father helping child roast marshmallow

Summer Activities Program

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Make great memories and find community at Lake Junaluska with its Summer Activities Program. Enjoy s’mores and storytelling by the fire,  pickleball and tennis tournaments, Paddle to the Cross (devotion time in boats at the Cross) and much more. Made possible through charitable giving, the program includes events for all ages so multiple generations of friends and families can experience the beauty and wonder of Lake Junaluska together. Check out our 2024 schedule below. Additional events may be added, so check back soon and subscribe to updates below. We also invite you to check out the latest news in the Junaluska Weekly

Monday Morning Devotions
8:30 a.m. | Harrell Center back balcony

Join us for morning devotions led by our visiting theologians-in-residence at 8:30 a.m. Mondays on the Harrell Center back balcony. Come early for conversation and connection!  Junaluska Gifts & Grounds nearby opens at 8 a.m.

July 1: Rev. Riley Short
July 8: Rev. Jasmine Smothers
July 15: Rev. Dr. James Harnish
July 22: Rev. Dr. Alma Tinoco Ruiz
July 29: Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck*
August 5: Rev. Dr. Sandra Richter
August 12: Rev. Jack Shitama

*Thank you to The Foundation for Evangelism for sponsoring Rev. Dr. Michael Beck as a summer Theologian-in-Residence.


Yoga at the Lake
6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays | Inspiration Point | July 2, 16, 23 and 30; Aug. 6 (No class on July 9.)

We’ve partnered with The Yoga and Bodywork Collective to offer yoga at Inspiration Point, one of the prettiest and most inspirational views at Lake Junaluska. Participation fee. Register online or electronically on site.

Paddle to the Cross
8:30-9:30 a.m. Wednesdays | Paddle from the Boat Beach (by the swimming pool) to the Cross | June 19, 26; July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Aug. 7, 14

Jump start your Wednesdays this summer with a paddle across the lake for a morning devotion beneath the Cross. Join us as we launch from the Boat Beach near the swimming pool for an easy paddle to the Cross to hear a short devotion while sitting in your boat. Bring your own boat, or one will be available to you through Lake Junaluska Outfitters. Advanced registration is required. Register online.

QiGong for Energy and Vitality | Nourish Soul, Mind and Body
10 a.m. Wednesdays & 7 p.m. Fridays | Outdoor Lawn Near Memorial Chapel | July 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31, & Aug. 2, 7, 9, 14, 16

Marga Fripp, a Certified Qigong Teacher and Healing Arts Practioner, will lead outdoor QiGong classes as part of Lake Junaluska’s Summer Activities Program.

Summer Recreation Tournaments
9 a.m. Tuesday, July 2 | Round Robin Tennis Tournament | Lake Junaluska tennis courts | prizes | Register online
7 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 3 | Closest to the Pin Golf Competition | Lake Junaluska Golf Course | No registration required |$5, plus round of golf fee
11 a.m. Wednesday, July 3 | Decorated Kayak/Canoe/Paddleboard Flotilla Contest | Colonnade | Register online
10 a.m. Wednesday, July 5 | Pickleball Tournament | Lake Junaluska pickleball courts | prizes
|Register online 
10 a.m. Wednesday, July 24 | Family Games Tournament (shuffleboard, corn hole and bocce ball) | recreation area |
prizes| Register online
***UPDATE Canceled due to lack of registration: Wednesday, Aug. 14 | Will it Float? | Boat Beach |
Bring your best homemade, manned water craft that doesn’t have a motor and floats. Be creative. Gift card prizes will be awarded: $50 for a single participant, $100 for a team of two or more.

Sunset Paddleboarding
6-8 p.m. Thursdays | Boat Beach | June 20, 27

Learn the basics of paddleboarding during a two-hour instructional course. Equipment provided. Sunset Paddleboarding is for ages 18 and older. $5 each session. Register online.

Storytelling and Music Around the Campfire
8 p.m. Thursdays  | Shackford Firepit | June 27-Aug. 15

Bring the family and your lawn chairs (or blankets) to the Shackford Firepit this summer for a fun and interactive evening of storytelling, music and s’mores. (We’ll supply everything you need for s’mores.) Relax by the fire and under the stars while enjoying campfire songs, praise and bluegrass music, mountain folklore, biblical stories and more in our beautiful mountain setting.

