” -Grateful for my friends- you and the trees- see you in October, Jennifer

To recap from past substacks:

For 45 years, Lake Eden has gathered people together on the third weekend of October. The dates never change.

As stewards of this place, we honor old traditions, old friendships, and the making of new memories.

This fall — October 16–18, 2026 — we begin the next chapter with music, conversation, dancing, storytelling, and the ongoing art of participation.

RSVP now to reserve your place. When passes are released through The Grey Eagle, you’ll receive early notification and access details.

Our early “Bookies” — those who preordered the book ❤️ — will receive first access to lodging and a few additional surprises along the way.

Listen to my TEDx Talk: Finding Home

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Buy Book

Listen To Jennifer's TEDx Talk

Greetings from Jennifer & Navé,

Navé here

Jennifer Pickering’s TEDxAsheville talk, Finding Your Way Home Through Culture, is now live on the TED platform. Jennifer, my co-collaborator, frames her TEDxAsheville talk around our book Live Life Like a Festival, which views the world through an optimistic, curious cultural lens. She spent four months, January through March, finding her story, beginning with a competitive submission process that drew 285 applicants, of whom only 12 were chosen.

Since I’m one of the TEDxAsheville performance coaches, it was my pleasure to work closely with Jennifer in this format that was new to her. At midnight the night before TEDx, we were acting out her speech at Lake Eden to get her in the flow.

In her talk, Jennifer invites us into her journey through her many cultural experiences around the world and at the festival, always keeping in mind that returning home is as much a state of being as a place to dwell. And for many of us- myself included, Lake Eden is a place that I feel HOME, and has been my destination for 30 years.

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch

Jennifer here

Hello hello friends, family, and longtime LEAFers,

Many of you have asked, “How are you doing?” My TEDx talk shares the journey of stepping into a new life path. When I applied to TEDx, I thought it would be easy. I had no idea that by year’s end, my husband Leigh and I would be saying goodbye to the organization I founded and we nurtured with our love and resources for decades.

In this free fall of life changes, TEDx, Kripalu, and our book “Live Life Like A Festival” became sanctuaries that caught me, wrapped me in the JOY of LEAF stories, and challenged me to find my own grounding.

Finding my story and sharing on stage was NOT easy. I equate the experience to 4 years of therapy. Most mornings, I sat with Lake Eden through rain, sun and wind — meditating, writing, rewriting — and yes, the land even asked me to start singing. So I did, and quickly found my songs as tears flowed.

It is my hope that in listening to my TEDx Talk, “Finding Home Through Culture,” you may find connection points and inspiration for your own journey. TEDx Asheville is unique in the unparalleled coaching that Barrie Barton, Jack, Nave, and Vanessa gave so generously to each of us. AND... it’s worth watching all of my group’s talks — especially George Johnson’s and Sekou Coleman’s.

Now that the TEDx talk is live, we are in the final stages of getting the “Live Life Like A Festival” book to the publisher, and beginning new dreams for gathering at Lake Eden this October to honor traditions, shared memories, and create new ones. Ease, joy, care and lots of love is in the air as we all continue living our stories and returning to places and experiences that “take us home”.

Talking to the trees today - they said, “You must be grounded in order to grow tall.”
-Smiles, Jennifer

Pre-Buy BOOK: Live Life Like A Festival

To recap from past substacks:
For 45 years, Lake Eden has held its gatherings on the third weekend of October (not changeable dates). As stewards of this sacred place, we honor traditions with family and friends and creating new memories.

This fall, October 16-18, 2026, we dream into the next chapter—bringing the Live Life Like a Festival to life with music, dancing, and hopefully YOU. RSVP to reserve your spot, and when our ticketing partner, Grey Eagle Music Hall, releases the passes, you’ll have your spot secured. “Bookies” (who pre-bought our book ❤️) get first access to lodging and special love passes… and everyone is welcome.

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch

Mike Compton and his #1 Ed Howe on the soundboard at the Brookside Dance Hall. Mike couldn’t walk, yet he loved to create dances, especially at his beloved LEAF!
Photos by Jennifer Pickering & Steve Atkins

Greetings from Jennifer & Navé,

Navé here

If you ever attended LEAF Festival, you likely were drawn to Brookside Dance Hall to watch the contra dancers go round and round to tunes like Over the Waterfall, Spootiskerry, Mairi’s Wedding, or Whiskey Before Breakfast. You may have joined in.

