Programs

2025 Programs At A Glance

Would you like to lead a retreat or a workshop at the Valle Crucis Conference Center? Send a note to Margaret Love at director@vcconferences.org. We'll be looking for your thoughts on group size, number of days (one-day retreat, multi-day, etc.), number of meals, etc. plus a short description of your program idea.

Lenten Retreat with Katerina Whitley
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Johnson Hall 1 / program rate $60

Women Writers Summer Retreat with Katerina Whitley
Thursday-Saturday, June 12-14, 2025
Full program $271; commuter rate $131

1-Day Women Writers Summer Retreat with Katerina Whitley
Thursday June 19, 2025
Johnson Hall First Floor
Program rate $60

Women Writers Fall Retreat with Katerina Whitley
Thursday-Saturday, September 11-13, 2025
Full program $271; commuter rate $131

1-Day Women Writers Fall Retreat with Katerina Whitley
Thursday September 18, 2025
Johnson Hall First Floor
Program rate $60

A Holy Hikes Experience
Sunday-Wednesday, October 26-29, 2025
Accommodations in the Inn
Single rooms $465 per person; double rooms $390 per person

Living Into Lent with Katerina Whitley
Saturday, April 12, 2025
10:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Johnson Hall first floor
$60 program

For Christians, Lent is the most sacred time of the church year. It leads us into Holy Week, for which Lent should be a time of preparation. Join Katerina for a few hours of understanding the import and gravity of Lent, and prepare your heart for Holy Week, in this special retreat. Katerina is a master of the nuance and beauty of what is often considered a barren season.

Register for the Lenten Retreat here.

Women Writers June Workshop
Thursday-Saturday, June 12-14, 2025
Full program $271; commuter rate $132

Join master author Katerina Whitley as we explore ways to express ourselves in writing. This is a full two-day retreat, with options for commuter and one-day pricing. The program will be held in Crab Orchard Hall, with lodging in the Mission House.

Writing is often a lonely pursuit. You may find that it's much easier to write in the company of like-minded people and with the guidance of a professional who loves to encourage others in the craft of writing. Join this group of women writers to capture memories, define thoughts, express emotions, and bring order out of chaos. New writers are most welcome, for one or more workshops.

A native of Thessaloniki, Greece, Katerina Whitley has worked as a church journalist on the diocesan and national levels, taught at universities, and is the author of eight books and hundreds of articles, including a stunning new memoir, Myth and Memory: My Childhood in WWII Greece.

Register securely for the June Women Writers Workshop here.

A Holy Hikes Experience
Sunday-Wednesday, October 26-29, 2025
Accommodations in the Inn
Single rooms $465 per person; double rooms $390 per person

Come grow in faith during the most beautiful time of year in the High Country! Daily hikes of varying abilities will be offered by Holy Hikes of WNC as well as morning and evening talks this year's speaker, the Rev. Dr. Timothy Ross. Tim Ross--a pastor, professor, missionary, spouse, dad, citizen of the Western Cherokee Nation who lives in Johnson City--will share on the intersection of Christian spirituality and Native wisdom and spirituality.

Accommodations are in the Inn, with limited single rooms available. Hiking excursions are tailored to different experience and skill levels, and all are welcome.

Register here for the Holy Hikes Experience.