Our 2023 Main Tent Schedule
Friday
June 23
3:00 PM – Opening Greetings – Delsey Wilson
4:00 PM – The Nature of Flight! – Ohio School of Falconry (1.5 hours)
6:00 PM – Sunken Mountain: The Flora and Geology of a Meteorite Crater in Southwest Ohio – Martin McAllister
7:00 PM – Festival Closes for the day
Saturday
June 24
10:00 AM – Music – Chris Davis
11:00 AM – Music – Jack Flute Holland of Crazy Flute
12:00 PM – Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, The Expanded Edition – Jeffrey Wilson
1:00 PM – “Researching 13,000 Years of Adams County Area Prehistory” – Jonathan Bowen
2:00 PM – Live Podcast Interview – The Strange Road
3:00 PM – The Spetnagel Cache of Turkeytails and Its Association with Chillicothe’s R.P. Schwarz Mound (2 hours) – Gary Argabright
5:00 PM – Music – Terri A. Rivera, Sings With Ravens
6:00 PM – Sound Healing Jamboree – Lead by Terri with other musicians from the line-up
7:00 PM – Festival Closes for the day
Sunday
June 25
9:00 AM – Canoe Tour below Serpent Mound (Hosted by MoonDoggie LIVERee)
10:00 AM – open
11:00 AM – Singing Bowls – Deo Abellera
12:00 PM – Mississippian Moundbuilders and “How Humanity got their first Fire” – Pamela Bennett
1:00 PM – The Sounds of Nature – Kathi McQueen
2:00 PM – Music – Jack Flute Holland of Crazy Flute
3:00 PM – Music – Phill Barnett
4:00 PM – The Summer Solstice at Serpent Mound – Jeffrey Wilson
5:00 PM – Sound Healing, Dance Music, and Drumming – Steven Rutherford
6:00 PM – Community Drumming
7:00 PM – Festival ends
Festival activities
Join us, June 23-25, 2023, as we celebrate the first few days of summer among the foothills of the Appalachia mountains.
Our annual festival highlights the area’s history, heritage, ecology, as well as the multitude of aspects associated with the Serpent Mound Park. The Great Serpent Mound effigy, built by the Ancient Indigenous Peoples, incorporates alignments to the rising and setting of the sun and moon on the solstices and equinoxes. The summer solstice sunset alignment is through the open jaws and across the oval.
There are many theories, stories, ancient knowledge, and unknowns with Serpent Mound. The Friends of Serpent Mound started this festival as a way for the public to share and learn about the many facets of Serpent Mound. Our presenters vary from locals, historians, Indigenous Americans, Scientists, Spiritualist, Musicians, and more. Learn about Serpent Mound and the surrounding area’s history, uniqueness, wildlife, and ecology, along with some fun family friendly summer activities!
Festival Rules
- This is a family friendly event – there is to be NO alcohol, drugs, guns, or nudity!
- Children are welcome and must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
- There is no smoking in the Main Tents, in the port-o-lets or within the group hikes. There are proper places to put one’s cigarette butts, so please do not throw them on the ground.
- Dogs are permitted, but must be leashed at all times, next to owner, and must be cleaned up after.
- The back gate to the Serpent Mound Park is closed. One can use the Buckeye Trail to access the park during open hours.
Every year our festival seems to have an underlining theme, and this year’s is “Sound and music”
Scroll down to learn more about our presenters.
the WORKSHOP SCHEDULE is here.
It gets finalized closer to the event.
Join us any or every day of the festival, for FREE.
No registration required to attend.
Sorry, we don’t have any public camping.
Visit Adams County Travel & Visitors Bureau,
Visitor’s Bureau of Highland County,
or Visit Pike County, Ohio
Festival Hours
Friday
3 pm – 7 pm
Saturday
10 am – 7 pm
Sunday
10 am – 7 pm
Festival Parking
Anyone planning to spend the day with us, should enter the festival from Horner Chapel Rd and park in the field. Anyone parked at Serpent Mound may visit us via the Buckeye Trail, but you will have to pay a parking fee. Look for our sign behind the large conical mound and follow the Buckeye Trails’ Blue Blazes to our other signs.
