The Discovery Channel Moonshiners Are Coming to Maggie Valley This July

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  July 15, 2026

The Discovery Channel's best-known moonshiners are trading the backwoods still for a festival stage in Maggie Valley this month. Jerry Benson, Mark Ramsey, and fan favorite Tickle will meet fans on Saturday, July 25, as part of Hillbilly Jam, the annual two-day music festival held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds on Soco Road in Haywood County.

The festival runs July 24-25, and Maggie Valley makes it an easy trip. The town sits about 35 miles west of Asheville, roughly a 40-minute drive out I-40 to US-19, which puts it within reach for anyone in the western counties who wants live music and a little reality-TV star power in the same weekend.

What is Hillbilly Jam and why do people drive in for it?

Hillbilly Jam is one of Maggie Valley's bigger summer events, and the pitch is right there: music, moonshiners, and motorcycles. It is the kind of event that pulls in both locals and the tourists already filling Soco Road cabins in July.

The main event runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days. Admission is $10 per day, and children 10 and younger get in free, which makes it an affordable outing for a family looking to fill a summer Saturday.

Beyond the stage, there are food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and both car and bike shows. Maggie Valley has long been motorcycle country, sitting on one of the more scenic runs in the region, so a bike show here feels less like a gimmick and more like a natural fit.

Who is actually performing at Hillbilly Jam?

The music leans rock and country across both days. Friday's lineup features Upstream Rebellion, Several Devils Band, and others, with Second Chance closing out the night.

Saturday keeps it going with the Tricia Ann Band, Misbehavin', Jeff Anderson, and more. There is also a performance by the J Creek Cloggers, which is a nice touch. Clogging is part of the mountain dance heritage in this corner of North Carolina, and seeing it on the same bill as a bike show says a lot about what makes Maggie Valley what it is.

If you want to get an early start, there is a free pre-party at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at Valley Tavern. It is a low-key way to kick things off before the grounds open Friday morning.

Why are the Moonshiners cast such a big draw?

For anyone who has followed the Discovery Channel show, the appeal is obvious. Tickle spent years on Moonshiners and became one of the most recognizable faces in the whole moonshine world, popular enough to land his own spin-off series.

He will be joined by Jerry Benson, Mark Ramsey, and other cast members, along with master distillers, on Saturday. The Moonshiners appearances are the Saturday headline, so if meeting the cast is your reason for going, plan your visit around that day.

There is also a real thread connecting the show to this region. Western North Carolina has a long and complicated history with moonshine, from Prohibition-era stills tucked into the hollows to the bootlegging runs that, as the story goes, helped give rise to stock car racing. A festival like this plays on that heritage in a way that feels at home in these mountains rather than manufactured.

As a bonus, cast members from the reality show Lizard Lick Towing will be at the festival both days, so the fun is not limited to Saturday.

Is Maggie Valley worth a full weekend?

Maggie Valley is easy to underestimate until you spend a weekend there. The town runs along a narrow valley floor with mountains rising on both sides, and Soco Road is the spine of it all, lined with cabins, diners, and small motels that have been welcoming visitors for decades.

It is also a genuine gateway to the outdoors. You are minutes from the Cataloochee area and the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and a short drive from Waynesville and Sylva if you want a different flavor of downtown. A festival weekend is a good excuse to see whether the valley suits you for more than a weekend.

That mix of small-town character, mountain scenery, and a real sense of community is what draws people to Haywood County in the first place, whether they come for a festival or end up staying for good. If a weekend in Maggie Valley has you wondering what it would be like to call these mountains home, Jon Tharp is always glad to talk it through.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is Hillbilly Jam in Maggie Valley?

Hillbilly Jam runs Friday and Saturday, July 24-25, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds on Soco Road in Haywood County. The main event goes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days. There is also a free pre-party starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at Valley Tavern in Maggie Valley. Admission to the festival is $10 per day, and children 10 and younger get in free. Maggie Valley sits just off US-19 about 35 minutes west of Asheville, making it an easy drive for a day trip or a full mountain weekend.

Which Moonshiners cast members will be at Hillbilly Jam?

Moonshiners from the Discovery Channel show will appear on Saturday, July 25, alongside master distillers. The lineup includes Jerry Benson, Mark Ramsey, and Tickle, among others. Tickle spent many years on the show and became a fan favorite among moonshine enthusiasts, eventually earning his own spin-off series called Tickle. Cast members from the reality show Lizard Lick Towing will also be on hand both days of the festival. If meeting the cast is your main reason for going, plan for Saturday, since that is when the Moonshiners crew is scheduled to appear.

What music and entertainment does Hillbilly Jam feature?

The festival leans on rock and country, with a full slate across both days. Friday features Upstream Rebellion, Several Devils Band, and others, with Second Chance closing the night. Saturday brings the Tricia Ann Band, Misbehavin', Jeff Anderson, and more, plus a performance by the J Creek Cloggers, a nod to the region's mountain dance tradition. Beyond music, expect food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and both car and bike shows. It is a full-day event, so bring a chair, comfortable shoes, and a plan to graze the vendors between sets.

How far is Maggie Valley from Asheville?

Maggie Valley is roughly 35 miles west of Asheville, about a 35 to 45 minute drive depending on traffic and your exact starting point. The easiest route is I-40 west to US-19, which carries you straight through Haywood County and into the valley on Soco Road. The town sits at the foot of the Cataloochee area and near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so it is a common base for visitors exploring the western mountains. That location makes it convenient for festivalgoers coming from Asheville, Waynesville, Sylva, or points beyond.