LEAF GLOBAL ARTS
RETREAT
May 8-11, 2025
…at historic Lake Eden in Black Mountain, NC.
Join us for global art, music, and culture, camping,
lake adventures, healing arts, workshops,
and fun for the whole family.
Learn by Day — Play by Night!
LEAF Retreat Workshops
Bang Some Drums
Learn what it takes to be in a drum corps — a workshop led by LEAF teaching artist Nik Hope.
Farming fair-trade
Explore coffee from crop to cup in this engaging conversation with Honduran coffee farmers Oscar Alonzo & Liliana Cardona, plus Andy Gibbon, founder of Dynamite Roasting Co.
French Balafolk Workshop
For adults & kids 10+. Learn easy French community dances with live music. Lead by Claire Takemori.
Sunshine Drum Time
With Adama Dembele and Dancing Drum.
Friday, 2-3:30pm; Saturday, 3:30-5pm; and Sunday, 12:30-2pm.
The Artist's Way
Life Like A Festival Series: Starting and finishing 'The Artist's Way' by yourself or with friends
Hand Puppet Workshop
Street Creature Puppet Collective returns to LEAF Retreat with a new family craft workshop — turning trash into art. Join us to make a silly hand puppet with magical sticky cardboard!
Movement and Mime
Mountain Circus Arts offers a workshop featuring juggling, clowning, movement and mime. The Mountain Circus Arts family has been delighting audiences in WNC since 1992
Healing & Learning with drums and music
Workshop with LEAF Teaching Artist Agustin Palomo Ramos
Contra Dance
If you can walk you can contra dance! No partner or experience needed. Live fiddle music by Playing With Fyre, led by Claire Takemori.
De'VIA Tea
Family art project and sign language communication with LEAF Teaching Artist Kelsey Moseley
Sustainable Practices with the Green Team
Resources for Resilience
Reconnecting through Hard Times. Activity 11:30am-12:30pm; Listening Circle 12:30-1:30p.
Seeds & Ancestry
With Keri Evjy of Regenerative Life Design and Healing Roots Design.
Solar Survival
With Coyle Solar. Meet at Ship's Creek and walk to Solar System. Saturday and Sunday, 2-3pm.
Collective Courage
Applying co-operative principles from the book ‘Collective Courage’ by Jessica Gordon, led by Niki Cush
Learn Flamenco
30-minute dance workshop with Paola Tinoco of Flamenco Appalachia.
Foraging Around with Keri
With Keri Evjy of Regenerative Life Design and Healing Roots Design.
Dan & Ashley's Song-shop
Songwriting workshop led by WNC-based singer-songwriters Daniel Johnston and Ashley Heath. Saturday, 3-5pm, Ship Deck
Unifire Playshop
Longtime LEAF faves Unfire Theatre is the Southeast's premiere fire troupe.
Morning Movement
Group Hula workshop led by LEAF Teaching artist Nano Orsillo.
Ballad Swap & Song-Shop
Song-swap led by Nest of Singing Birds, followed by a mini workshop.
Bilingual Birdies Asheville
Dedicated to making language-learning super fun for littles (6 and younger), using catchy songs, rhythm, live music, props, theater games, and bilingual puppets.
Family Contra Dance
Fun and easy community dances for all ages, with live music by Paul Moore!
Come early — the easiest dance is first.
The LEAF Conversation Salon
A Filmed & Recorded Community Dialogue with LEAF Participants
Stormwater Sesh
Best practices and tips to protect and conserve clean water.
Anyone can be a Drummer
Bring your own whatever to drum with — led by Annie Wenz.