David has three events on the calendar where a small group of folks will spend several days together. They are three very different experiences, so please read up on each to see what might work best for you.
Senderos Learning Journey – Guatemala – July 20-30, 2025
Roots and Branches Retreat – Montreat NC – October, 2025
Traceless Music Tour – Scotland – June 20-30, 2026
(save a slot soon, 2025 is already sold out)
William Black Lodge in Montreat, NC
October , 2025
Registration information and weekend schedule below.
We hope to see you in these beautiful Carolina mountains next Fall.
What to Expect
Hello friends! Roots & Branches ‘24 is going to be a fun and restorative event with a new line-up of leadership, friends and of course, David LaMotte! The biggest feedback we have received from folks who have attended earlier retreats is that they wished they were longer, so we’ve added an optional pre-retreat retreat, which is to say an extra day if you’d like to come in on Thursday instead of Friday.
Our leadership includes David LaMotte (of course!), Yara Allen, Billy Jonas, David Wilcox, Aditi Sethi & Jay Brown, Michele Brigante, Jason Nanz, Kiran Singh Sirah, and our fabulous photographer, Herb Way.
Our home for the weekend will again be the William Black Lodge in Montreat, NC. Not only do we have this beautiful lodge to call our own but we’ll also be attending a show in the newly renovated White Horse Black Mountain venue located in downtown Black Mountain with David and friends on Saturday evening.
At the lodge, we’ll engage in enriching workshops, concerts, activities, and song circles, as well as movement with morning yoga each day led by Michele Brigante, and a Saturday afternoon hike with Jason Nanz, Wilderness Director of the Montreat Conference Center.
All are welcome at this event, and our time together is not specific to one particular faith or belief system. It’s about connection, creativity and holding space for each other’s stories, in a particularly challenging time for our nation and world.
Registering for Roots & Branches ’25
Program costs are as follows (all meals are included in the program fee). Click below to register!
PLEASE NOTE: Lodging this year is booked separately, so keep scrolling below to find out more about available accommodations.
- Program Option 1 (weekend retreat) — $595. All meals included in the program fee.
- Program Option 2 (weekend retreat plus extra day) — $695. All meals included in the program fee.
Program Option 1 is for the weekend Roots & Branches Retreat. It kicks off Friday afternoon with our Welcome Meeting and Porch Circle followed by dinner at the Lodge.
Program Option 2 is in response to your request for an extra day! We wanted to offer the opportunity for folks who are able to arrive Thursday afternoon rather than Friday, for some extra time to decompress and enjoy some time in the mountains hanging out with David and others. There will be programming in this first 24 hours, but it will be held lightly, with an emphasis on relaxing together.
Roots and Branches Retreat 2025
$595.00 – $695.00
Lodging (Booked Separately)
William Black Lodge
David’s Roots & Branches ‘25 will take place at William Black Lodge, located in the history-rich community of Montreat, NC. You can choose to have a private room or a shared room at the lodge. You also have the option of commuting if you plan to stay off-site or if you are local to the area.
The rates with the lodge are hard to beat, so book early because we do have a limited capacity. Please note, the lodge does not have an elevator so if stairs are not your favorite be sure to book a room on the first floor.
If you are coming to the retreat with a friend or partner, please provide their name when you register. If you would prefer a shared room but are not planning to attend with someone you know, we will try to pair you with a compatible roomie and you can make a new friend.
The William Black Lodge Cottage
There is also small cabin just behind the lodge that can accommodate 3 to 4 people, if you and some friends want to come together. It has a small kitchenette and two bedrooms.
How to Book Your Room
Our registration process is a little different this year. You’ll be booking your lodging separately this time. Simply go to https://williamblacklodge.org/index.html and select “Reservations” to begin the reservation process.
Here’s a snapshot of what lodging will cost you below. A $50 deposit is required at the time of your reservation for each room booked or you can pay in full.
Retreat Program Option 1 — Friday through Sunday
- Private Room, Fri – Sun – $190 + tax
- Shared Room, Fri – Sun – $140 + tax
Retreat Program Option 2 — Thursday through Sunday
- Private Room, Thurs – Sun – $285 + tax
- Shared Room, Thurs – Sun – $210 + tax
FYI, your meals are built into your program fee when you register for Roots and Branches above. They are not part of your lodging costs so if you plan to stay elsewhere or you are local, you are covered! All meals will be provided at the lodge from Thursday (if coming early) or Friday dinner to Sunday brunch.
What if the lodge sells out?
If the lodge gets fully booked, there’s no shortage of great places to stay in the Montreat/Black Mountain area and we’ve provided some links below to other nearby lodging options.
Alternative Accommodations:
- South Carolina Inn – .8 mile walking distance
- Monte Vista Hotel – 2.6 miles away in Black Mountain
- Assembly Inn (groups preferred) – right next door!
- Georgia Lodge (must book entire lodge, 10 rooms with a capacity of up to 28 people) – .3 mile walking distance
- Accommodations via the Black Mountain & Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce
Why TWO DAVIDS?
We are excited to share that both David LaMotte AND David Wilcox are hosting retreats at William Black Lodge in Montreat and the weekends are back to back!
The two Davids are long-time friends, and they will each be participating in the other’s retreat. To find out more about the Wilcox Weekend, go here!
If you are interested in registering for BOTH retreats, we’ll give you $100 off! Simply email Bethanie (coordinator for both events) at bethanie502@gmail.com to get the discount code.* Note — the code has to be entered when you register for David LaMotte’s retreat, so don’t register until you’ve been in touch with Bethanie!
Partial Scholarships
The distribution of money in our society has little to do with our value to a community. If you feel led to be here, but the registration fee is beyond your ability to pay at present, please contact us to discuss your needs (before registering) and we will try to work with you to look for a way to make the retreat possible, either via payment plans, partial scholarship, or other creative solutions. And if you are able to pay more to enable us to share this experience with anyone regardless of ability to pay, we welcome and are grateful for your extra contribution. Decisions about scholarships will be made late in the summer.
Cancellation Policy
There is a $50 non-refundable administration fee incurred at the time of registration for Roots and Branches ‘24. If you cancel prior to Sept 27th, your registration fee minus this $50 fee will be refunded. Please note, the cancellation policy for the lodge will also be in place and is separate from ours for Roots & Branches ‘24.
Thanks for taking a look. We hope you will join us!
