Calendar of Events

Please join the Chamber to celebrate the Grand Opening of Sensorium Neuro Wellness.

Do you want to improve focus, concentration, emotional wellbeing, healthy relationships, and academic or work performance? Sensorium Neuro Wellness’s mission is to help their clients achieve better brain and body performance with sustained results through comprehensive cutting-edge assessments and personalized Neuro Fitness exercises. They offer Brain Health, Brain Training, Neurofeedback, Functional Neuro Assessments and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

There will be food, drinks, tours and raffle prizes with drawings every half hour! The grand prize will be a 10 session MHBOT (mild hyberboric oxygen therapy) series.

Womansong, Asheville’s longest-running women’s community chorus, invites you to join us in our spring concert, “Love Your Mother (Earth)” a tribute to the beauty of our world. Under the direction of Artistic Director Dr. Allison Thorp, along with Assistant Director Claire Lemke and former Director Althea Gonzalez, this concert will focus on songs celebrating, caring for, and advocating for Mother Earth. The first half of our program will highlight music that expresses love for the earth – appreciation, reflection, connection and joy. The second half will feature music that expresses love for the earth in action – doing, moving, and making change. Among the many inspiring songs are Carrie Newcomer’s If Not Now, Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, Elise Witt’s My Salsa Garden, and the world premiere of Lytingale’s call-to-action composition, Together We Can Change the World.

Please join the Chamber to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of UpTalent Consulting!

Based in the greater Asheville area, UpTalent Consulting provides talent solutions for startups and rapidly growing companies.

Join the Chamber to celebrate UpTalent Consulting’s first year anniversary with cake, refreshments, and door prizes. Best of all, attendees are entered for a chance to win a complementary LinkedIn page review, valued at $1,200. Festivities include a stand-up comedy performance by the founder, Louise Bijesse! We look forward to gathering with the Chamber community and commencing UpTalent Consulting’s first year in business!

Cats at Play is Asheville’s very first cat café, which includes a one-of-a-kind rescue lounge as a feline foster home where visitors can enjoy meeting adorable {and adoptable} cats from Brother Wolf Animal Rescue and Heart of the Foothills Animal Rescue.

Whilst petting the cutest cats, visitors can also sip local drinks and try delicious snacks, including pastries, cookies and gelato. Cats at Play also includes a boutique with cat-themed apparel, gifts décor and art from local artisans.

Lisa Fox, Co-Owner of Cats at Play, states that “we chose this business model so that we can positively impact the homeless cat population in our community and beyond as well as give back to the animal rescue organizations who work so hard for animals in need. Admission fees to visit our rescue lounge will help us care for our foster kitties and 100% of adoption fees will go directly to our rescue partners.”

Please join the Chamber to celebrate the Grand Opening of NuBlue Service Group!

NuBlue Service Group is a company that provides plumbing, electrical, and HVAC services. They are new to Western North Carolina, but not to North Carolina with locations all over the state. They are currently providing plumbing in the region with other trades comig soon. They stand behind their work and guarantee satisfaction – because they truly believe that their team is the best and brightest in the industry.

Please join us for tours, food and beverages as we welcome NuBlue Service Group to WNC!

Join us for this 5K Run for Life event hosted by Open Arms Pregnancy Center to help support women and teens facing unplanned pregnancies. This will be a run/walk-timed event to be held at The Park at Flat Rock located at 55 Highland Golf Drive, Flat Rock, NC US 28731 June 3,2023 with a start time of 8:30 AM.
Runners should register by May 14 to secure a T-shirt for the race.
Sign up at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/FlatRock/Run4for5k
Those interested in sponsoring the event should contact Open Arms Pregnancy Center by May 15th to learn more. (Marlies Zerressen at [email protected] or Lydia Bright at 864-921-5770)
Open Arms’ ministry is love, our aim: to support and guide, our purpose: to serve God and preserve life. We provide a safe and supportive place for pregnancy related needs with ultrasounds, material and emotional support for those facing difficult circumstances or perhaps the loss of a child.
All are services are Free and Confidential.

Just Brew It is a homebrew competition and tasting in Asheville benefiting the work of Just Economics. The festival features 75+ different beers and 30+ amazing homebrewers. The competing homebrewers are some of the finest specialty homebrewers in the region with classic brews from traditional IPAs, lagers, sours, and stouts to unique beers brewed with specialty items like coffee, chocolate, spices, and fruit.

