Workshops and Programs

All workshops are FREE for ALL AGES unless otherwise noted.

Front Porch Panel: The Power of the Appalachian Woman

1pm Friday, October 17

University of Pikeville

Booth Auditorium

  • A woman with long brown hair wearing a dark blazer and a blue top, standing outdoors during sunset.

    Danna Barnett

    Social Enterprise Accelerator Project Manager | Supporting Entrepreneurs | Advancing Innovation and Economic Growth in Eastern Kentucky

  • A woman with red, curly hair, blue eyes, and makeup, smiling and wearing a blue long-sleeved top, colorful snake-skin patterned pants, and blue jewelry in a well-lit living room with flowers and windows.

    Brandis Bradley

    Attorney | Social Influencer | Makeup Artist At Law

  • A woman with long dark hair, wearing a dark blazer and a pearl necklace, posing against a light blue textured background.

    Ashley Tackett Lafferty

    Kentucky State Representative | Attorney

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and light skin smiling in a white medical coat with name and credentials, standing against a gradient dark background.

    Hayley Trimble, MD

    Board Certified OB/GYN|Quilter

  • The seal of the University of Pikesville featuring a shield with symbols and the year 1889.

    Sponsored by the University of Pikeville

    .

  • An elderly woman with short curly blonde hair, wearing an orange jacket and black turtleneck, sitting on a striped beige and light blue cushioned bench in a wood-paneled room.

    Judi Patton

    Former Kentucky First Lady | Activist for Women's Safety and Child Abuse Prevention

Tiffany Hall Owen

Basic Flatfooting and Hambone!

11am Saturday, October 18—Appalachian Center for the Arts Plaza

Tiffany Hall Owen is the Head Instructor at The Dance Gallery and received an MFA in Dance from Florida State University. In this 30-45 minute class, you will learn the basics of Appalachian Flat Foot Dancing as well as “hambone,” a type of percussion. This is great practice for the Square Dance Friday Night!

30-45 minutes. All ages welcome. Full-soled shoes recommended (not flip flops or sandals)

A woman and a young girl dancing indoors in front of a dance gallery backdrop, with a large window to the right showing outdoor scenery.

Amanda Jo Slone

Our Mountain Stories: A Creative

Writing Workshop

4-5pm Friday, October 17-Faith Life Market

Amanda Jo Slone is a writer, educator, and Pike County native whose work explores place and women’s voices in Appalachia. She is the author of stories and essays published in journals and anthologies including Still: The Journal, Appalachian Review, and Troublesome Rising: A Thousand Year Flood in Appalachia. Amanda Jo teaches creative writing and Appalachian literature at the University of Pikeville. She loves leading workshops that help writers discover their own voice and the power of story.

Our Mountain Stories: A Creative Writing Workshop

Appalachia is a place of strong voices and unforgettable stories. In this interactive one-hour workshop, participants will be invited to capture their own “mountain story” through short, guided writing exercises. Together, we’ll explore the sounds, places, and moments that shape our sense of home and community. No previous writing experience is needed. Come with a willingness to reflect and explore. Like gathering on the front porch, this workshop offers space for stories to be honored and creativity to flow. Participants will leave with a written piece that celebrates their own unique connection to the mountains. 

Seal of the University of Pikesville with mountains, a torch, a butterfly, a book, a caduceus, and the year 1889.
A woman with dark hair wearing a cream turtleneck sweater and a necklace, smiling in front of a wall with framed pictures.

Jessica Salyer

Curator: Mountain Grrl Experience Women in the Arts Exhibition
Renaissance Art Guild Board Member/Curator: Salyersville Renaissance on Main
Podcaster: Weird Appalachia Podcast
Former Director/Teaching Artist: Art Positive Project, Inc.
Former Director/Curator/ Teaching Artist: Main Street Art Studios, Inc.

Eastern Kentucky based award winning mix media artist, Jessica Salyer, has been honing her skills in the therapeutic and healing practices that creating works of art can have on the human experience.

Her distinctive personal style emanates the vibrance that the mental and physical experiences we have can affect us greatly.

