Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Sunday, February 20, 2022
Wild Walk: A Behind the Scenes Tour
Feb 20 @ 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
WNC Nature Center

Cougar

See the WNC Nature Center like never before, behind the scenes!

Wild Walk: A Behind the Scenes Tour
Feb 20 @ 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
WNC Nature Center

Cougar

See the WNC Nature Center like never before, behind the scenes!  The tour includes learning about how we feed and care for the animals (including the predators, such as the mountain lion), an animal enrichment session, and exclusive interactions with the keepers that care for our animals.  Tickets include admission for the day and takes place mainly outdoors.

The tour is for ages 14 and up.  Masks will be required the duration of the tour.

*Cancellation policy: Cancellations must be made 1 week prior to the event for a full refund.  If the event is cancelled due to weather or COVID related concerns, full refunds will be issued

Monday, February 21, 2022
— NURTURING CHILDREN — BLACK HISTORY MONTH READING LIST
Feb 21 all-day
online

It is our hope that the many accomplishments that Black people have made, and continue to make in this country, are celebrated every day of the year as Black history IS American History. Beyond that, we challenge everyone to consider, not just the momentous, exceptional, or singular figures but to truly celebrate Blackness. Visit our blog post designed with our partners at Read2Suceed that includes a children’s reading list of both historic characters and Black characters to add to your child’s library.

Asheville City’s Homeless Initiative: Point-In-Time Count Dashboard Launch
Feb 21 all-day
online
homelessness
Point-In-Time Count

Point in Time (PIT) Count Dashboard and Web Page Available on the City of Asheville Website

 

2021 Point in Time (PIT) count data is now available on the City of Asheville website.  The PIT data is displayed via dashboard, and presents numbers on those experiencing homelessness, either in emergency shelter, transitional housing or who are unsheltered. The 2022 Point in Time Count happened on January 25, and this dashboard will be updated with the new data later in the spring.

 

Each year, the City of Asheville, in collaboration with a number of local organizations that focus on housing insecurity, collects data on the people in our community that are experiencing homelessness in the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The data collected are aggregated, with identifying information removed, and then are reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires that all communities that receive HUD funding to address homelessness conduct an annual PIT Count. This count is a one night “snapshot” that, when taken each year, can provide an overview of the population and trends over time.

 

“Understanding who is homeless in our community and what their needs are is essential in the work of ending homelessness.  We’re excited to partner with the Office of Data and Performance to share this information with the community so that stakeholders can be empowered with the data we all need to develop strategies that move the needle on homelessness,” stated Emily Ball, Homeless Services System Performance Lead for the City of Asheville.

 

The dashboard displays information on homeless Asheville residents broken down by sheltered status and race. Visitors to the webpage can explore the data further by clicking the link at the bottom of the dashboard, which navigates to a spreadsheet where the data is broken down by gender, ethnicity, and veteran’s status, as well as the number of people who are chronically homeless in our community. The dashboard is a collaborative effort between the City’s Homeless Initiative in the Community and Economic Development department and the Office of Data & Performance in IT Services.

The PIT Dashboard and information regarding its findings are located on the City of Asheville’s website.  For more information on the City’s Homeless Initiative, contact Brian Huskey ([email protected]) or Emily Ball ([email protected]). For information on affordable housing, emergency housing, rental assistance or down payment assistance, or to learn how to assist our homeless community, please call 211. The service is free, confidential and available in any language.

Black HERSTORY Month
Feb 21 all-day
online

#BlackHerstoryMonth is this month! 🎉 The perspectives of #BlackFeminists have consistently transformed the fights for gender equity and racial justice to ensure we can continue to build a world of equity, justice, and freedom for all. That’s why, all month, we’re celebrating Black feminism and centering the work of powerful Black sheroes past and present doing the critical intersectional work to #EliminateRacism and #EmpowerWomen. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram all month long as we center the unsung legacy of Black feminism: from Jane Crow to Intersectionality.

GIVE + GROW LEAF Membership
Feb 21 all-day
online
History @ Home – Visit Virtually Western North Carolina Historical Association
Feb 21 all-day
online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
Deep Dive into Archives is a living exhibit shining a light on the individuals who were once enslaved at the Smith-McDowell House through primary documentation.

 

 

 

Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at Ellington’s iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
HillBilly Land explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day.
In 1918 vs 2020, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Student Poetry Contest – “Ambition”
Feb 21 all-day
online

January through April

Actors performing Sandburg's works on stageActors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”

NPS Photo

Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!

Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.

Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.


2022 Contest Rules

Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.

Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.

