LEAF Community Arts is celebrating 23 years of its LEAF Festival, a weekend-long event that currently happens in the fall and spring at Lake Eden in Black Mountain.

Right now, they’re gearing up for the spring festival, happening May 10 – 13 and featuring regional arts + crafts, events, and, of course, live music from trailblazing artists (which is this year’s theme) including Rising Appalachia, Snarky Puppy, Ani DiFranco and more. See the full lineup here.

The festival brings out 10,000 music + art lovers (and their families) three-times a year. It’s a time to put away your phone, responsibilities, and enjoy beautiful WNC.

But, the festival is only one part of what the non-profit organization does. Their mission is simple: building community, connecting cultures and enriching lives through music and art – locally and globally.

How do they live this mission out? School art programs, summer camps, visiting teacher artists, plus an entire international program focused on ensuring that cultural traditions are passed on in haiti, mexico, africa, and St. Vincent.

So, to get ready for a weekend in the mountains next month, we found out more about their non-festival programs, which you support by heading to Lake Eden.

LEAF Schools & Streets (LSS)

Youth-focused; provides year-round programming to community centers and after-school programs, as well as a low-cost summer camp for rising 1st through 5th graders in Buncombe County.

- Instruction is by Resident & Easel Rider mobile art lab Teaching Artists. Programs end with a final on-stage performance or a visual arts project.
- Visiting Teaching Artists who come for the spring and fall festivals also work with youth in LEAF Schools & Streets program for 3-5 days before the festival, and participating youth can perform on-stage at LEAF.
- Since the program launched in 2004, over 70,000 students have been served through LSS.
- The impact is huge: participants and parents cite the benefits of having positive adult role models, instilling community values, and inspiring self-confidence. Arts education has also been linked to advances in math, reading, critical + creative thinking, and verbal skills.
Interested in becoming a LEAF teaching artist? Apply here.
Want to support LEAF Schools & Streets? Find out about partnerships, sponsorships, and donations here.

LEAF International (LI)

Operates in 10 countries, including Haiti, Panama, Rwanda, and Mexico. Programs focus on strengthening global arts education and preserving rich cultural traditions through educating youth.

A primary focus of LEAF International is ensuring that cultural traditions are passed on. Programs include:

- - Bequia (in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines): LI’s program instructor teaches youth to play the locally-made steel pan
  - Haiti: LI works with local NGO Prosjekt Haiti on education + outreach
  - Mexico: LI started a Mayan music program in the village of Xocen
  - Ivory Coast: LI partners with Dramane Dembele, a 33rd generation musician from Ivory Coast, to teach and perform West African drum + dance
- Last year, the program served over 750 youth participants a week. Since 2006, over 2300 youth have participated in LEAF International.
- Many artists from LEAF International programs come to the area during LEAF Festival to perform and teach.
- Want to support LEAF International? You can donate here.

LEAF also organizes the Cultural Arts Showcase, which happens in the spring and fall. Students can spend the morning with LEAF International groups and a Visiting Teaching Artist for a day of music, arts + culture. You can book spots for the Showcase, which happens from 11 a.m. – 12 noon on Monday, May 14, here (page 2).

LEAF hosts lots of other events throughout the year, including its free signature event, LEAF Downtown AVL, which is now in its 4th year, as well as Easel Rider mobile art lab days in the community, youth camps, fundraising events + a summertime cultural series in Pritchard Park. Here’s the full program.

It’s hard to pick a favorite memory from the LEAF Festival. Maybe it would be the sweet sounds of Rising Appalachia under the stars, or the warm sun shining on the lake, or that one night the parade of jellyfish floated through the woods (that was pretty cool). 🌠

But the place in my heart for LEAF grew even bigger when I found out how much it does in the rest of the world. Three cheers to you, LEAF. Thanks for taking the Asheville spirit with you wherever you go.