The first weekend in June is quickly approaching, and that means it is almost time for our 40th annual Seedtime on the Cumberland festival! This free community celebration will take place June 5th through 7th, and we truly hope many of you will be able to join us for one or multiple festival days as we come together to celebrate Appalachian music, arts, and culture, just as we have for four decades.
Here is a recap of our 2026 Seedtime festivities:
Friday, June 5th @ 6 PM - 10:30 PM | Appalshop Solar Pavilion (91 Madison Ave, Whitesburg, KY)
On the evening of Friday, June 5th, we’ll begin our festivities with the annual Seedtime Punk Show under the Appalshop Solar Pavilion. Music will begin at 6 PM and wrap up around 10:30 PM. This year’s lineup includes Terror Trash, geo and the Rock types, Juanita, Home Phone, and Please Save My Earth. The punk show always offers a unique sampling of the region’s alternative music, and we are always grateful for the enthusiasm of the crowds who attend. This year’s show will be no different.
Saturday, June 6th @ 11 AM - 8 PM | Appalshop Solar Pavilion (91 Madison Ave, Whitesburg, KY)
Saturday, June 6th, is our main Seedtime event day and will be a full day of music, crafts, raffles, and food, from 11 AM to 8 PM. We are proud to share that this year’s Seedtime will feature performances from Higher Ground, Pick and Bow String Bands, the Local Honeys, Bonnie Prince Billy, and an evening square dance hosted by Carcassonne Community Center with music by Bluegrass Friends. Additionally, there will be an Old Time Jam at the top of the day (11 AM) open for anyone to join, plus an on-stage conversation hosted by our friends from RUX.
The WMMT-FM studio at 253A East Main Street, a medium walk onto main street from our Solar Pavilion, will also be open to the public on Saturday as well to be an in-door cooling space and also offer a loop of film screenings to watch at attendee's leisure.
Sunday, June 7th @ 3 PM - 5 PM | Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church (18 Broad Way, Whitesburg, KY)
On June 7th, the beloved Sunday gospel music show returns to Seedtime! This will be hosted at the Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church in downtown Whitesburg, with doors to open at 2 PM and music to start at 3 PM. Performers will include Heavenly Voices, CJ Colston, The Chestnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church Choir “Family of Faith”, and the Greater Mt. Sinai Spirituals.
Additionally, we are proud to be hosting an amazing group of art, craft, and informational vendors this Seedtime on BOTH Friday, June 5th at the Seedtime Punk Show and Saturday, June 6th at our "Main Day" of the festival. (There will be no vendors on Sunday, June 7th at the Gospel Music Show.) See the full lineup of arts/goods/informational vendors above!
And we couldn’t forget about the food! Here’s our food and drink vendors who will be providing delicious eats all weekend long!
Our annual festival would be impossible without the generous support of our sponsors, and we’d like to take a moment to thank the businesses and organizations helping make our 40th Seedtime possible. THANK YOU to our 2026 sponsors: Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Co., Kentucky Foundation for Women, Rental Tool Pro, Pine Mountain Grill, Appalachian Community Fund, and The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center.
We cannot wait to celebrate 40 years of Seedtime history and traditions with all of you! Stay up to date with the latest Seedtime news and happenings on Facebook and Instagram!
Appalshop’s Celebration of Life for Elizabeth Barret
Remembering Elizabeth Barret with Love, Gratitude, and Community
We are still mourning the loss of the great Elizabeth Barret, who passed away earlier this year in February. As we deeply miss our dear friend and colleague, we also recognize the importance of not only mourning her absence, but celebrating the time we shared with Elizabeth, honoring her remarkable body of work, and recalling the joy and compassion she brought to everyone she encountered.
We would like to invite the greater Appalshop community—along with all who loved Elizabeth and have been touched by her work—to join us this fall for a Celebration of Life event on September 19, 2026.
The event will include:
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- A screening of Elizabeth’s final film, Portraits and Dreams, followed by a discussion with co-director Wendy Ewald and producer Robert Salyer at the SKCTC Auditorium.
- An exhibit of photography by William “Pictureman” Mullins at the Harry M. Caudill Memorial Library.
- A cookout with live music under our solar pavilion at 91 Madison Avenue.
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Save the date and join us on September 19, 2026 for Elizabeth Barret’s Celebration of Life, organized by Appalshop with the help of Elizabeth’s family. Stay tuned for more details and updates to come!
Join the WMMT Team!
WMMT Is Seeking a Reporter/Producer to Join Its Public Affairs Team
Our radio station WMMT is hiring! They are seeking a motivated reporter/producer to join their public affairs team, producing mostly audio but also some digital content. The position will primarily consist of creating work for WMMT, but it will also involve regular work and collaboration with the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.
This is a full-time, in-person position based in Whitesburg, Kentucky. In terms of working remotely vs. working in-office, the position is flexible, but the reporter/producer is encouraged to spend at least 1-2 days per week at the WMMT office/studio, if possible.
Interested? Go to the WMMT website to read the full description and requirements for this position!
Want to apply? Email a Resume & Cover Letter to parker@appalshop.org. The review of applications will begin on May 18th and continue until the job is filled.
May's Pay-What-You-Want Album
Celebrating Appalachian and Celtic Musical Traditions Through June Appal Recordings
A new month means a new Pay-What-You-Want album from the June Appal Recordings catalog! This month, we're showcasing quite a unique offering from our catalog—Banish Misfortune by Malcolm Dalglish and Grey Larsen.
Dalglish is an American hammer dulcimer player and builder, composer, and choral director living in Bloomington, Indiana; while Larsen is known as one of the world's foremost players and exponents of the Irish flute, as well as a recording artist, composer, teacher, author, producer, and a mastering and recording engineer. Both natives of the Cincinnati, Ohio area, they originally performed together while attending Oberlin College. Their music was heavily influenced by the late Michael J. Kennedy, the Irish musician who settled in Covington, Kentucky.
If you’re a fan of fairies, Lord of the Rings, tabletop role-playing games, and the like, we think you’ll really enjoy this one! You can stream and download it on the June Appal Bandcamp page.