Originally a mixed media painter, Jessica blended her painting skills with her own therapeutic practices of 10 years, bringing about her new passion Art Positive Project, Inc. Jessica’s evolution into teaching the healing properties that creating can have, allowed her to introduce another element to this union and extended this experience to east Kentucky communities. Her use of teaching through her own experiences allows Jessica to challenge the boundaries of people’s perception of art and mental health. She utilizes guided meditation to which each participant can explore the depths of their own internal mental health and release any blocks that may otherwise go unnoticed or unresolved. Art Positive Project’s mission is to help spread mental health awareness and help give everyone an out of the box way of thinking about what we can do for ourselves to heal through the process of art. Jessica is excited about the future of Art Positive Project and hopes to further this experience to more regions in Kentucky and else where.

A woman with short, curly brown hair and red lipstick holds a colorful painting of a watermelon slice, with the words 'Watermelon Bacing 2022' written on it. She is at an outdoor event, possibly an art fair, with other people and paintings visible around her.

Releasing the Guilt Painting

10:00 am Saturday, October 18-Appalachian Center for the Arts Plaza

Often we allow our guilt to fester within us. Fighting the stereotypes of what self-care means for ourselves can help release past guilts that we’ve held on to; in some cases for years. The simplest things such as taking a day to ourselves can make us feel like we are procrastinating or even being lazy leaving a guilt behind that we should not carry. What advice would you give a friend or family member in the same situation? When we look at society, they give solutions but they assume we live in a certain class with options that are readily available to us. To assume most of us have disposable income, that you deny yourself these options, or even have the time to engage in these activities. Having just one day to acknowledge what burdens you are carrying can have a lasting impact on the we look at the rest of our lives.

Participants will be asked to write down things they’ve felt guilt about. Meditation guidance will lead participants to visualize what it feels like to let go. They will put their papers of guilt into our burning bowl to watch the guilt disappear. Participants will be asked to visualize an affirmative positive word to put in the Wreath of Hope that they will create and paint

Sponsored by UK Community Arts Extension-University of Kentucky

A woman stands in front of an art class with acrylic paintings of Van Gogh's Starry Night on easels. She is holding a completed starry night painting and appears to be explaining or demonstrating something to a class of students.
Logo for Pike Arts, part of University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Cooperative Extension Service, featuring a mountain and a paintbrush

Slingin’ Paint

1pm until supplies run out, Saturday October 18-Green Space

Sling some paint and have some fun! Create your own one of a kind masterpiece. No experience necessary!

Sponsored by UK Community Arts Extension-University of Kentucky

Two young boys kneeling and painting on canvases set up outside, smiling and enjoying a messy art activity.
Young boy with light brown hair, wearing a white painter's smock, holding a paint palette, standing in front of an easel with a canvas, in an art studio with white draped fabric in the background.

Fun & Easy DIY Tee Shirt Cutting!

5:30-8pm, Saturday, October 18-Green Space

Bring your own tee-shirt or purchase a Mountain Grrl Shirt. Learn to use the scissors to make your own uniquely styled top!

Blue sleeveless top with fringe at the bottom.
Blue short-sleeve T-shirt with a front knot, placed on a light-colored textured carpet.

Zoe & Jeannie Howard

Make a Tie Dye Tee!

11 am until supplies run out, October 18-Green Space

We all want to look as cool as our :”Appalachian Janis Joplin” Zoe Howard. And now we can by making our own Tie Dye t-shirt!

T-shirts, tie dyes, rubber bands and plastic bags will be provided. Workshop attendees can create a tie dye shirt and place their finished product in a plastic bag to take home to wash! All ages. Free while supplies last!

Sponsored by the Kent Rose Foundation

A young woman singing into a microphone outdoors, wearing a tie-dye shirt, ripped denim shorts, and earrings, with musical equipment and a building in the background.
Colorful circular logo for Kent Rose Foundation with rainbow stripes, yellow flowers, a smiley face, and text that says "KentRoseFoundation.com" and "It’s All About The KIDZ..!"
Colorful tie-dye background with bold text that says 'Free Tie Die with Zoe Howard' and a purple tie-dye shirt on the right side. Additional text reads 'Brought to you by Kent Rose Foundation'.

Learn to play the Mountain Dulcimer!

12:00pm Saturday, October 18-Appalachian Center for the Arts Plaza

Melanie Turner is a singer, songwriter, musician, and certified elementary teacher with over 30 years of experience. A member of the all-female bluegrass band Coaltown Dixie, she also shares her love of music with the community through workshops, residencies, and her work as an instructor with the Pick and Bow music program. Dedicated to arts and education in rural communities, Melanie is a certified Community Scholar, Partners for Rural Impact Appalachian Teaching Artist Fellow and a teaching artist with the Kentucky Arts Council and Arts for All Kentucky.