The dancing would start on Friday evening and run through Sunday. Deep into the night, techno contra carried dancers into the wee hours — the whirling, the laughter, the joy of balance and non-balance swirling around like leaves in a warm breeze.

Mike Compton was the shining star, the sun, the pinnacle of unconditional love for the dance community. Contra was his passion, starting with Black Mountain Festivals, and embedding dance into the LEAF Festival formula.

As far as Mike was concerned, the heart of the festival was the dance!

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch

Jennifer here

Every morning when I wake up at Lake Eden, I talk to Mike’s spirit. He was my dear friend and daily advisor for 28 years. He created his final dance at LEAF’s 50th Festival with joy and perseverance, then passed soon after. But he still guides us.

Mike, what should we do?
Mike’s spirit says, It’s clear, the dance must go on!

There are dancers—and there are people who simply love to dance. As we dream towards the Lake Eden Reunion, October 16-18, 2026, launch of our book, Live Life Like a Festival, and dream into the future, we know dance must be a key experience.

Thankfully, many of the dedicated dancers know how meaningful it is to dance at Lake Eden. Ed & Tami Howe have the dance bands ready to go, Brad Parker will be rallying volunteers to help build the floor, and Lonnie Lepore continues advising on improving the experience for dancers of all ages.

Tami Howe: “For me, contra dance began as a search for belonging . . . I went to contra, and they were so happy to see me. They’d never met me before, yet it was the first time in a long while that I truly looked someone in the eyes. I felt like I belonged.

That spirit carries into every dance. Contra at Lake Eden is unlike anywhere else. Dancing at the open-air pavilion, on a floor built just for us, is an experience you can’t find on most weekends.” —Tami Howe, who met her husband Ed at a dance (read an excerpt of her interview in Live Life Like a Festival).

This is what Tami & Ed are creating for Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch: 20+ hours of dancing - Contra, Waltz, Squares, Paneurhymy, Fusion+

Contra Dance Bands, Callers & Choreographers include:

• Dawn Chorus (Cedar Stanistreet, Eric McDonald & Grace Hendrickson-Jones)

• Stringrays (Rodney Miller, Stuart Kenney, & Max Newman)

• Jacqui Grennan

• Bob Isaacs

And if you dance outside the lines, there will be plenty of music for you to find your own grooves with Salsa, Bellydance, African, or just dancing under the stars.

RSVP: Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch

Pre-Buy BOOK: Live Life Like A Festival

For 45 years, Lake Eden has held its gatherings on the third weekend of October (not changeable dates). As stewards of this sacred place, we honor traditions with family and friends and making new memories.

This fall, October 16-18, 2026, we dream into the next chapter—bringing the Live Life Like a Festival to life with music, dancing, and hopefully YOU. RSVP to reserve your spot, and when our ticketing partner, Grey Eagle Music Hall, releases the passes, you’ll have your spot secured. “Bookies” (who pre-bought our book ❤️) get first access to lodging and special love passes… and everyone is welcome.

Talking to the trees today - they said, “Just like people- we come in so many types of trees. Get to know a bit about each of us. For we all have our own story.” Grateful -Jennifer

Eden Hall LEAF Poetry Slam, Swannanoa-Black Mountain, NC
Photo by David Simchock

Greetings,

From Jennifer and Navé

As Poetry Month comes to a close, it feels sweet to read Nave’s reflection on the poets who’ve taken the stage in Eden Hall—stirring our bones with stories of…everything! From Black Mountain College poets and Happenings in the ’50s to decades of LEAF Slam voices, the legacy continues. This fall, we dream forward—what story comes next? Want to be part of creating?

Next week on our Substack: we unveil the DANCE + CONTRA bands for Brookside Dance Hall and open RSVPs for October 16–18—Live Life Like a Festival book launch + Lake Eden Reunion.

Navé here

If you showed up for the first Lake Eden Arts Festival in October 1995 and stopped by Thunderbird Lodge for the first LEAF Poetry Slam, you would have settled in one of the chairs or on the stairs to watch me host 12 spoken word poets performing high-energy 3-minute poems judged 0–10, like a diving match, by five judges randomly chosen from the audience.

