Please note: Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

Pisgah Legal Services Launches Campaign to Help Those Recently Unemployed Due to COVID-19 Find Health Insurance through Special Enrollment Process

Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), a nonprofit that provides free, civil legal aid in Western North Carolina, recently launched a targeted campaign to reach people recently unemployed due to COVID-19 who may have also lost their health insurance. Anyone who has experienced a qualifying life event in the past 60 days, including job loss, may qualify for Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance. Pisgah Legal Services offers free assistance and free information to help understand options for affordable health insurance. To find out more or to make an appointment, visit pisgahlegal.org/aca  or call 828-210-3404.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has left many people without jobs and with that, health insurance,” said Jim Barrett, Executive Director for Pisgah Legal Services. “Many of these people may qualify to file for health insurance through Special Enrollment and it’s our goal to help them understand their options.”

As recently as early May, NC had surpassed the one million mark for individual unemployment insurance benefit claims, as noted on the N.C. Division of Employment website. Almost one-quarter, or 20.3 percent of the 4.97 million North Carolinians listed in the state’s workforce as of mid-March have filed an unemployment insurance claim. “The need is great and will likely grow,” notes Barrett. “Pisgah Legal wants to make sure that no one misses health care coverage as a result of recent job loss.”

When qualifying for a special enrollment period, people do not have to wait until November for Open Enrollment; they can take advantage of options now. One Asheville resident, Christina, lost her job in March and with it, her insurance. She suffers from heart disease and without insurance, was unsure how she would afford her medicines. By working with Pisgah Legal Services, she was able to get a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan for less than $17/month.  “Pisgah Legal took care of everything for me,” said Christina. She hopes others take advantage of this valuable, free service.

Pisgah Legal Services works with organizations in WNC to provide these services across the region. These organizations include: Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Legal Aid or North Carolina, Mountain Projects, Inc., and, Western Carolina Medical Society.

Chris Cavanaugh of Magellan Strategy Group will share the latest data and his insights on the recovery of the tourism and hospitality sectors, and his thoughts on what business will look like as the economy comes back.

This session will be a webinar format conducted through Zoom. Registration is required in order to obtain the link for joining the webinar.

About the Speaker:

Since founding Magellan Strategy Group in Asheville 16 years ago, Chris Cavanaugh has provided strategic planning and marketing consulting services to a diverse range of clients across the U.S. and even Europe.  Prior to founding Magellan, Cavanaugh was vice president of marketing for The Biltmore Company and helped guide the company’s marketing planning, strategy, and execution for almost ten years. Cavanaugh holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Emory University. A 25-year resident of Asheville, he had a career in consumer packaged goods marketing in the apparel and food products categories prior to joining Biltmore.

Learn how to reverse the very real and devastating impact of stress through the SIMPLE practice of instinctive meditation that will profoundly shift your life.

Instinctive meditation means it’s natural and our bodies are wired to do it easily and efficiently. All we need to do is to set up the right conditions and our bodies will eagerly cooperate. Learn the skill set needed to meditate on your own even if you have a racing mind and little spare time.

Dropping into deep relaxation on a regular basis helps you to be calm in the face of overwhelm and urgency, can improve your health, and help you be more responsive and less reactive to challenges.

This will be a live webinar on Zoom. You can attend from anywhere that is comfortable to you. Once you register, you will get instructions on how to log in to the event. You will have the option of having your video on or off. You can also call in using a phone number. Link to zoom class:
https://mailchi.mp/9e1057b0227e/meditation-asheville-salt-cave

We’ll start with the basic principles of this approach. Then you will learn and practice some basic skills. This will be followed by a longer guided meditation where you can incorporate the basic skills. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the class.

A weekly Zoom drop-in class in instinctive meditation will run on Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00 am EST starting April 29 and running for 12 weeks.
Drop in as you can. Each class will cover a different technique.

FREE LUNCHES for anyone 18 years of age and under at the Ferguson Family YMCA. Simply drive up to our front door and let us know how many lunches you need, no questions asked.

For additional food for your family, pick up a FREE box of fresh produce at our Mobile Markets. Calendars are online at ymcawnc.org/nutritionprograms.

We are going online! Mark your calendars for every second Wednesday at 6:30PM.

