Take your business to the next level.

A comprehensive business innovation program designed to assist for profit, not-for-profit and family owned businesses to take them to the next level of success and sustainability.

August 25 – December 15, 2021

Registration for the 2021 Program now open.
Registration accepted through August 23, 2021.

Blue Ridge Community College and the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce have partnered once again to offer the Mission Acceleration Business Accelerator, a five-month, ten-course program.

August 25, 2021
Business Best Practices and KPI (Key Performance Indicators) Checklist by Department Identifying Opportunities for Acceleration

September 8, 2021
Management and Leadership

September 15, 2021
Human Resources, Legal and Insurance

September 29, 2021
Capital and Purchasing

October 13, 2021
Competition and Competitive Advantage

October 27, 2021
Branding, Marketing and Sales

November 10, 2021
Customer Service and Information Technology

November 17, 2021
Business Logistics: Best ways to meet customer needs

December 1, 2021
Accounting and Finance

December 15, 2021
Business Acceleration Plan Presentation and Graduation

Sessions run Wednesdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. except 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on August 25 and December 15, 2021.

COVID-19 North Carolina Dashboard & Available COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Appointments for Henderson County The Henderson County Department of Health and Human Services will host a vaccine clinic Monday, May 17th – Friday, May 21st at the Health Department Office (1200 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville). This clinic is for the Pfizer vaccine and will be available to anyone age 12 or older.

By scheduling this appointment you confirm that you will be available for your second dose approximately 21 days after your first dose of Pfizer or 28 days after your first dose of Moderna. Your second dose appointment will be scheduled before you leave the vaccine clinic.

Do NOT schedule an appointment if you have received any other vaccine in the past 14 days.

Do NOT schedule an appointment if you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma in the past 90 days

If available, Pfizer appointments may be scheduled for ages 12+

If available, Moderna appointments may be schedules for ages 18+

Clinic Location:

Henderson County Department of Public Health – Main Entrance
1200 Spartanburg Hwy, Hendersonville, NC 28792

Join Asheville OWLS Training for FUN 45-minute outdoor workouts, designed with low-impact exercise. Classes are designed for ACTIVE mature adults, ages 60+, but ALL are welcome to attend.

FREE – Outdoors in the Park – Contactless Registration.

Find More Info at https://www.ashevilleowls.com/fitness-in-the-park.

Email Trainer, Leah Brennan at [email protected] with questions.
See you in the park!

https://www.ashevilleowls.com

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

Included with admission

A unique-to-Biltmore, large-scale outdoor sculpture will be crafted and installed in Antler Hill Village this spring by Patrick Dougherty. Over the last three decades, this internationally-acclaimed artist has combined his carpentry skills and love of nature to build over 300 of these wondrous works, captivating the hearts and imaginations of viewers worldwide.

Image: Close Ties (2006) Scottish Basketmakers Circle, Dingwall, Scotland. Photo: Fin Macrae
NOTE: This is an example of Patrick Dougherty’s work; the artist will create Biltmore’s unique structure in Antler Hill Village this spring.

The Asheville Mast General Store has selected Greenworks as the beneficiary for their May Round Up campaign. For the month of May, they’ll ask every guest at the Asheville Mast Store to round up their purchase. At the end of the month, all proceeds will be donated to Greenworks. Thank you Mast General Store!

Desire Paths looks at makers within the discourse of craft and those existing on the periphery of the craftscape who focus on the movement of the body towards something desirable. These desires of the body are in relationship to nature, technology, self, and society. Using architectural theory and queer curatorial strategies, Desire Paths examines the possibilities and futures of bodies, revealing connections between the corporeal and craft.

“Desire paths,” a term taken from urban planning, are lines trodden in the landscape when constructed walkways do not provide a direct or desired route. Through action, repetition, and intentionality, desire paths are crafted modifications to the landscape that allow for a body to move towards a horizon. The format of the works include traditional craft media, performance, video, and interactive web-based work. Through this variety of media and performative tactics the makers in Desire Paths consider how we view, value, and ascribe meaning to a body/the body/the others body. They show us the power and agency held in body and present us with crafted visions of the body that confront and expand expectations

The works in this exhibition reclaim the concept of craft from its historical associations with the decorative, frivolous, feminine, indigenous, and the other. The makers use the medium of craft, and the action of crafting, to produce powerful representations and counter narratives to dominant culture.

Two Ways to View

Virtual Tour

Online visitors can register to attend a virtual tour of this exhibition. This is a free event. A $5-10 donation at time of registration is recommended.