Little did I know on that October evening that I’d host over 60 LEAF Poetry Slams, culminating in the final LEAF Poetry Slam this past October 2025, during the last LEAF Festival on the grounds of Lake Eden.

In the Spring of 1997, the LEAF Poetry Slam moved to Eden Hall, the gathering place for creative people, beginning with the Black Mountain College students and faculty who made art that continues to influence American culture.

Each Saturday night, the LEAF Poetry slam fans packed Eden Hall, often coming an hour early for front row seats. When the show started, there was standing-room-only in the back.

On Saturday afternoon, the youth poetry slam featured high school poets competing in a separate slam just for them. The two top-scoring youth poets were always invited to open the adult slam on Saturday night.

One of the most charming parts of the adult slam was how the youth poets, 20 or 30 of them, sat on the floor in front of the stage. These floor-sitting teenagers influenced each show with their yelps, cheers, and commentary, which I encouraged with an ongoing conversation for the audience.

I’d say, “I see you two disagree with the judges’ scores. On the count of three, I want all of you to yell, ‘Call the judge escort service!’ One two three.”

They were young performance poets, of course, and they yelled with glee. Many of our young poets advanced to the adult LEAF Poetry Slam upon turning 18.

Over the years, many of our poetry slam winners have done well professionally as spoken-word artists: Jahman Hill, Ed Mabrey, Ashlee Haze, Theresa Davis, Kiera Nelson (Miss Haze), Jonida “Gypsee Yo” Beqo, Carlos Robson, Chris August, Andi Kauth, John (Renaissance) Harris, Kane Smego (Novakane), Boris “Bluz” Rogers, Twain Dooley, Rhonda T, and Carlos Andrés Gomez.

As I said, I never imagined I’d end up hosting 60 LEAF Poetry Slams over 30 years. This October 16–18, 2026, I’m looking forward to organizing more fantastic poetry performances, including a Def Poetry Jam-style performance at our brand-new Lake Eden artistic celebration: The Lake Eden Reunion and Live Life Like a Festival Book launch. Stay tuned, and there is a WHOLE chapter on POETRY in our book.

Pre-Buy BOOK: Live Life Like A Festival

Wondering WHY and WHEN?? For 45 years, Lake Eden has held the third weekend of October for gatherings (not changeable date). As stewards of this sacred place, we honor traditions with family and friends and making new memories. This fall, we dream into the next chapter—bringing the Live Life Like a Festival to life with music, dancing, and hopefully YOU. RSVP coming next week. “Bookies” (pre-bought our book❤️) get first access to lodging, special love passes… and everyone is welcome.

Listening to the trees this morning - they said “Being still can be wonderful. Tomorrow we may dance.” -Jennifer

Greetings from Jennifer & Navé

Navé here:

I’m on a sun porch in St. Louis, Missouri, in the last bit of afternoon light, reviewing the bountiful memory-evoking photos and stories of our book Live Life Like a Festival with Jennifer Pickering. Our publisher is eagerly awaiting our final draft. The books will arrive in plenty of time for The Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch on October 16–18, 2026, at the beloved Lake Eden, site of festivals for 45 years (LEAF Festival & Black Mountain Festival). Watch for NEXT WEEK’s missive- you can reserve your place at this special gathering.

If you’ve already pre-ordered Live Life Like a Festival, thank you very much. If you’d like to get yours on World Book Day, we’d certainly appreciate if you’d click here to pre-buy book.

“When you experience a festival, it shapes you—and you shape it. Festivals teach us to accept differences, showing diversity as part of life. Within a festival’s space, the new and the familiar are made visible, highlighting that differences can embrace sameness, while sameness can celebrate differences.” -Devoted DANCER, LEAF Advisor in the early days, Sid Heltzer, in his Book Two Town Festivals: Signs of a Theater of Power

“Sid loved dancing!” —Lonnie Lepore, dedicated Dancer and helping advise as Tami & Ed Howe create the DANCE Program for Brookside Dance Hall in October 2026.

Jennifer here, listening to birds and thinking about today being WORLD BOOK DAY. This just came to my attention from my little Costa Rican nephews, who were supposed to dress up as their favorite book character and are sharing it at school today.