Submission Rules

  • Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
  • Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
  • No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
  • Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
  • Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
  • Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
  • Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
  • Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
    • Paperclipped to poem, no staples
    • Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
    • Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.

Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).

Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.

Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.

Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]

The 13th Annual Student Food Drive
Feb 21 all-day
online

#MANNAStudentChallenge2022

The past few years, we have been unable to host our annual student food drive due to the pandemic. This year, however, the student food drive and the competition between schools to see who can collect the most food returns!
Throughout the entire month of March, schools will be hosting food drives and competing between each other to see who can donate the most pounds of food to MANNA or their local partner agency. Students can also earn points that will be added to their total score by making financial donations, volunteering at their local partner agency, participating in hunger and nutrition education opportunities and joining us in our #MANNAStudentChallenge2022 TikTok campaign.
To earn points for their school through the #MANNAStudentChallenge2022, students can create TikTok videos that either feature them eating a fruit or vegetable they have never tried before or highlight a recipe that they believe is unique to their family.
At the end of the campaign, we will announce winners for each of our categories: high school, middle school, elementary school, college or university, most improved, rookie of the year and most creative.
If you are interested in having your school participate in MANNA’s Annual Student Food Drive, contact Jake Deuterman.
Improv I: The Basics of Inspired Improvisation
Feb 21 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Tom Chalmers
Ages 18+
Feb 7-Mar 14, 2022 | Mondays at 6:30-8:30 PM

This class will be offered in person on the ACT Mainstage, following all the recommended protocols for safety and sanitation. Limited to 8 students. In person classes are 50 minutes with an added 10 minutes for temperature checks. For ages 18+.

This course covers the fundamentals of improvisational acting with an emphasis on comedy; such as listening, commitment, intuitive reaction, as well as recognizing and capitalizing on emerging patterns. Final showcase to be held on Friday, March 18th. Tuition will be $180.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022
— NURTURING CHILDREN — BLACK HISTORY MONTH READING LIST
Feb 22 all-day
online

It is our hope that the many accomplishments that Black people have made, and continue to make in this country, are celebrated every day of the year as Black history IS American History. Beyond that, we challenge everyone to consider, not just the momentous, exceptional, or singular figures but to truly celebrate Blackness. Visit our blog post designed with our partners at Read2Suceed that includes a children’s reading list of both historic characters and Black characters to add to your child’s library.

Asheville City’s Homeless Initiative: Point-In-Time Count Dashboard Launch
Feb 22 all-day
online
homelessness
Point-In-Time Count

Point in Time (PIT) Count Dashboard and Web Page Available on the City of Asheville Website

 

2021 Point in Time (PIT) count data is now available on the City of Asheville website.  The PIT data is displayed via dashboard, and presents numbers on those experiencing homelessness, either in emergency shelter, transitional housing or who are unsheltered. The 2022 Point in Time Count happened on January 25, and this dashboard will be updated with the new data later in the spring.

 

Each year, the City of Asheville, in collaboration with a number of local organizations that focus on housing insecurity, collects data on the people in our community that are experiencing homelessness in the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The data collected are aggregated, with identifying information removed, and then are reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires that all communities that receive HUD funding to address homelessness conduct an annual PIT Count. This count is a one night “snapshot” that, when taken each year, can provide an overview of the population and trends over time.

 

“Understanding who is homeless in our community and what their needs are is essential in the work of ending homelessness.  We’re excited to partner with the Office of Data and Performance to share this information with the community so that stakeholders can be empowered with the data we all need to develop strategies that move the needle on homelessness,” stated Emily Ball, Homeless Services System Performance Lead for the City of Asheville.

 

The dashboard displays information on homeless Asheville residents broken down by sheltered status and race. Visitors to the webpage can explore the data further by clicking the link at the bottom of the dashboard, which navigates to a spreadsheet where the data is broken down by gender, ethnicity, and veteran’s status, as well as the number of people who are chronically homeless in our community. The dashboard is a collaborative effort between the City’s Homeless Initiative in the Community and Economic Development department and the Office of Data & Performance in IT Services.

The PIT Dashboard and information regarding its findings are located on the City of Asheville’s website.  For more information on the City’s Homeless Initiative, contact Brian Huskey ([email protected]) or Emily Ball ([email protected]). For information on affordable housing, emergency housing, rental assistance or down payment assistance, or to learn how to assist our homeless community, please call 211. The service is free, confidential and available in any language.

