The PineCone Youth Council is a group of friends age 8-18 that gets together to play tunes. The group's aim is to build and foster a vibrant, connected, and ever-growing community of youth musicians who play traditional roots music.

The Youth Council hosts jam sessions, tune swaps, volunteers at PineCone camps and forms bands for gigs.

The band The Carolina Pinecones was launched in 2016 by members of the Youth Council they went on to perform at IBMA's World of Bluegrass and record and release a CD.

Over the pandemic the group set up regular song shares over Zoom and later outdoor sessions.

In 2021 the Youth Council formed a band called The Loblollies. The band, mentored by Jef Walter, played around town, at local festivals, and ultimately landed a spot on the Little Pickers Stage at Merlefest 2022.

The Loblollies, with their mentor Jef Walter, performed on the Little Pickers' Stage at Merlefest 2022.
Members of the Loblollies and Bluegrass Camp alum gather for a jam in the lobby before a 2022 Down Home Concert.
Members of the Loblollies and Bluegrass Camp alum gather for a jam in the lobby before a 2022 Down Home Concert.