The Healing Oasis Practitioner’s have special healing practices and long distance healing for you every month! We hope you can join us on Zoom (just like Skype).

Feel free to message us with any questions about this next event.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2865393340212695/?event_time_id=2865393350212694

Please note: Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

Pisgah Legal Services Launches Campaign to Help Those Recently Unemployed Due to COVID-19 Find Health Insurance through Special Enrollment Process

Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), a nonprofit that provides free, civil legal aid in Western North Carolina, recently launched a targeted campaign to reach people recently unemployed due to COVID-19 who may have also lost their health insurance. Anyone who has experienced a qualifying life event in the past 60 days, including job loss, may qualify for Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance. Pisgah Legal Services offers free assistance and free information to help understand options for affordable health insurance. To find out more or to make an appointment, visit pisgahlegal.org/aca  or call 828-210-3404.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has left many people without jobs and with that, health insurance,” said Jim Barrett, Executive Director for Pisgah Legal Services. “Many of these people may qualify to file for health insurance through Special Enrollment and it’s our goal to help them understand their options.”

As recently as early May, NC had surpassed the one million mark for individual unemployment insurance benefit claims, as noted on the N.C. Division of Employment website. Almost one-quarter, or 20.3 percent of the 4.97 million North Carolinians listed in the state’s workforce as of mid-March have filed an unemployment insurance claim. “The need is great and will likely grow,” notes Barrett. “Pisgah Legal wants to make sure that no one misses health care coverage as a result of recent job loss.”

When qualifying for a special enrollment period, people do not have to wait until November for Open Enrollment; they can take advantage of options now. One Asheville resident, Christina, lost her job in March and with it, her insurance. She suffers from heart disease and without insurance, was unsure how she would afford her medicines. By working with Pisgah Legal Services, she was able to get a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan for less than $17/month.  “Pisgah Legal took care of everything for me,” said Christina. She hopes others take advantage of this valuable, free service.

Pisgah Legal Services works with organizations in WNC to provide these services across the region. These organizations include: Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Legal Aid or North Carolina, Mountain Projects, Inc., and, Western Carolina Medical Society.

Guests can once again peruse and purchase handmade wares from the local artist community. Guests who visit
the Spruce Pine location will also be able to preview artwork that will be featured in an upcoming
online auction to help raise funds lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep all visitors and staff
safe, visitors will be required to wear a face covering and sanitize their hands upon entering.
Toe River Arts has made great strides within the last few years to reassess programming and artistic
endeavors to ensure the organization is truly fulfilling its mission. The organization has wonderful
partners in both the town of Burnsville and Yancey County. Since 2006, Toe River Arts has occupied
office space and featured the work of local artists at 102 West Main Street in Burnsville. In July Toe
River Arts will turn the upper floor into artist studio spaces. Artists who are members of Toe River Arts
with studio space in the Burnsville location will have access to the gallery space, as well as unlimited
access to their studio space. Toe River Arts will feature artist demonstrations and continue to sell
artist’s work in the gift shop.
Anyone interested in renting a studio space should contact Nealy Andrews at [email protected]

FREE LUNCHES for anyone 18 years of age and under at the Ferguson Family YMCA. Simply drive up to our front door and let us know how many lunches you need, no questions asked.

For additional food for your family, pick up a FREE box of fresh produce at our Mobile Markets. Calendars are online at ymcawnc.org/nutritionprograms.

Opening day for ECTM at our new location at AB Tech Enka. We will be in the parking lot of the Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Road (across from Ingles, at the traffic light). Please share and invite your friends and family! We know this second season of ECTM is going to be amazing. Thank you for supporting local!

Vendors for 5/7:
Rainbow Ridge Gardens
Myseanica Farm
Bonny Bath natural body products
Whisk bakery
Saturnia Farm and Nursery
Jake’s Farm
Asheville Microgreens
Throwing Copper
Cornerstone Tea
Sustainabillies Nursery and Farm
Sister of Mother Earth herbal products
HeadShrink Farm heritage beef
The Real Molloy Food Truck
Sugar Whirled cotton candy – AB Tech Small Business featured booth.
*Many more vendors as the season goes on! Check out our website for a full list of vendors for the season. https://www.ashevillefarmstead.org/enka-candler-tailgate-market

COVID-19 Precautions:
To start, we will be holding fast to safety precautions listed below. As the CDC and NC governmental regulations soften, we will follow suit. Please know that we are making every effort to keep both our vendors and our community safe and well.