June 27: Rev. Dan Martin
July 4: John Scott
July 11: A Night of Music
***UPDATE July 18, 2024, 6 p.m. : Canceled due to inclement weather July 18: Rev. Ashley Calhoun (at the Boat Beach by the swimming pool)***
July 25: Donna Marie Todd  (Memorial Chapel)
***UPDATE July 25, 2024: Location moved indoors to Memorial Chapel (due to inclement weather)
Aug. 1:  Rev. Mark Barden
***UPDATE Aug. 8, 2024, 4: 41 p.m.: Canceled due to inclement weather Aug. 8: Johanna Hagen-Hassan McNeely (child-focused stories and music)
Aug. 15: Jody Lipscomb

Summer Concerts
4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25  |  Haywood Community Band  |  Lakeside White Tent
7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1  |  Blue Ridge Big Band  |  Lakeside White Tent

Summer Worship Series and Theologians-in-Residence program
9 a.m. Sundays | Lakeside White Tent | June 30-Aug. 16

All are welcome this summer at the Lakeside White Tent near Stuart Auditorium at 9 a.m. for Sunday outdoor worship services with our theologians in  residence. A limited amount of seating is available, and attendees may bring their own chairs.

June 30, Sunday: Rev. Riley Short

July 7, Sunday: Rev. Jasmine Smothers
July 8, Monday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “Blank Slate: Write Your Own Rules for a 22nd Century Church,” Kern Center 100
July 9, Tuesday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., workshop, “Blank Slate: Write Your Own Rules for a 22nd Century Church,” Kern Center 100 (Updated July 8, 2024)

July 14, Sunday: Rev. Dr. James Harnish,  book signing, 4 p.m., Lakeside White Tent
July 15, Monday, 8:30 a.m., Monday Morning Devotions, Lakeside White Tent
July 15, Monday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “How Can We Become the People Through Whom Christ is Born Again?” Terrace Hotel 316
July 16, Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “How Does Mary Prepare Us for Our Own Heart-breaking Experiences?” Terrace Hotel 316
July 17, Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “How Will the Holy Spirit Enable Mary’s Story to Come Alive Through Us?” Terrace Hotel 316

July 21, Sunday: Rev. Dr. Alma Tinoco Ruiz
July 22, Monday, 8:30 a.m., Monday Morning Devotions, Harrell Center back balcony
July 22, Monday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “Saint Óscar Romero’s Sentir with God,” Harrell Center 202
July 23, Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “Saint Óscar Romero’s Sentir with the People,” Harrell Cener 202
July 24, Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “Saint Óscar Romero’s Sentir with the Magisterium of the Church,” Harrell Center 202

July 28, Sunday: Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck*
July 29, Monday, 8:30 a.m., Monday Morning Devotions, Harrell Center back balcony
July 29, Monday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “The Changed Mission Reality” Luke 10:1-9, Terrace Hotel 316
July 30, Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “Why Fresh Expressions” Luke 10:1-9 (reference Philippians 2:1-11), Terrace Hotel 316
July 31, Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “How Fresh Expressions” Luke 10:1-9 (Acts 15: 6-21, Luke 15:1-7, Ephesians 4:1-13), Terrace Hotel 316
*Thank you to The Foundation for Evangelism for sponsoring Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck. Learn more at www.FoundationforEvangelism.org.

Aug. 4, Sunday: Rev. Dr. Sandra Richter
Aug. 5, Monday, 8:30 a.m., Monday Morning Devotions, Harrell Center back balcony
Aug. 5, Monday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “The Psalms,” “The Hymnbook of Ancient Israel,” Gaines Auditorium, Bethea Welcome Center
Aug. 6, Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “The Psalms,” “The Anatomy of a Lament,” Gaines Auditorium, Bethea Welcome Center
Aug. 7, Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “The Psalms,” “The Lord is My Shepherd,” Gaines Auditorium, Bethea Welcome Center

Aug. 11, Sunday: Rev. Jack Shitama
Aug. 12, Monday, 8:30 a.m., Monday Morning Devotions, Harrell Center back balcony
Aug. 12, Monday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “If You Met My Family, You’d Understand: A Family Systems Primer,” Harrell Center 202
Aug. 13, Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “One New Habit, One Big Goal: Change Your Life in 10 Weeks,” Harrell Center 202
Aug. 14, Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m., workshop, “How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety,” Harrell Center 202

(If you have questions, please contact [email protected].)

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Long summer days are perfect for leisurely canoe trips, rocking on the porch, cruises aboard the Cherokee IV, cooling off by our lakeside pool and quiet moments at the prayer Labyrinth.

Lake Junaluska’s annual Independence Day Celebration features a weekend of family-friendly fun — from concerts to fireworks to floating  lanterns.