The Appalachian mountains are among the oldest in the world. Their history is as rich and varied as the people who call it home. Let’s celebrate that incredible depth of knowledge and wisdom, looking to the future as we learn from the past, speaking out to create a better world together.
Check back for more information on Appalachian Summer Solstice 2023!
The time has come to register for Appalachian Summer Solstice 2023! We’ll update as our programing schedule as it grows. Keep an eye out for updates here as well as on our social media channels!
We’re currently accepting workshop proposals until May 1st, 2023! Proposals can be submitted at the workshop application link below. Applicants will be notified if their proposals are accepted on May 15th. Learn more about workshops on the Offering a Workshop page. Please note that this year, if your workshop proposal is accepted, you will receive your entry plus one to Appalachian Summer Solstice.
Vendors – vending at Appalachian Summer Solstice is free with your entry. Please click on the link below to register your merchant information.
Matthew Venus is a Folk Magician, Artist, and Witch currently residing in Salem, MA whose practice revolves heavily around folkloric craft and ancestral traditions. He is the owner and lead apothecary of Spiritus Arcanum (www.SpiritusArcanum.com), an occult shop with a focus upon handcrafted and quality magical wares including incenses, oils, and ritual tools. Matthew has been a teacher of the magical arts for over twenty years and a practitioner for the past thirty years. He currently teaches hundreds of students throughout the world through his online courses Foundations of Witchcraft, Foundations of Herbcraft, and Foundations of Folk Magic. Matthew is also the co-founder of the Salem Witchcraft & Folklore Festival (www.SalemWitchFest.com), a yearly magical gathering focused upon magical education, community, and the preservation and sharing of magical history, traditions, and practices.
Matthew will be presenting the workshops “Asperges me hyssopo: Folk practices for spiritual cleansing and protection”, “Of Plants and Planets: Animistic herbalism and planetary magic”, and the keynote “Conjuring Land and Home: An animist exploration of finding our place”.
H. Byron Ballard, BA, MFA, is a western NC native, teacher, folklorist and writer. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Southeast Wise Women’s Herbal Conference, Glastonbury Goddess Conference, Heartland, Sirius Rising, Starwood, Scottish Pagan Federation Conference, Hexfest and other festivals and conferences. She serves as senior priestess and co-founder of Mother Grove Goddess Temple and the Coalition of Earth Religions/CERES, both in Asheville, NC. She podcasts about Appalachian folkways on “Wyrd Mountain Gals.”
Her essays are featured in several anthologies and she writes a regular column for SageWoman Magazine. Her books include “Staubs and Ditchwater” (2012), the companion volume “Asfidity and Mad-Stones” (2015) “Embracing Willendorf” (2017), “Earth Works: Ceremonies in Tower Time” (2018),“Roots, Branches, and Spirits: the Folkways and Witchery of Appalachia” from Llewellyn (Feb. 2021) and “Seasons of a Magical Life: a Pagan Path of Living” (Weiser, August 2021). Upcoming: “The Ragged Wound: Tending the Soul of Appalachia” (Smith Bridge Press), “Porch Food: a cookbook from Wyrd Mountain” and a musical adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ohio Canid Center’s goal is to educate the public, not only on wolves and their importance in the ecosystem but to bring a better understanding for other wild canine species.
After a wildly popular presentation at Appalachian Summer Solstice 2019, Ohio Bird Sanctuary will be returning with their feathery friends.
Starting as a drummer at age 7, Galen took to music right way. He grew up on the east coast of the US surrounded by a wide influence of art and culture. Picking up the ukulele at age 14, Galen started writing songs heavily inspired by easter spirituality, political activism and idealistic philosophy. With that, he adopted a “live free” lifestyle encouraging others to pursue their passion as well. Through music and Mystik Fool, Galen strongly advocates for the importance of mental/emotional health.
Multi-instramentalist Galen Deery is the front man, and writer for up and coming band “Mystik Fool”. He takes the alias on as a solo artist to play the bands music using looping technology. Galen has toured all over the US opening for artists like Trevor Hall, Matiyahu, The Happy Fits, Kyle Smith, and more. Galen plays drums, ukulele, piano, didgeridoo, guitar, tanpura, harmonium, and has dynamic vocal ability. The exhilarating live experience of Mystik Fool is a must. Big sounds and storytelling makes the show intimate and personal.
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mystik-fool/1483012270
The world’s premier visionary violinist, Dixon’s life mission is to inspire people – and he has done so at over 1,000 concerts across North America, including giving four TED talks/performances, over ten years at Burning Man and Electric Forest, plus radio, TV, and film appearances. A former technology leader and symphony violinist, Dixon walked away from a distinguished career to follow his dream full-time, and invented a whole new music genre. Dixon now improvises on a 5-string electric violin with a looping system he developed to create an all-live one-man symphony, guided by his remarkable personal story of life transformation…
Come warm your heart and soul with Unity Rising, Moon and Majik will be bringing their full of joy show of love and light that unites people together in the desire for deeper joyful human connections to each other and our planet.
Unity Rising is the musical aspect of Circus of Purpose. An ever-changing cast of characters, we are a collaboration of individuals dedicated to seeing humanity thriving with a mission of bringing our shared vision into sound. We sing of hope, freedom, our love for the planet, community building, heart actions, and being the change.
We’ve created our own genre and call it Pungent Folk. We are an experimental jam band, traversing multiple genres and cultural styles of music. We are a complete love light experience and no two shows will ever be the same.
Phoenix Chaplin; 22 year old, Visual artist and Indie singer/song writer/guitarist. Preforms original music and unique covers of songs.
As a young singer/songwriter growing up in New Jersey before trekking to Ohio to pursue a music business degree. I grew up playing in many classic/psychedelic blues rock bands. Growing up being influenced by such acts as The Band, James Gang, Steely Dan, Jackson Browne, Dire Straits, Ellis Paul and more.
Having had a personal connection to the Levon Helm Band & friends through my father (a former studio musician during the 80’s & 90’s),excelled my love for performing & songwriting.
After graduating college in 2016, I’ve stayed in Athens and moved to performing more solo acoustically, also slowly discovering my love for guitar making while working at StewMac in town and building my business. “Merrill Guitar’s, repair’s & workshop”.
Looking extremely forward to performing at this year’s Wisteria festival!