To attend, you must be a current member of Just Economics. This event is not ticketed, so you must purchase a membership prior to the event. Then, all Just Economics members can sample the homebrews and vote for their favorites!

Purchase your membership here: https://www.justeconomicswnc.org/donate/

Memberships are $30, which grants you entry to the event.
Memberships with a VIP package are $50, which grant you entry to the event an hour early (1:00pm) plus a souvenir glass, gourmet pretzel, and more.

This is a local festival you won’t want to miss and your membership supports the work of Just Economics to advance living wages, affordable housing and better transit! Hope to see you there!

Looking for a buzz-worthy event? Look no further than Asheville’s 2nd Annual Honey Festival! Join the Center for Honeybee Research and Shanti Elixirs on Sunday, June 4th, from 12-6pm for a day of celebration, education, and community-building.
At the festival, you’ll enjoy live music, food trucks, and vendors showcasing the unique flavors of honey and other artisanal goods. But that’s not all: you’ll also be supporting a great cause, as proceeds from the festival will go towards saving pollinators and our planet.
The Center for Honeybee Research will be offering local and international honey for guests to sample and purchase, and you can even participate in the People’s Choice award for local honey vendors. Plus, we will be featuring the live finals of the 12th Annual International Black Jar Honey competition. Festival goers can watch as local celebrities determine the world’s best tasting honey.
And don’t forget to come dressed in your best pollinator-themed costume! It’s all part of the fun at Asheville’s 2nd Annual Honey Festival.
Personal water bottles are recommended, and families are encouraged to attend. So mark your calendars for June 4th, and come out to celebrate the wonderful world of beekeeping, honey, and all things pollinators. Together, we can help save the bees!

No cost legal education for members of business community: employment mistakes to avoid, business succession, dos and don’ts for developing and maintaining a business. Lunch included. Call 828-227-7401 with questions.

Please join the Chamber to Celebrate the Grand Opening of CarolinasDentist!

At CarolinasDentist, they know how important it is to find a primary dental care provider that can meet the unique wants and needs of your family. They are committed to providing families in and around Asheville with the high-quality dental care that they deserve. When you visit their office, you can expect custom care that centers around your unique smile! To learn more about CarolinasDenist’s new Asheville location, please contact them, and they will be glad to assist.

CarolinasDentist invites you to their grand-opening for their brand new dental practice in Arden/South Asheville. They will have light hors-d’oeuvres and special giveaways for attendees, including some local gift cards from some of their favorite businesses. Their partner doctor, Dr. Laura Johnson, will say a few words thanking everyone for coming and will give a tour of their high-tech facility, highlighting our state-of-the-art dental technology and their beautiful office.  

Join us in presenting a comprehensive voice of WNC business during our Raleigh Legislative Visit from Tuesday, June 6 to Wednesday, June 7!
Registration for this event and the room block closes May 7, 2023.
As a delegate on the trip, connect with business leaders from across our region and reinforce WNC business priorities to the North Carolina General Assembly. Together, we can have more impact on our region’s priorities.

About 50 representatives from eight regional chambers will participate in the two-day trip to discuss issues with legislators and state agencies vital to our regional business environment.

Events will include an evening reception at Whiskey Kitchen, presentations on important policy issues, and visits with members of the North Carolina General Assembly. Visits will be focused on local priorities, economic development funding for WNC and key workforce issues including childcare and medicaid expansion.
 
Participants must make their own hotel reservations, with a discounted rate available at The Sheraton. Registration for this event and the room block closes May 7, 2023.

Join us in presenting a comprehensive voice of WNC business during our Raleigh Legislative Visit from Tuesday, June 6 to Wednesday, June 7!
Registration for this event and the room block closes May 7, 2023.
As a delegate on the trip, connect with business leaders from across our region and reinforce WNC business priorities to the North Carolina General Assembly. Together, we can have more impact on our region’s priorities.

About 50 representatives from eight regional chambers will participate in the two-day trip to discuss issues with legislators and state agencies vital to our regional business environment.

Events will include an evening reception at Whiskey Kitchen, presentations on important policy issues, and visits with members of the North Carolina General Assembly. Visits will be focused on local priorities, economic development funding for WNC and key workforce issues including childcare and medicaid expansion.
 
Participants must make their own hotel reservations, with a discounted rate available at The Sheraton. Registration for this event and the room block closes May 7, 2023.

Come out for a round of golf with the Chamber!