Black HERSTORY Month
Feb 22 all-day
online

#BlackHerstoryMonth is this month! 🎉 The perspectives of #BlackFeminists have consistently transformed the fights for gender equity and racial justice to ensure we can continue to build a world of equity, justice, and freedom for all. That’s why, all month, we’re celebrating Black feminism and centering the work of powerful Black sheroes past and present doing the critical intersectional work to #EliminateRacism and #EmpowerWomen. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram all month long as we center the unsung legacy of Black feminism: from Jane Crow to Intersectionality.

GIVE + GROW LEAF Membership
Feb 22 all-day
online
On this Day in WNC History Tidbit
Feb 22 all-day
online
On this Day in WNC History Tidbit
Do you follow us on social media? If not, you’ve missed our new 2021 series –
On This Day in WNC History!

Every week we explore the headlines and overlooked events that happened
on a particular day in Western North Carolina history.

Follow us on social media for more!

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
ON THIS DAY in WNC history: On October 2, 1929, deputies fired into a crowd of striking workers in Marion, NC. Six were killed and even more wounded at the Marion Manufacturing Company in one of the deadliest acts of strike busting in the South.

This year marked an apogee of strikes and labor organization in southern textile mills. Eight years prior, over 100 miners were killed at the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia in a period of coal clashes and unionization attempts. Later in the 1920s, many textile workers reacting to grueling and dirty work conditions under the “stretch-out” system, along with a reduction of their pay in company scrip, began organizing and demanding better conditions. Spearheaded by the National Textile Workers Union (an organization supported by the Communist Party), concurrent strikes began early in 1929 at the Bemberg-Glanzstoff Rayon Corporation in Elizabethton, Tennessee and at Loray Mills in Gastonia, North Carolina. Female employees were key to the organization of both strikes, and the latter is most famously remembered for the death of Ella May Wiggins. National Guard members, local police, and union-busting mobs were called to both of these events.

The Marion strikes (which occurred at the neighboring Clinchfield Mill as well) began July 11. Workers struck without official union support, resisting involvement by communist organizers. After frequent violence and threats, with two National Guard units present, workers returned to these mills September 11, with no raise in pay and a mandated 55-hour workweek. Marion Manufacturing Mill refused to rehire 114 of the strikers, leading to further anger. Workers struck again on October 2, and deputies were dispatched by the local sheriff. Though some details are murky, deputies shot into a crowd of strikers, killing four on site, wounding at least fifteen, with two others dying later. Nearby hospitals refused medical care to strikers, and churches of the mill village refused to administer their funerals. Eight deputies were charged, but acquitted in December. They contended the strikers were armed, but no guns were found, and the New York Times reported those killed were shot in the back.

The memory of these events will be examined in our upcoming event, Marion Mill Massacre in Memory, on Thursday, Oct 14.

Image: Raleigh News and Observer, Oct. 4, 1929

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Twitter
Student Poetry Contest – “Ambition”
Feb 22 all-day
online

January through April

Actors performing Sandburg's works on stageActors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”

NPS Photo

Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!

Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.

Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.


2022 Contest Rules

Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.

Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.

Submission Rules

  • Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
  • Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
  • No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
  • Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
  • Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
  • Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
  • Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
  • Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
    • Paperclipped to poem, no staples
    • Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
    • Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.

Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).

Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.

Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.

Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]

The 13th Annual Student Food Drive
Feb 22 all-day
online

#MANNAStudentChallenge2022

The past few years, we have been unable to host our annual student food drive due to the pandemic. This year, however, the student food drive and the competition between schools to see who can collect the most food returns!
Throughout the entire month of March, schools will be hosting food drives and competing between each other to see who can donate the most pounds of food to MANNA or their local partner agency. Students can also earn points that will be added to their total score by making financial donations, volunteering at their local partner agency, participating in hunger and nutrition education opportunities and joining us in our #MANNAStudentChallenge2022 TikTok campaign.
To earn points for their school through the #MANNAStudentChallenge2022, students can create TikTok videos that either feature them eating a fruit or vegetable they have never tried before or highlight a recipe that they believe is unique to their family.
At the end of the campaign, we will announce winners for each of our categories: high school, middle school, elementary school, college or university, most improved, rookie of the year and most creative.
If you are interested in having your school participate in MANNA’s Annual Student Food Drive, contact Jake Deuterman.
Walking in This World: The Practical Art of Creativity
Feb 22 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
zoom

Walking in this world

Walking in This World is a sequel to Julia Cameron’s* ground breaking book The Artist’s Way.  Filled with insights, motivations, and revelations this 12-week program brings clarity and understanding to creatives and those who would like a more artful life.

Meeting once a week on Zoom, this book club will study and share the readings and tasks in each chapter.  Discussions and the use of break-out rooms for small group interactions will help us get to know each other and lend the support that we all need to keep going and learning about ourselves and our creative gifts.