What is YOUR favorite BOOK? What character would you dress up as, and maybe even be willing to go to work in that character?? Oh my… if we stay curious and always learning, like we encourage (or make) kids do, it may feel fun ???

“When are you going to do your book?” Amanda Lucidon, author & photographer asked me at Lake Eden one day while we were out wandering. You see, Lake Eden Retreat had become her sanctuary while she was working in the White House as Michelle Obama’s photographer.

She created her book, Chasing Light: Michelle Obama, while staying at Albers Cottage at Lake Eden. During LEAF’s World Changer theme in May 2024, she finally got to experience a bit of LEAF life and present at the Barn alongside our inspiring friend David LaMotte, an advisor, author, musician, and activist. So much history coming together and growing forward….YOU are part of this wondrous journey.

On this World Book Day, I now understand EACH book is a DREAM and so much work and love to create. Here are 3 Books Worth Having that have deep connections at Lake Eden: Of course our book Live Life Like a Festival, Amanda’s Chasing Light: Michelle Obama, and David’s You are Changing The World: Whether You Like it or Not.

Pre-Buy BOOK: Live Life Like A Festival

We celebrate with UNESCO “the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures”, and dream of our book coming to life at Lake Eden, Jennifer

Swannanoa, NC — Lake Eden Retreat April 13, 2026,
Photo by James Navé, Artist in Residence & Co-Author of Live Life Like a Festival

Greetings,

Thank you for the beautiful response to the first note—and for the support so many of you offered. It means more than I can say to feel this circle coming back together again. If you missed the 1st missive about the Lake Eden Reunion + Book Launch Experience, October 16–18, 2026, at Lake Eden, please take a look at our first Substack story. We hope it gives comfort, answers some questions, and stirs hope.

As this next chapter unfolds, I want this space to hold more than just my voice. The story of Lake Eden has always been shared—shaped by the people who built it, carried it, and continue to imagine what’s next.

You’ll be hearing regularly from me and my co-creator on the book, James Navé. Navé has been part of this story from the very beginning, and he holds a deep memory of how it all came to life. He also shed some light on festival history and why it is so beautiful that Grey Eagle Music Hall is a partner in our special event this October.

Step into conversations with Nave’ that reflect how we have been chatting and dreaming for 32 years—and still going…

Navé

Afternoon

I’m sitting at Dobra Tea in East Asheville. Easy flute music plays while a few people talk, read, and write in the afternoon sun. I’m reflecting on my Lake Eden journey.

For the past six weeks, I’ve been working with Jennifer and Leigh at Lake Eden Retreat, helping shape plans for a gathering this fall. It’s been a pleasure to take part in a vision process rooted in the legacy of Black Mountain College, the Black Mountain Music Festival, and the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF).

With that in mind, here’s a bit of history.

The Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF), founded by Jennifer Pickering in 1995, held its final festival at Lake Eden / Camp Rockmont in October 2025.

I’m attached to this story because in 1995, Jennifer called on a group of friends, including me, to imagine what an arts festival could be—music, contra dance, juried art, crafts, healing arts, a kick-ass poetry slam, and enough room for thousands of people to gather, including tent camping.

None of us imagined it would span 30 years and showcase 40,000 artists for 600,000 people.

What Changed

The LEAF Festival moved on from Lake Eden with new leadership and a new location.

Even so, the land remains.

Lake Eden and Camp Rockmont carry a creative lineage that didn’t begin with LEAF and doesn’t end with it—running through the Black Mountain Music Festival, back to Black Mountain College, and further to the 1920s, when George Vanderbilt and E. W. Grove helped establish this region as a place where people come to imagine, recover, and create.

Now we prepare for what’s next at Lake Eden / Camp Rockmont, October 16–18, 2026—the Lake Eden Reunion and Live Life Like a Festival book launch. More on that as it unfolds.

Cherry Street, Black Mountain, NC

A few Sundays ago, Jennifer and I were walking down Cherry Street in Black Mountain, talking through plans for October.

We passed the Town Pump.

I said, “Before this was here, there was a listening room called McDibbs, owned by David Peele. He founded the Black Mountain Music Festival in 1983, which was beloved and helped set the stage for LEAF and many traditions.”