Each year, our annual Golf Classic raises funds for our Chamber of Commerce Foundation and its workforce development efforts. Programs under the Foundation include, Teacher of the Year Reception, Junior Leaders Program, Apprenticeships programs and more!

Please reach out to Amy at [email protected] to register for a team, to sponsor a hole, or both! All registration forms are below.

Team Registration Form
Hole Sponsorship Form
Individual Player Form

All registrations are due no later than May 31st!

Please Join the Chamber to Celebrate the Ribbon Cutting for True Divine Accessories!

True Divine Accessories is an inexpensive way to accessorize your lifestyle and will make you look like you just walked off the Runway.

Everything is $5, so why not try it. Your wrist, neck, fingers, ears and wallet will be happy! There will be a drawing for a free gift, you don’t want to miss it!

Traditional networking can be awkward! But we focus on fun, inclusive activities that make connecting with other women entrepreneurs easier.
When women entrepreneurs come together, more knowledge is shared, doors opened and power multiplied. So come connect with other like-minded, forward thinking, go-getting women at Expand Your Circle.
Tickets ($15) and more information at https://www.plrconnectevents.com/speed-connecting-event-series

 Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce that, as a part of their Thursday night non-profit event, @thewhaleavl has chosen 12 Baskets Café and Garden will be the proud beneficiary next Thursday June 15th!

Join us at The Whale for an incredible evening of fun and philanthropy. We will have a table set up from 5 pm to about 10 pm and from 6-8 pm, you can groove to the beats of a fantastic DJ. And here’s the best part: a generous portion of the beer sales will be donated to support 12 Baskets Café and Garden! 

Gather your friends, spread the word, and let’s make this evening one to remember! Join us on June 15th at The Whale as we come together to support 12 Baskets Café and Garden.

At Asheville Ideas Fest, our goal is to engage in meaningful conversations on topics that truly matter while showcasing the beauty of Asheville and the talented artists, entertainers, and chefs that make this city unique.  This intellectual vacation offers attendees the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and expert panelists while enjoying excellent food and entertainment.  It’s an investment in yourself that allows for reflection and renewal. Our artist in residence this year is William Paul Thomas.  William is a talented Durham-based artist and he’ll be presenting his work in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery in our newly renovated Owen Hall on the UNC Asheville campus.  If you’d like a preview of William’s work you can check out his website: www.williampaulthomas.com We have put together an exceptional program this year. We are honored to welcome Sanjay Gupta, Juju Chang, Tom Friedman, and Kwame Alexander.  Graham Sharp of the Steep Canyon Rangers will be returning for an evening concert.  Wiley Cash has curated a fantastic lineup of bestselling authors.  Broadway actor Bryan Terrell Clark, who played George Washington in Hamilton and Marvin Gaye in Motown, will perform an exclusive sunset concert with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra at the Grove Park Inn.  You can find the full program at www.exploreasheville.com/asheville-ideas-fest/2023-schedule-of-events/. We are excited to launch a national marketing campaign next week.  You may see Asheville Ideas Fest in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Atlantic Monthly. If you’re a PBS viewer, keep an eye out for our 15-second underwriting promos during your favorite primetime shows. Early registration is available to our friends through this Saturday, April 15 and you can save $150 on a pass.

Taxes can be stressful for small business owners – you wear many hats and the last thing you want to do is give more of your hard-earned business income to the government. This webinar will offer you several ways to reduce your taxable income and shrink your tax liability this year. We’ll start with the top three ways to keep on the good side of the IRS, discuss retirement accounts, business structure and more. Bring your questions and our experienced tax preparers will give you ways to keep more of your money working for you.

If we see you have registered here (on SCORE) but not on Zoom, we will enter your information with Zoom so that you receive the needed link to join the class.

Instructor: Keith Bristol, Accountant, Carol L. King & Associates, P.A.

Originally from Morganton, North Carolina, Keith was a small business owner and a software engineer before deciding accounting was his calling. He simply loves numbers! Keith received a BS degree in Business & Economics from University of Kentucky, and later an MS in Computer Science from the University of Nebraska. He owned a Domino’s Pizza franchise in Hartford, Connecticut from 1987 to 1996, and worked as a software engineer for IBM before returning to North Carolina to pursue accounting. Keith is the proud uncle of 7 nieces and nephews, has a pet Australian Shepherd named Lucy, and enjoys playing tennis and pickle ball as well as reading and exploring the great outdoors.