Friday Main Tent Schedule
The thoughts and opinions of each presenter, are their own and FOSM does not support or promote only one view, but offers an opportunity and platform for people to share their thoughts, experiences, and theories and let the public discern what feels right to them.
This is a Tentative Schedule and will not be complete until closer to the event.
3:00 – 4:00
Delsey Wilson
Executive Director, Friends of Serpent Mound & Owner of Serpent Mound Farms, LLC
Festival Opening and Discussion on How Sound Travels inside the Meteorite Crater.
Our festival, may be the only festival to take place inside a meteor impact crater. Wilson will welcome everyone to the festival and discuss the theme of this year’s festival “Sound and Music” and how the weekends activities will follow that theme.
4:00 – 5:30
Joseph Dorrian
Ohio School of Falconry
The Nature of Flight!
Come join us and discover the Nature of Flight! As we learn about the many types of raptors (owls, hawks, falcons and buzzards) that can be found around the world, we will explore their unique powers of flight and how each of the do it a little bit differently.
6:00 – 7:00
Martin McAllister
Edge of Appalachia Community Liaison with
The Nature Conservancy in Ohio
Sunken Mountain: The Flora and Geology of a Meteorite Crater in Southwest Ohio
Impact craters are readily visible on the moon but are considered rare on Earth. This presentation will delve into how these interesting geologic features form and how they manifest themselves on the surface as well as how one of these ancient impacts shaped the landscape of northern Adams County.
Saturday Main Tent Schedule
The views and opinions of the presenters are their own and not that of the Friends of Serpent Mound’s.
This is a Tentative Schedule and will not be complete until closer to the event.
10:00 – 11:00
Chris “Flint Eagle” Davis
Musician & Songwriter
Chris “Flint Eagle” Davis, songwriter and musician, retired teacher and poet. Graduate of OU and WSU. Munay Ki initiate and follower of Star Knowledge, and the same time a down home Kentucky boy who’s lived most of his life in Ohio.
11:00 – 12:00
Jack Flute Holland of Crazy Flute
Flute Musician Fusion
Jack Flute Holland of Crazy Flute. Multi-National and International award winning group including the Native American Music Awards. Also, a member of the Grammy recording academy. From Chattanooga, TN. Native flute music and world drums
12:00 – 1:00
Jeffrey Wilson
Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, The Expanded Edition
Jeffrey Wilson, President, Volunteer and a founding Board Member of the Friends of Serpent Mound. With a Master of Science and a double major in English Literature and History from Eastern Michigan, Jeffrey’s lectures bring a scientific approach with a refreshing side of Native American mythology. He has been researching Serpent Mound for over 10 years, along with giving the sunset tours. In 2015 he discovered a new Winter Solstice Sunrise alignment. He has become the local Serpent Mound Researcher.
(Photo compliments of Don Reed)

1:00 – 2:00
Jonathan Bowen
“Researching 13,000 Years of Adams County Area Prehistory”
This will be an overview of ancient peoples in the Adams County area from the Paleo-Indian through the Fort Ancient Culture.
2:00 – 3:00
Mikie Liesner
The Strange Road
The Strange Road guys will Interview some of our presenters live.
3:00 – 4:00
Gary Argabright
The Spetnagel Cache of Turkeytails and Its Association with Chillicothe’s R.P. Schwarz Mound
This will be a 5-part discussion covering the following topics:
- PART I. Albert Cutler Spetnagel
- PART II. Discovery of the cache by George Wachter
- PART III. Turkeytail stemmed bifaces
- PART IV. Who made them??
- PART V. The R.P. Schwarz Mound
It is an interesting story and represents some very important research and at the same time provides important information for identifying a key “lost” mound in Chillicothe’s famed “Northwest Quadrant.” It should last about one and a half hours with time at the end for questions and discussion.
