Each winter, when tourism slows and the hills around Lewisburg settle into a quiet rhythm, music once again sparks energy throughout the town. The Lewisburg Winter Music Festival returns on January 30–31, 2026, offering two full days of live performances across multiple downtown venues, while also supporting musicians when they need it most.

Produced by the Southern Appalachia Musician’s Association (SAMA), the Lewisburg Winter Music Festival is more than a celebration of sound. It is a mission-driven event created to raise funds for musicians facing crisis situations and to invest directly in music education. SAMA is a West Virginia–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit led by an all-volunteer board of musicians and music professionals who believe in strengthening communities by supporting the people who create the music.

Music With a Purpose

SAMA’s work extends far beyond a single weekend. The organization focuses on disaster relief, emergency assistance, and educational support for musicians, with the goal of expanding its impact throughout Southern Appalachia, including West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. While events may take place in different cities, funds raised are distributed locally, ensuring that each community directly benefits from the music it hosts. All distributions are approved by board vote and documented through SAMA’s annual reporting.

According to Joshua Baldwin, Board President of SAMA, the winter festival plays a particularly meaningful role for Lewisburg.

“It comes at a time when local tourism is at a low point in the winter,” Baldwin said. “It’s a huge economic boost for the community. We have near a thousand people staying in hotel rooms, eating at restaurants, shopping at shops. It’s kind of the only thing that happens in the winter months that allows an injection of energy into the local economy.”

Baldwin also emphasized the importance of music to the town’s identity.

“Lewisburg, in essence, is an arts town first,” he said. “I think it’s important that we continue to put that at the forefront of the community’s identity, and the music festival does a lot to help that.”

A Festival Born From Community Care

The heart of the Lewisburg Winter Music Festival is rooted in care for fellow musicians, a tradition that dates back to its very beginning. The first festival was organized after local drummer Tim Pyne and his wife Tammy lost their home in a house fire, along with Tim’s instruments. What began as a grassroots effort to help one musician quickly grew into something much larger.

That spirit of support has been ongoing and came full circle this year following the recent passing of Tammy Pyne.

Baldwin reflected on the festival’s origins and their desire to honor her memory: “When Tammy passed away, we wanted to find a way to do something in her memory because she was so well known in the musician community.”

In her honor, SAMA has established the TNT (Tim and Tammy) Scholarship, a new annual award that will provide a $1,000 scholarship each year to a graduating senior in the local community who is pursuing music education.

“It will be ongoing every year,” Baldwin said. “It will provide a $1,000 annual scholarship to any graduating senior in the county that is going into music education.”

Students can learn more about the TNT Scholarship through their school counselors, who receive details on local scholarship opportunities.

What to Expect During the Weekend

The 2026 festival will showcase more than seventy artists and bands across eight to nine venues throughout Lewisburg, spanning genres from bluegrass and jam bands to hip hop and hardcore. The schedule is carefully staggered to help attendees experience it all.

“Across all eight venues, the start times are a little different,” Baldwin said. “It really allows you to bounce across town to different venues.”

Each venue will display QR codes that allow attendees to access the full schedule directly on their phones.

“The best way to do it is scan that early and bookmark that webpage or save that file to your phone so you can pull it up wherever you are and see who’s playing where next,” Baldwin advised.

Volunteers Make It Happen

The festival’s organization is a massive undertaking, powered entirely by volunteers.

“We have an all-volunteer board of eight people,” Baldwin said. “We have eight or nine different venues, eight sound engineers, and sometimes eight to twelve bands per venue over two days. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes.”

In addition to the board and production teams, approximately 50 volunteers help make the Lewisburg Winter Music Festival possible each year. Volunteer sign-ups are now open, and all volunteers receive a free two-day festival pass. Those interested in volunteering can find the sign-up form on the official festival website.

Looking Ahead

As the festival continues to grow, Baldwin encourages music lovers to bundle up, explore the venues, and experience Lewisburg at its most creative. “It gives you a lot to work with,” he said. “And it’s all about supporting musicians and keeping music alive in our communities.”

Learn More

Tickets, schedules, artist announcements, scholarship information, and volunteer signups will be available online at lewisburgwintermusicfest.com. You can also get more information from the Lewisburg Winter Music Festival Facebook page. The Lewisburg Winter Music Festival takes place January 30–31, 2026, across downtown Lewisburg venues.