Jennifer looked at me and said, “I can’t believe I never knew this history! Tell it to the video. Everything is linked together. None of us stands alone.”

Here’s that moment.

Back to Jennifer

Our Lake Eden story has always been carried by the people who showed up—on the land, in the music, in the work, and in the imagination of what could happen next.

If you’ve been part of Lake Eden and it is a special place for you to be, dance, play…we are dedicated to keeping the traditions going at Lake Eden in ways that are what we need right now in this time.

And if you feel moved to support what we’re building here—the book, the gathering, and the continuation of this work—it helps keep the story moving forward.

We’ll keep sharing more as October takes shape. Save the October 16–18, 2026 date at Lake Eden, and make sure to get your book on my new website. All “bookies” will get the first RSVP invite by the end of this month. If Live Life Like a Festival means something to you, the gathering will, too.

Grateful for the dream to DANCE with many of you at Lake Eden again,
Jennifer

Pre-Buy BOOK: Live Life Like A Festival

Lake Eden Arts Festival, 2003—Jazz and Poetry in Eden Hall with Walter Parks, James Navé, and Eliot Wadopian

Remember when…. #LEAFVintage Eden Hall

It’s been a while, and it’s time for new updates

This is the first note I’m sending directly as this next chapter begins. First, THANK YOU for pre-buying Live Life Like a Festival and for being part of the wonderful LEAF story at Lake Eden. My gratitude and love is so big for an amazing 30 years, and getting to treasure the magic in this commemorative book.

Your early commitment matters—you’re not just buying a book, you’re part of what’s carrying this work forward.

Since last year, so much has changed for me. I’ve been deep in finding MY story and a TEDx talk, shifting into BEING in new healing ways, and we’ve been steadily working behind the scenes on the book. James Navé (LEAF Co-Founder & Poetry Slam Host), designer Lauren Breher, and I have met every Wednesday evening for a year now to work on the book, which continues to be pure JOY.

As with any project of this scale, it’s taking a bit longer than expected—but we are on track to go to press this summer, with hard copies in hand by mid-September. And as as our new website and store come to life, the custom PJs and blankets will too—a lil late, so you’ll get some extra swag!

Now, here’s where things come into focus.

Save the Date

LAKE EDEN REUNION + Live Life Like a Festival Book Launch
Come Dream the Future With Us!

October 16–18, 2026
Lake Eden — Swannanoa / Black Mountain, NC

We’re gathering at Lake Eden to launch Live Life Like a Festival—and more than that, the book will come alive through experiences that continue what shaped it, as we dream into what the next legacy event at Lake Eden will be.

• Music across the grounds

• Dance, with CONTRA anchored all weekend in Brookside & Eden Hall

• Poetry and spoken word

• Storytelling and community gatherings

• Living Life Like Campers

• Healing arts and drum circles in the mountain setting

• Elfhaven childcare

• Sunday, October 18: Book Day with readers and book clubs

Why this date? For the past 45 years, Camp Rockmont + Lake Eden Retreat have hosted festivals on the third weekend of October. The date was not movable. We’ve been super open about this plan, hoping to avoid any overlaps…but ’tis festival life sometimes.

Size? We’re intentionally keeping this gathering to around 1,700 people—a size that allows for connection, movement, presence, and smooth onsite welcoming and parking. As the stewards of Lake Eden Retreat, my husband Leigh and I want to make sure people can continue creating memories and family traditions at this special historic sanctuary.

Because you pre-purchased your Live Life Like a Festival book, you’ll have:

• First access to RSVP

• Priority for lodging

• Direct Connection with me and/or James Navé

What to do now:

• Save the date

• Stay tuned for RSVP access & special presenters announcement by end of April

• Invite people who would enjoy being part of this special, once-in-a-lifetime gathering to pre-buy their book and save the date

  
  

  Pre-Buy Book: Live Life Like A Festival

If Living Life Like a Festival means something to you, the gathering will, too.

We’ll share more soon as the Live Life Like a Festival launch and reunion continue to take shape. You’ll also hear from my LEAF co-founder and LEAF Poetry Slam host, James Navé, here as we continue shaping the book and what comes next.

Grateful & listening to the Lake Eden trees,
— Jennifer Pickering