There are no-prerequisites. The program is for people who are embarking on or continuing a creative path; it is an individual journey.

Supplies:

  • a copy of Walking in This World.  Available on Amazon and Kindle, but if possible, please order from your local bookstore.
  • An 8 1/2 x 11” notebook for morning pages
  • paper and pen when you come to class.

Author Julia Cameron is an international teacher of the creative process and an author of more than 40 books.  She has inspired millions to overcome their challenges and reach their creative goals.  juliacameronlive.com

 

About the Facilitator Pamela Atkinson, Artist and Art Educator:
Besides painting, Pam has developed learning projects for school districts, participated in a variety of grant programs, and was the administrator of a successful, youth art program.  To see her artwork go to pamelaatkinson.net.

“Creativity has enriched my life since I was a small child.  Making a painting, teaching art, or appreciating the gifts of others, have all given meaning and substance to my world. Julia’s teachings have been a guiding light on my journey.”

 

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes: Journey to Imaginationland
Feb 22 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Janice Schreiber
Ages 5-7
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays 

Join us on our way to imaginationland! Students will learn the basics of performance technique, explore exciting characterizations, and use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to bring stories and characters to life. Some of our favorite cartoon and real life characters just might make an appearance! Tuition will be $125.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes: Physical Comedy and Clowning
Feb 22 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Jon Monastero
Ages 10-13
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays

This weekly workshop is an exciting, challenging, inspiring, and fun way for students to push themselves. We will dance, sing, act, not act, be and not be, immersed in the topsy-turvy, upside-down and messy world of the clown. Please dress to move. Tuition will be $175.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes: Youth Acting: And Scene!
Feb 22 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Youth Acting: And Scene!

Taught by Michael Jorizzo
Ages 8-12
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays

Learn how to bring scripts to life! During this class, students will explore short scenes and learn to analyze scripts, make strong acting choices, and create compelling characters. Students pick their favorite scenes for a showcase during the final class. Tuition will be $175.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Build Your Business with Instagram (Part 1 of 2)
Feb 22 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
online

No cost due to sponsor support

Instagram is one of the fastest growing and biggest trending social media for business these days. And it’s always evolving! Join us for this session as we

  • Learn the difference between Instagram and Instagram for Business
  • Take a tour of Instagram for business
  • Review best Practices for posting
  • Explore the different sub channels of Instagram
  • Live Q&A

In part 2 we will also:

  • Learn how to use video to maximize your Instagram presence
  • Explore using hashtags as a powerful and free way to grow visibility for your business
  • What is tagging a user or business?
  • Live Q&A

Speaker(s): Aaron Wesley Means

Co-Sponsor(s): Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce

Webinar info will be emailed after registration

Easy to Find Medicinal Plants of our Area with CoreyPine Shane
Feb 22 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
zoom

Easy to Find Medicinal Plants of our Area with CoreyPine Shane - a ZOOM event!

Western North Carolina is one of the richest areas for medicinal plants in North America, if not the world. In addition to the famous woodland herbs in our area such as ginseng, black cohosh, and wild yam, we also have a lot of common plants and trees growing all over that could be used for healing purposes. Walking around our yards and fields we can find useful weeds like goldenrod and honeysuckle, native trees like sumach, sassafras, and witch hazel, and even some noxious weeds like kudzu, Japanese knotweed, and mimosa have a number of medicinal uses.    In this short talk, author CoreyPine will discuss some of the common and useful medicinal weeds that are easy to identify and discuss how to harvest and use them for our health and well-being.   CoreyPine Shane RH (AHG), founder and director of the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine near Asheville, NC, has spent over 25 years helping clients and teaching people by artfully blending Chinese and Western herbal traditions with a focus on local plants. His new book “Southeast Medicinal Plants” (Timber Press) covers how to identify, ethically harvest, and use the medicinal Plants of the Southeast. CoreyPine has taught across the United States and in Europe, at many national herb conferences, and is a Professional Member of the American Herbalists Guild.   Registration is required to attend this event.
Here is the Zoom registration link:  us06web.zoom.us…

Wednesday, February 23, 2022
— NURTURING CHILDREN — BLACK HISTORY MONTH READING LIST
Feb 23 all-day
online

It is our hope that the many accomplishments that Black people have made, and continue to make in this country, are celebrated every day of the year as Black history IS American History. Beyond that, we challenge everyone to consider, not just the momentous, exceptional, or singular figures but to truly celebrate Blackness. Visit our blog post designed with our partners at Read2Suceed that includes a children’s reading list of both historic characters and Black characters to add to your child’s library.