This workshop is open to both children and adults. No dulcimer? No problem! We will have 25 dulcimers available for you to practice with during the workshop.

Melanie Turner

Graduation cap placed atop rolled diploma tied with a red ribbon.
Three children and a woman, all smiling, inside a rustic music room. The children are holding wooden musical instruments called kalimbas, and the woman is seated at a table with a musical instrument. Guitar and other musical equipment are visible in the background. The children are dressed casually, and the room has potted plants and wooden walls.

Melanie Turner

Rhythm Fun!

12:30pm Saturday, October 18-Appalachian Center for the Arts Plaza

Join Melanie Turner, Kentucky Arts Council Teaching Artist and Musician (Coaltown Dixie), for an exciting “Rhythm Fun” workshop! Explore the world of rhythm through children’s literature and interactive activities using various rhythm instruments and live music.

The workshop incorporates music with banjo and guitar accompaniment, enriching the experience and inspiring musical interaction.

Participants will have access to a variety of rhythm instruments which include tambourines, shakers, drums, and other percussion tools.

All ages are welcome to join, fostering a sense of community and shared musical exploration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrMECGGZzL0

A teacher playing a banjo in a classroom, with colorful word cards on the beige cabinets behind her and cubbies filled with backpacks below.
Graduation cap with a tassel placed on a diploma scroll tied with a red ribbon.

Coaltown Dixie

Jump in there and Jam!

3:45-4:15pm Saturday, October 18-Downtown Stage

Have you been standing in the circle, tapping your foot, maybe humming along, but not gotten your instrument out of the case yet? Well, here’s your chance. Bring an instrument or your singing voice and plan to jump on stage with the Coaltown Dixie gals immediately after their performance to join along on a song or two!

Group of women playing musical instruments and smiling, wearing teal shirts, in an outdoor covered space with a playground visible in the background.
Graduation cap with tassel placed on top of diploma scroll tied with red ribbon.
A circular logo with a teal border, orange background, and the words 'The Mountain Girl Experience' written around it. The center features a stylized guitar with two profiles of women facing each other and four stars.

Rita Newsome

1pm Saturday, October 18-Faith Life Market

The Appalachian Forager

Book Signing & Meet and Greet

1-3pm Saturday, October 18-Appalachian Center for the Arts

Purchase a copy of Whitney Johnson’s new book “Go Forth and Forage.” Meet the author and have your book personally signed!

Young woman outdoors holding a large mushroom and a smaller mushroom, smiling and wearing a blue beanie and light-colored t-shirt, with trees and grass in the background.
Cover of a guidebook featuring various North American wild mushrooms on a black background, with text promoting mushroom foraging and a photo of Whitney Johnson, an Appalachian forager.

Whitney Johnson is a full time forager, content creator, and Appalachian ambassador. With over 1 million followers across her social media, she has used her platform to shine a lovin’ light on Appalachia and to teach the world how to be more self-sufficient while responsibly utilizing the goodies that Momma Nature provides. 


Born and raised in eastern Kentucky, she developed a passion for all things outdoors as a young holler baby. Foraging is her forte, especially mushroom hunting, but she does not discriminate against any wild edibles. She also picks plants and herbs to wildcraft a plethora of skincare and wellness products. She fishes. She hikes. She gardens. She cooks like your mamaw. She is a proud Appalachian spreading the love and wondrous things the region has to offer via her down-to-earth, educational, and quirky videos on TikTok (@appalachian_forager), Instagram (@appalachian_forager), and Facebook (Appalachian Forager). 


Her accolades include being named Appalachian Arts and Entertainments Awards’ Best Social Media Influencer, Appodlachia’s Appalachian of the Year and Content Creator of the Year, as well as being featured in numerous news segments and articles, including multiple appearances on The Weather Channel. Whitney continues to be a hillbilly force to be reckoned with; spreadin’ pride for her region, preachin’ girl power, all while keepin’ the old ways alive… with a dash of humor. “How-to get started with mushroom hunting and I go over edible Appalachian mushrooms by season.

