Sunday at Lake Eden Reunion is the launch party for Jennifer Pickering's book, Live Life Like a Festival, with Meet Local Authors in Eden Hall all day. On the Meadow Green, Secret Agent 23 Skiddoo plays at 1:30 and Tyler Ramsey at 3, then the Lake Eden Reunion All Stars close it out at 4:30 before a second line down to the waterfront.

There's Sunday brunch, open acoustic jams, waltzing and family relay races too. Kids 10 and under are free.

Lake Eden Reunion is a three-day gathering at Lake Eden in Black Mountain, October 16-18, 2026, on the same October weekend LEAF held here for three decades. LEAF founder Jennifer Pickering and Leigh Maher are putting it on, with Grey Eagle Music Hall curating the music. Grey Eagle hosted the first festivals at Lake Eden back in the 1980s.

The music lineup includes The Suffers, Of Montreal, Tyler Ramsey, El Khat, Electro Lust and Secret Agent 23 Skiddoo. There are also 20+ hours of contra, waltz and square dancing in Brookside Dance Hall, fire-lit drum circles, healing arts, poetry with James Nave, and Elfhaven childcare for the kids. Sunday is the launch party for Pickering's book, Live Life Like a Festival.

For a lot of folks around here, the October weekend at Lake Eden is a family tradition. This year they're keeping it smaller on purpose, with more dancing and play and fewer big stage sets, so old friends actually get time to catch up.

Lake Eden Reunion

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Lake Eden Reunion Sunday, Oct. 18

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