When the winter chill settles over the Greenbrier Valley, the historic streets of Lewisburg are usually quiet, but for one weekend this January, they’ll be humming with a different kind of energy.

On January 30 and 31, the Lewisburg Winter Music Festival returns, transforming the town into a vibrant, multi-stage celebration of sound. This isn’t just a local show. It’s a massive takeover of the downtown featuring over 70 bands performing across 9 different venues, ranging from intimate cafes to storied theaters. Whether you’re a fan of bluegrass, rock, hip-hop, or folk, the festival offers a nice escape from the winter sadness.

However, the music is only half the story. The festival serves as a vital fundraiser for the Southern Appalachia Musician’s Association (SAMA). In a region where the arts are the heartbeat of the community, SAMA acts as a safety net, providing critical support to musicians facing crisis or natural disasters. Beyond emergency relief, the organization is dedicated to the future of the craft, fostering music education and mentorship for the next generation of Appalachian artists.

When you grab a wristband this year, you aren’t just seeing a show, you’re helping keep the music playing for those who need it most.

The lineup for the fest was recently announced and features some well known bands throughout the region. Click the poster below to see more and visit the LWMF website to get your tickets. We spoke to Jason Johans and Josh Baldwin with Lewisburg Winter Music Festival to learn more about the festival and their mission.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. What are you most excited for attendees to experience this year, and what is your favorite thing about Winter Music Fest? 

Josh: One exciting thing about this year is that we have added two venues, which allows us to accept more acts and extend playing times. I think my favorite thing about the festival is the camaraderie amongst all of the other musicians. It’s cool to go hang out with members of other bands you may have shared a bill with somewhere else, and then go enjoy other bands together.

Jason: Absolutely. The magic of the festival is that along with the 1,000+ music fans that purchase tickets, there are also over 250 musicians all playing and watching each other’s acts. It really makes for a collaborative and creative weekend with a lot of musicians sitting in with each other and playing in multiple bands. Also, the fact that there are 8 venues with bands playing from 6pm to midnight at each one really makes for a unique festival experience. 

What goes into curating the talent for the LWMF, and how important is it to the festival’s identity to showcase both local Appalachian artists and musicians?

Jason: Each year we have an open call for musicians and anyone interested can submit a request to play within the application window which closed November 15th. Over the past two years we have received over 200 applications to participate at the fest as performers. We are incredibly impressed by the quality of the submissions we receive each year, and it is a difficult selection process given the abundance of talent. While all submissions were excellent, we could only select around 70 artists for this year’s event. Many of our selection decisions were made to ensure we had a wide variety of music available at the festival and that our participating bands could fit in the limited venues we have available. We’ve got bands playing all types of music traveling in from all over WV and also some from VA, KY, NC, PA, and CA this year to participate. All bands are 100 percent playing for free to benefit the cause. We encourage the crowds to buy their merch and tip!

Lewisburg, West Virginia, is a beautiful and historic town. What makes it the perfect host city for a winter music festival, and how has the local community embraced the event’s return?

Josh: The thing that Lewisburg really has going for it is that the whole downtown is 100% walkable. Every venue is within two to three blocks of each other. So attendees can really enjoy quickly moving between the venues. Also, each venue is totally different. You have the large theatre stage and mid century redesign of the Lewis Theatre, and then right across the street you have the brand new Hill and Holler building, or the old standby Sweet Shoppe, with its vintage dive-bar feel…and I say that with love.

Jason: I agree that with the compact size of the town it makes it super easy to catch a ton of bands over the weekend in all sorts of different settings.  It’s really unique getting to hop from venue to venue and see multiple bands in one night.

This festival is a major fundraiser for SAMA’s mission to help musicians in crisis. Can you share a story or an example of how the funds are making a tangible difference in a musician’s life or supporting local music education?

Josh: We wrote a sizable check to the organization Music Matters, which is sponsored by Carnegie Hall. It connects young kids that would like to take any sort of music lesson, but may not be able to for financial reasons, and subsidizes those lessons for that family. The great thing is that the teachers are also musicians, so we are helping musician teachers while also helping foster the next generation of young musicians—whether that’s a french horn or a Les Paul plugged into a Marshall stack.

We have helped individuals out who have suffered medical crises and needed to fulfill financial obligations because of missed gigs. We are also establishing the TNT scholarship. The very first festival was the TNT Festival, named for Tim and Tammy Pyne, whose house had burned down and Tim, a drummer, had lost all of his drumsets. Well, Tammy passed away this month and in her memory we are creating this TNT scholarship that will award $1000 every year to a student going into music or music education programs. We are working directly with the schools to provide the scholarship.

As an 8-person, all-volunteer board made up of musicians and professionals, you all clearly have a deep passion for music. What does it feel like for you personally, and for the board, to see the LWMF come alive and know you’re raising funds to help your peers?

Jason: The energy and camaraderie at last year’s festival felt incredible. The way all the musicians and crowds showed up was far beyond our expectations. Something about knowing all the musicians involved are playing to benefit their peers really brings out the good vibes. Everyone just leaves their egos at the door and has an awesome time. 

SAMA has plans to eventually hold festivals in other states. What is the long-term vision for the Lewisburg Winter Music Festival: how do you see it evolving while keeping its unique West Virginia spirit?

Josh: We encourage other communities, whether in another state or even within WV, to reach out to us. While we can’t necessarily volunteer our time to organize festivals throughout the year, we are happy to use our framework and 501c3 status and know-how to provide others a chance to raise monies for their own musician communities. Also, just because we are located in Lewisburg, anyone can reach out for assistance. 

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