Three-day festival set for Sept. 19-21, pre-party community event set for July 13-14
By Sarah Richardson
Earlier this week, Healing Appalachia announced the lineup for their fifth annual music festival, which is held each year at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds. This year, the festival will run from Sept. 19 through Sept. 21, with tickets going on sale starting July 9 at 10 a.m. Tickets cover the entire three-day festival and free on-site primitive camping, but Late Night Sets will require a separate ticket.
Promising “three days of unforgettable music, community, and healing,” Healing Appalachia will feature a mix of local talent and renowned artists including Tyler Childers, My Morning Jacket, Sierra Ferrell, Shooter Jennings, Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, S.G. Goodman, Hiss Golden Messenger, Sierra Hull, Dan Reeder, Oliver Wood Trio, Nolan Taylor, Shadowgrass, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle, The Local Honeys, Strung Like a Horse, Justin Wells, Cody Christian, Darrin Hacquard, Willi Carlislae, Geno Seale, Palmyra, Jordan Lee King, and Alabaster Boxer.
The participating artists donate their time and talent so that ticket funds can be directly distributed to recovery efforts, and to cover basic production costs needed to run the festival.
As in previous years, Healing Appalachia will host a variety of agencies throughout the weekend from who specialize in various aspects of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and will present a range of services including NA meetings, music therapy, Naloxone training, and other wellness activities. Other vendors on-site include regional food and beverage selections, traditional “fair food” options, offerings from local breweries, and a slew of arts and crafts vendors. Merch will also be available for purchase.
To purchase tickets to Healing Appalachia or to donate to Hope in the Hills, visit www.healingappalachia.org. Sign up for their newsletter to be notified when ticket sales go live.
Prior to Healing Appalachia’s main festival, a pre-party community event will be held in downtown Lewisburg on July 13 and 14. Healing Appalachia: Discover Lewisburg will focus on celebrating the Lewisburg community, and highlight the philanthropic work done by Hope in the Hills. They will also share their vision of building a “more prosperous, healthy, and sustainable Appalachia free from addiction. None of what we’ve accomplished so far would be possible without the beautiful city of Lewisburg,” they state in a social media post. The pre-party will feature music by Nolan Taylor, Tommy Prine, Kindred Valley, and the John Inghram Band.
Nolan Taylor, Tommy Prine, and Kindred Valley will be performing on Saturday, Jul. 13 from 1 to 8 p.m. in downtown Lewisburg, and the John Inghram Band will perform on Sunday, Jul. 14, at 1 p.m. at Briergarten.
About Hope in the Hills and Healing Appalachia:
Since its inception in 2016, the nonprofit Hope in the Hills has focused on producing events that raise awareness of the Appalachia opioid crisis while fundraising to support recovery efforts. Their flagship event, Healing Appalachia, is held annually each September and serves as a rallying point for supporters and advocates. Inspired by the model of Farm Aid, which supports small family farms, Healing Appalachia aims to celebrate recovery while addressing the root causes of addiction.
Funds generated from the festival are used for recovery efforts around the central Appalachian region. The organization has given more than $400,000 to a wide variety of boots-on-the-ground nonprofits working throughout the recovery ecosystem from youth and prevention to recovery houses and recovery-to-work initiatives. Some of the recent recipients have included: Recovery Point West Virginia, West Virginia Reentry Councils, Fayette County Family Resource Network (Fayette Prevention Coalition), Mercer County Fellowship Home, WestCare Kentucky (Camp Mariposa), Hope Recovery Manor, as well as teaming up with a wide range of allies such as West Virginia Drug Prevention Institute, West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network, Addiction Recovery Centers, Healing Housing and many others.
In 2023, Hope in the Hills relaunched its music therapy program, tapping into the superpowers of music therapists from around the region to help spread the joy and proven scientific power of music on the path to recovery and wellness.
Visit www.healingappalachia.org for more information.