Emily Addis

Learn to play the Ukulele

10:00am Saturday, October 18-Faith Life Market

Sponsored by the 150 Music Academy

Close-up of a woman with wavy brown hair, wearing glasses, smiling in front of a garden background.
Colorful miniature ukuleles with various designs and paintings, arranged on patterned blankets outdoors on grass.
Logo of 150 Music Academy with large black number 150 and the words "Music Academy" below.
A smiling woman with blonde hair, wearing a black tank top, seated indoors against a blue wall with a framed mirror and a round mirror above her. She has tattoos on her left arm.

Anna Christine

Living Eulogy

11:00 am Saturday, October 18-Faith Life Market

The Living Eulogy is a Lexington, Kentucky-based workshop to write a legacy of love for our friends and families while they can yet receive it.

Conceived out of the grief of losing loved ones to addiction and a desire to have said the important things while still possible, this is a collaborative workshop to write a legacy of love for our friends and families.

In my workshop, you join others as we write to the ones we love, the ones we care about, the person we used to be, or even the ones we don’t know well but who have made lasting impacts. You can share this with them, hold it close to yourself, send it out into the universe, publish it, throw it away... whatever your instinct calls for.

The workshop offers seasoned writers and new writers the chance to dig into what makes someone important, develop a plan for what needs to be said, and the start of a beautiful Living Eulogy. This can be emotional in all of the best ways so being attuned to your own sensitivities in this process is important. I do my  best to facilitate a space of safety and the opportunity to be freely vulnerable to each person’s level of comfort. 

Jeri Katherine Howell

Come Sing! Songwriting and Community Singing

1:00pm Saturday, October 18-Downtown Stage

Explore the nourishing, joyful, and accessible power of participatory singing and songwriting with Jeri Katherine Howell. Together in a circle, Jeri Katherine will lead easy-to-learn acapella songs (both traditional and new) that connect us with ourselves, each other, and the creativity flowing through us.

Then we will explore creative writing prompts to generate your own lyrics and workshop ideas together. We will share ways to continue your songwriting practice at home, and close with a group song (perhaps one that you wrote in the workshop!). 

Jeri Katherine understands music is medicine and facilitates singing and songwriting as an accessible tool to help us express, adapt, connect, and thrive in the face of modern challenges - plus it feels really good!

Show up exactly as you are with a journal and pen/pencil. All levels of singing and songwriting experience are welcome; yes, even if you don’t consider yourself a “singer” but you are feeling pulled to attend, this is for you. Come sing! 

Woman with long blond hair playing an acoustic guitar, standing in front of a dark red background, smiling and looking to her right.

As a singer-songwriter rooted in the oral traditions of folk, Bluegrass and Appalachian music, Jeri Katherine’s songwriting and songleading style is in relation with the land, in deep listening to the triumphs and struggles of everyday people, and embodies music as a communal act. As a facilitator, Jeri Katherine believes we are all teachers and that every moment is a practice ground for building the world we want to exist. As a caretaker, Jeri Katherine focuses on the physical and mental wellbeing benefits of the arts and nature. Learn more and connect at jerikatherinehowell.com.

Kristy Stevens Porter “Extension Angel”

Make Decorative Garden Beads

10am-12pm Saturday, October 18-Green Space

Create beautiful Decorative Garden Beads for your planters or home decor!

Sponsored by UK Community Arts Extension-University of Kentucky

Close-up of a smiling woman with brown hair, wearing glasses with tortoiseshell frames, sitting in a car.
Colorful beaded stakes in a flower pot with a pink flower and green leaves, against a brick wall background.
Colorful beaded garden stakes with glass or crystal tops in a flower pot containing small yellow flowers and succulents outdoors.
Logo of Pike Arts at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, featuring a stylized mountain and line art.

Emily Stearns

Screen printing

2pm until supplies last-Saturday, October 18-Downtown


Ever wanted to try screen printing? Come pull your very own Mountain Grrl design onto a tote bag! We’ll have screens made with a variety of designs for you to choose from. Tote bags and ink will be provided, and you’ll get to walk away with a one-of-a-kind creation you made yourself. All ages. Free while supplies last!

Emily has a degree in Digital Media and is the owner/operator of Emily Grace Creates

A woman sitting on a wooden stool making a peace sign with her right hand, wearing a white cap with 'Rest in the Lord' text, a white t-shirt, a pink and white striped vest, dark jeans, and white sneakers, smiling at the camera against a plain white wall.
A screen printing setup displaying a t-shirt with a design that reads 'BAD' at the top, 'LIFE' at the bottom, and 'OF' in the center, with a smiling face and a starburst shape.
Emyly Grace Creates logo with pink background, orange text, and a white flower in the center.