Asheville City’s Homeless Initiative: Point-In-Time Count Dashboard Launch
Feb 23 all-day
online
homelessness
Point-In-Time Count

Point in Time (PIT) Count Dashboard and Web Page Available on the City of Asheville Website

 

2021 Point in Time (PIT) count data is now available on the City of Asheville website.  The PIT data is displayed via dashboard, and presents numbers on those experiencing homelessness, either in emergency shelter, transitional housing or who are unsheltered. The 2022 Point in Time Count happened on January 25, and this dashboard will be updated with the new data later in the spring.

 

Each year, the City of Asheville, in collaboration with a number of local organizations that focus on housing insecurity, collects data on the people in our community that are experiencing homelessness in the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The data collected are aggregated, with identifying information removed, and then are reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires that all communities that receive HUD funding to address homelessness conduct an annual PIT Count. This count is a one night “snapshot” that, when taken each year, can provide an overview of the population and trends over time.

 

“Understanding who is homeless in our community and what their needs are is essential in the work of ending homelessness.  We’re excited to partner with the Office of Data and Performance to share this information with the community so that stakeholders can be empowered with the data we all need to develop strategies that move the needle on homelessness,” stated Emily Ball, Homeless Services System Performance Lead for the City of Asheville.

 

The dashboard displays information on homeless Asheville residents broken down by sheltered status and race. Visitors to the webpage can explore the data further by clicking the link at the bottom of the dashboard, which navigates to a spreadsheet where the data is broken down by gender, ethnicity, and veteran’s status, as well as the number of people who are chronically homeless in our community. The dashboard is a collaborative effort between the City’s Homeless Initiative in the Community and Economic Development department and the Office of Data & Performance in IT Services.

The PIT Dashboard and information regarding its findings are located on the City of Asheville’s website.  For more information on the City’s Homeless Initiative, contact Brian Huskey ([email protected]) or Emily Ball ([email protected]). For information on affordable housing, emergency housing, rental assistance or down payment assistance, or to learn how to assist our homeless community, please call 211. The service is free, confidential and available in any language.

Black HERSTORY Month
Feb 23 all-day
online

#BlackHerstoryMonth is this month! 🎉 The perspectives of #BlackFeminists have consistently transformed the fights for gender equity and racial justice to ensure we can continue to build a world of equity, justice, and freedom for all. That’s why, all month, we’re celebrating Black feminism and centering the work of powerful Black sheroes past and present doing the critical intersectional work to #EliminateRacism and #EmpowerWomen. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram all month long as we center the unsung legacy of Black feminism: from Jane Crow to Intersectionality.

GIVE + GROW LEAF Membership
Feb 23 all-day
online
History @ Home – Visit Virtually Western North Carolina Historical Association
Feb 23 all-day
online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
Deep Dive into Archives is a living exhibit shining a light on the individuals who were once enslaved at the Smith-McDowell House through primary documentation.

 

 

 

Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at Ellington’s iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
HillBilly Land explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day.
In 1918 vs 2020, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Student Poetry Contest – “Ambition”
Feb 23 all-day
online

January through April

Actors performing Sandburg's works on stageActors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”

NPS Photo

Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!

Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.

Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.


2022 Contest Rules

Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.

Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.

Submission Rules

  • Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
  • Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
  • No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
  • Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
  • Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
  • Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
  • Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
  • Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
    • Paperclipped to poem, no staples
    • Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
    • Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.

Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).

Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.

Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.

Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]

The 13th Annual Student Food Drive
Feb 23 all-day
online

#MANNAStudentChallenge2022

The past few years, we have been unable to host our annual student food drive due to the pandemic. This year, however, the student food drive and the competition between schools to see who can collect the most food returns!
Throughout the entire month of March, schools will be hosting food drives and competing between each other to see who can donate the most pounds of food to MANNA or their local partner agency. Students can also earn points that will be added to their total score by making financial donations, volunteering at their local partner agency, participating in hunger and nutrition education opportunities and joining us in our #MANNAStudentChallenge2022 TikTok campaign.
To earn points for their school through the #MANNAStudentChallenge2022, students can create TikTok videos that either feature them eating a fruit or vegetable they have never tried before or highlight a recipe that they believe is unique to their family.
At the end of the campaign, we will announce winners for each of our categories: high school, middle school, elementary school, college or university, most improved, rookie of the year and most creative.
If you are interested in having your school participate in MANNA’s Annual Student Food Drive, contact Jake Deuterman.