Canton – The Cold Mountain Music Festival returns to Lake Logan over this coming weekend from May 30- June 1. Cold Mountain Music Festival features amazing musicians, local food and craft vendors, kid and family friendly activities, swimming and boating on Lake Logan, hiking trails for days, and making memories to last a lifetime – all in one of the most pristine settings imaginable. It is a wonderful place to relax, enjoy a mountain setting, while you listen to catchy tunes, and allow the younger generation to run around safely. General admission, festival camping, dorm lodging and meal tickets are on-sale now. Go to https://ticketstripe.com/coldmountainmusic or call 828 646-0095.
Held in a pristine setting on the Lake Logan campus near Canton and approximately 30 miles West of Asheville in Haywood County, the Festival is surrounded by the Shining Rock Wilderness and Pisgah National Forest. Lake Logan became a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina in 2000, having once been created by Champion Lumber Mill in the early 1930’s. Summer camps are held at Camp Henry yearly, and day passes and annual members for recreation, fishing, boating, and more are offered. Kids, 11 and under, are free. Lake Logan currently has three distinct program areas – the Retreat Center, Camp Henry, and the Outdoor School. The Retreat Center is open year-round to host all types of events, groups, and individuals for retreat, rest, renewal, and recreation. Camp Henry is a summer camp program for children, youth, and families. The Outdoor School offers a year-round outdoor education program for learners of all ages.
This year there is a fantastic line-up for the festival. Melissa Carper and Fireside Collective take to the main stage Friday night while the Moon and You offers a lakeside concert on Friday afternoon at the historic Sit n’ Whittle Village. Saturday kicks off with the Shedhouse Trio featuring Darren Nicholson followed by Denitia, Fancy and the Gentlemen,The Last Revel, and headliner American Aquarium. In between acts on the Main Stage, catch some talented youth musicians from across Western NC on the JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) stage adjacent to the Kids’ Zone, Vendor Village and the Food Trucks / Beer Garden.
Throughout the weekend, festival goers are welcome and encouraged to explore all that Lake Logan’s campus has to offer. Enjoy a hike into the Shining Rock Wilderness, soak in some bald eagle spotting by the West Fork of the Pigeon River, or go for a boat ride or swim in the pristine waters of Lake Logan. Everyone is welcome to use Lake Logan’s canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards during their time at the festival. The Kid Zone offers endless hours of tetherball, soccer, corn hole, giant jenga, arts and crafts, and more. Haywood Waterways and Cold Mountain Tubing will offer tubing adventures down the Pigeon River while Curtis Wright Outfitters offers lessons in fly tying and casting. There are several great options for tent, RV, and car camping on campus.
Local craft brewers and regional food trucks return to Cold Mountain including Holy Smoke BBQ of Canton, NC. Holy Smoke donates all of its profit to bolster local outreach programs such as “Backpacks of Love” supporting children in Haywood County schools. New to the Festival this Year: Friday will feature a guided native plants walk, catered picnic and acoustic concert, lakeside concert by WNC fan-favorite ‘The Moon and You’. Take a stroll with a naturalist who can share more about the history, ecology and abundant plant life of Lake Logan. The tour departs from the Boathouse at 11am. You may register for this ticketed event when you purchase your festival tickets online.
The festival is presented by Deerfield Charitable Foundation. Festival proceeds support the non-profit programs and ministries of Lake Logan’s Retreat Center, Camp Henry, and The Outdoor School – making it possible to offer summer camp scholarships and affordable enrichment opportunities throughout the year for folks of all ages. Additionally, for every ticket purchased, a dollar is donated to support this year’s participating Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) chapters. The mission of JAM is to provide communities with the tools and support they need to teach children to play and dance to traditional old time and bluegrass music. The 2025 participating chapters include: Haywood, Jackson, Transylvania, Buncombe, and Henderson. The 2nd Annual Bishop’s Cup Golf Tournament will be held on Friday of the Festival weekend at nearby Laurel Ridge in Waynesville, NC.
Of course due to Hurricane Helene, a lot of restoration work continues to take place. A berm along the riverside was built; the field was re-seeded; tons and tons of debris from the waterfront removed; new picnic areas and new outdoor furniture was made; and thanks to incredibly generous donations, a fleet of 17 new stand-up paddle boards with sit-on-top kayaks conversion kits, 2 new row boats, and new adult and youth life jackets have all been purchased.