Jessica Miles

Mountain Laurels Podcast Taping

10am to 6pm, Saturday, October 18-Downtown

Jessica Miles, host of the podcast Mountain Laurels: Women of Appalachia, will be collecting your stories to share on the podcast from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, October 18th! There will be prompts to choose from with questions ranging from "Who's your favorite Appalachian woman?" to "What is your favorite Appalachian tradition?" All ages are welcome to participate!

Jessica was recently awarded a prestigious grant from the KENTUCKY FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN to create a podcast documenting the rich, complex histories of women and women-identifying activists throughout Appalachia’s history. Through conversations with community leaders and activists from the region, this project will focus on the often-overlooked leadership of women and how their work impacts our community. These conversations will lead to broader discussions of place, power, the role of women in progressive movements, how to make change in communities, and reflection on leadership."

Illustration of a woman with glasses and long dark hair, speaking into a microphone, with a green background and text that reads 'Mountain Laurel Women of Appalachia'.

Enroll in Coaltown College!

Welcome to Coaltown College!  

Coaltown College is a place to explore and learn everything about music! The professors of Coaltown College are none other than the gals of Coaltown Dixie. The diverse course offerings include instrument making, learning all about an instrument, jamming sessions,  rhythm workshops, songwriting and more! 

Official classes offered this “semester” will be:

  • Learn to Play the Dulcimer with Melanie Turner

    Saturday, October 18

  • Jump in There and Jam! with Coaltown Dixie

    Saturday, October 18

  • Rhythm Fun with Melanie Turner

    Saturday, October 18

  • Get your Report Card Lanyard stamped for every class you complete to work toward your Coaltown College Degree!

Four young women in graduation caps and black dresses playing musical instruments on a stage with a chalkboard background that reads 'Coaltown College' and musical notes. The instruments include a banjo, two guitars, and a double bass. There is a logo in the bottom right corner that says 'Sponsored by Pikeville'.
Graduation cap with a red ribbon and a diploma.

Look for the Graduation Cap Icon for Coaltown College courses!

Workshops on 2nd street

Make a Quilt Square with Bridgett at

Bridgett’s Quilting and Fabric Shop!

10am-5pm Saturday, October 18

237 2nd St, Pikeville, KY 41501

$15 per person

Bridgett's Quilting sewing and fabric shop storefront with a large blue sign and windows displaying sewing-related items inside.
Four small quilt blocks with various geometric and star patterns, made of colorful fabric pieces on a green cutting mat.
  • A young child sitting on a quilted blanket outdoors, surrounded by musical instruments including a drum, tambourine, and a small wooden percussion instrument. There is a stroller and some pamphlets in the background.

    Musical Instrument Petting Zoo

    All Day Saturday, October 18

    Downtown Green Space

    Fun for little ones!

  • A collage of images showing a mobile health clinic van from Pike County Health Department, a group of five staff members standing outside the van, health supplies including hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray, and chairs and tables set up inside the mobile clinic for health services.

    The Mountain Mama Van

    A safe, clean baby changing and feeding station will be located in downtown Pikeville.

    Courtesy of The Pike County Health Department

  • Two sweatshirts, one in taupe and the other in light brown, with a graphic design of a girl and a sword surrounded by stars and the text 'The Mountain Grl Experience'. The background is dark green with white handwritten text that reads '2025 MGE'. The word 'MERCH!' with stars is also part of the background.

    Buy Your 2025 MGE Merch!

    Visit Denice and “Bug” at the Merch Table at the Mountain Top Media Stage for Tees, Caps, Stickers, etc. Get ‘em while you can. When they are gone, they are gone!

  • Three women standing in a music store, with in-store guitars displayed behind them. The woman in the middle is holding a signed guitar and all are smiling at the camera.

    Win an Autographed Guitar

    Visit the Merch Table and sign up for this FREE giveaway! Win a guitar autographed by all your favorite 2025 Mountain Grrl Musicians!

    Courtesy of Mountain Music Exchange

  • A woman standing next to a painted bear sculpture outdoors at dusk, with string lights overhead and a building and hills in the background.

    Go Bear Huntin'

    Can YOU find the Mountain Grrl Bear located somewhere in downtown Pikeville?