Gary’s Second Part to his Harness Collection will be held at the September 17th Meeting.
4:00 – 5:00
Gary Argabright
2nd hour
A short description of the presentation could go here.
5:00 – 7:00
Terri A. Rivera
Music and Meditation
She will take us through a guided meditation & Prayer, with original songs & spoken words.
6:00 – 7:00
Terri A. Rivera Along with Our other Musicians
Sound Healing Jamboree
Terri will lead a Jamboree that our other musicians at the festival can join in on, some may be on the line up and some may not. This could be an awesome fusion of sounds for the soul!
Sunday Main Tent Schedule
The views and opinions of the presenters are their own and not that of the Friends of Serpent Mound’s.
This is a Tentative Schedule and will not be complete until closer to the event.
11:00 – 12:00
Deo Abellera
Plays Crystal Singing Bowls
Deo Abellera is a member of the Great Serpent Mound Society of Dowsers. Along with volunteering many hours throughout our community here in Adams County. He loves sharing his enjoyment for Singing Bowls. He will do a demonstration at 10:00 AM on Sunday. Visit his tent any time to learn more on the subject of self healing.
12:00 – 1:00
Pamela Bennett
Mississippian Moundbuilders and “How Humanity got their first Fire”
Fascination with the geometry and simplicity of southern prehistoric art led to the development of RedHanded Trade as an educational and resource center for public awareness of the cultural heritage of early Native Americans and their artistic expressions. Encouraging Heritage Tourism is an integral component of our mission. Through depiction of these symbols on crafts, art and wearables, we perpetuate our southern ancestral heritage. We enjoy meeting with the public at festivals, powwows and other venues providing a colorful display of quality items at our booth.
1:00 – 2:00
Kathi McQueen
The sounds of Nature
From insects to mammals to the rustling of leaves, the sounds of nature surround you. Learn to recognize familiar sounds and explore others you will want to seek out. Join us for an interactive discussion that will excite your senses!
2:00 – 3:00
Jack Flute Holland of Crazy Flute
Flute Musician Fusion
Jack Flute Holland of Crazy Flute. Multi-National and International award winning group including the Native American Music Awards. Also, a member of the Grammy recording academy. From Chattanooga, TN. Native flute music and world drums.
3:00 – 4:00
Phill Barnett
Singer-Songwriter
Ginsengin’ and other originals
Phill Barnett of Winchester, Ohio is a singer-songwriter from eastern Kentucky with family roots deeply embedded in Adams County. A lifelong storyteller, his songs tell tales of growing up and life in rural Appalachia.
4:00 – 5:00
Jeffrey Wilson
The Summer Solstice at Serpent Mound
Jeffrey Wilson, President, Volunteer and a founding Board Member of the Friends of Serpent Mound. With a Master of Science and a double major in English Literature and History from Eastern Michigan, Jeffrey’s lectures bring a scientific approach with a refreshing side of Native American mythology. He has been researching Serpent Mound for over 10 years, along with giving the sunset tours. In 2015 he discovered a new Winter Solstice Sunrise alignment. He has become the local Serpent Mound Researcher. Learn about the alignments at Serpent Mound.
(Photo compliments of Don Reed)
5:00 – 6:00
Steven Rutherford
Steven & the moon live performance and drumming
Sound Healing, Dance Music, and Drumming
6:00 – 7:00
Open to the Public
Community Drumming
Bring your hand drum of choice and join in on this Community Drumming and drum the festival closed.
Where is Soaring Eagle Retreat?
Soaring Eagle Retreat is east of Serpent Mound and the Ohio History Connection has asked that all of our participants come in from the Horner Chapel entrance and park in our field. One can assess Serpent Mound park via the Buckeye Trail during Park hours.
375 Horner Chapel Rd., Peebles, OH 45660
1-937-205-0094