*No-contact payment: Tap’n’Pay , Venmo, Paypal payments only. No cash payments or card swipes will be accepted.
*Handwashing station upon entering Market
*Limited shopper numbers (car queue will be used, if necessary)
*1 customer at vendor table at a time
*Only touch what you are purchasing
*6ft Social Distancing required
*Masks highly encouraged. All vendors and Market staff will wear masks.
*No Music or Kids tent (yet)
*No craft/artisan vendors until non-essential businesses are allowed to open. We are hopeful this will be by June, or earlier.

How does your story impact your health? Anthony Layman will introduce us to the field of Narrative Healthcare — how it began, what it is, and the ways in which it can empower greater well-being. He will share recent evidence for the therapeutic benefits of this modality and how creative outlets serve both practitioners and patients. Ultimately, Narrative Healthcare is a powerful bridge between the arts and medicine. Join us for this class: free, virtual, and open to the community at large!

Anthony Layman is a graduate student in Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Masters in Fine Arts program in Writing with a Narrative Health certificate. It is only the second nationally accredited program of its kind, along with the Medical School at Columbia University. Anthony received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Frostburg State University. His writing has been featured in Journey Christian Magazine and The Salisbury Post. Most Saturdays he can be found at a local book store working on his nonfiction book. He has been a proud resident of western North Carolina for eight years.

If you are interested in attending the class, please register prior to June 11 at 12:00pm by clicking on this link: https://integrativefamily-med-asheville.as.me/?appointmentType=14488906. The class is free and open to the community at large. Zoom Meeting details will be included in the confirmation email received after registering. This class will be recorded, edited to protect participant privacy, and the final version will be made available here.

Relax and unwind at the Arboretum’s “ArborEvenings” after hours series. Held every Thursday, June – October, from 6 to 9 p.m., visitors will sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s beautiful gardens while enjoying live music amongst flowers and friends. Local beverages, including beer and wine, are available for purchase along with light food options.

Admission to ArborEvenings is free; however, standard parking fees apply to non-members.

Each year hundreds of beekeepers from all over the world enter their honey with hopes of winning the title of the world’s best tasting honey. Although the official contest is held in June, contestants are asked to enter their honey by December 31st in order for judging to begin. Because we receive so many entries, different preliminary judging dates are held, with each winner moving up until 30 finalists are chosen to compete at The Black Jar.

In other honey contests, “perfection” is key to judging. Honey is judged on moisture content, clarity, foam and particles, with points being deducted for each defect found. The Black Jar is set up to rely solely on the taste of each entry. The honey that makes it to the finals is covered in black fabric so the judges cannot see the visual characteristics or what’s in the honey. We choose this form of judging because we respect the unique flavors that bees bring back to the hive as they visit different flowers, and understand the varieties and flavors that will be found all over the world.

Not only is the Renaissance Hotel home to two of our hives, they also graciously host The Black Jar International Honey Tasting Contest. Located in downtown Asheville NC, The Black Jar is a ticketed cocktail event with live music, public honey tastings and a silent auction to raise money for the continuation of our research, Project Genesis.

Mitch Fortune brings you an irreverent and nostalgia filled night of pop culture trivia every Thursday night 7-9 pm at the One Stop in Downtown Asheville. A potpourri of movies, music, TV show trivia just for you!

A concert to benefit musicians and music programs.

What a unique lineup we have for this live streaming concert! Grammy-award winner Mark O’Connor headlines, with a duo performance with Maggie O’Connor. Mark is known for many things, including Appalachian Journey, bridging the gap between classical and folk music.

FULL LINEUP:
Mark O’Connor and Maggie O’Connor duo
David Wilcox Music
Al Petteway & Amy White
Jamie Laval
Underhill Rose
Justin Ray
Matt Williams
Kevin Spears – Kalimbaman
Andrew Scotchie
Adama Dembele
Ashley Heath
The Moon and You
Jeremias Djer Zunguze
Floyd Philharmonic
Mar PA
comic Hilliary S Begley,
hosted by Lockie Hunter