In-Person

The Center is offering free, unguided visits and affordable tours of its exhibitions to the public. Guests can reserve a 30-minute visit to explore the current exhibitions, learn more about the Center’s national impact in their Craft Research Fund Study Collection, and enjoy interactive activities. The Center is open to the public Tuesday-Friday, 11 am -5 pm. Hours of operation may be subject to change.

Center for Craft is monitoring the effects of COVID-19 on the community and following the instruction of federal, state, and local health departments. Our top priority is always the health and safety of our staff, coworkers, and visitors. At this time, the Center can only allow a maximum of five guests in its public space at once and will require the use of masks or face coverings by all visitors, including children. The Center reserves the right to refuse entry to any visitor that will not comply.

Join Asheville OWLS Training for FUN 45-minute outdoor workouts, designed with low-impact exercise. Classes are designed for ACTIVE mature adults, ages 60+, but ALL are welcome to attend.

FREE – Outdoors in the Park – Contactless Registration.

Find More Info at https://www.ashevilleowls.com/fitness-in-the-park.

Email Trainer, Leah Brennan at [email protected] with questions.
See you in the park!

This insider excursion provides you with tips and local secrets about the best way to do Asheville on a budget! You will have a better understanding of how Asheville became the unique, quirky city you see now and learn everything we are doing to “Keep Asheville Weird.” This is the only walking tour provided that allows you to choose how much you think a walking tour is worth and pay whatever you like. We will follow the urban trail, stop along the way for some free honey tastings and finish the tour with some special beer tastings at one of the best local breweries in South Slope! At the brewery, you will also be able to participate in a free raffle where you receive gifts donated from local businesses like free salsa classes, local theatre performances, books and more! I want you to know and love my city as much as I do and I am excited to share this experience with you!

Pay what you want at the end!

Hit the trails and learn more about the Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! In response to COVID-19, new safety measures have been put in place to protect our guests, members, volunteers and staff: Walks will be limited to 10 people, including the guide, and all participants will be required to wear face coverings for the duration of the walk.

This free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks depart from the Baker Exhibit Center Lobby every Tuesday and Saturday at 1 p.m. through the month of October. Walks last 1.5- 2.5 hours and are approximately one to two miles in length, and as such are recommended for guests 14 years or older. Walks are held rain or shine, so all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

 Plein Art Paint-Out sponsored by River Arts District Artists and the

Asheville Plein Art Painters. Join a smattering of artists to experience what it’s like to create out in the open air. All ages and abilities are welcome to join. Meet around the River Arts District Gear Sign across from 8 River Arts Place. Ride your bike, walk, or park (there is plenty of parking at 8 River Arts Place or the lot just north of Curve Studios.

Pardee UNC Health Care and Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a department of Pardee, will host sports physicals for area middle school and high school student-athletes. Participants must have all required forms signed by parents and bring them the day of the physical. Forms are available from coaches or school front offices.

Sports Physicals

It’s time for Sports Physicals!

Calling all area middle school and high school student-athletes! Don’t forget to join Pardee UNC Health Care and Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a department of Pardee, to receive a sports physical.

Pardee UNC Health Care and Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a department of Pardee, will host sports physicals for area middle school and high school student-athletes. Participants must have all required forms signed by parents and bring them the day of the physical. Forms are available from coaches or school front offices.

Sports Physicals

It’s time for Sports Physicals!

Calling all area middle school and high school student-athletes! Don’t forget to join Pardee UNC Health Care and Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a department of Pardee, to receive a sports physical.

Sponsored by the NC Museum of History, WNCHA’s chapter of the Tar Heel Junior Historians Association is nicknamed SMH over History. It is open to school-age students and meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 4:00 pm during the school year. New members are always welcome!

Members receive two magazines per year from the NC Museum of History and there are opportunities in the State Contest program.

The club is open at any time in the year to school-age students (grades 1 – 12). There is a small registration fee of $10 ($5 for each eligible sibling) that helps to defray some costs of programming and supplies. Scholarships are available for students unable to pay the registration fee. Please contact us for more details. Parents generally participate in the meetings and younger siblings are welcome.  New members are always welcome to visit for a couple of meetings before making the decision to join.

The journey begins when the Trolls’ Hug Time is unexpectedly put at risk. Knowing the only way to save it is by doing what the Trolls do best, Poppy hosts a toe-tapping, Trolls-tastic show! Poppy, Branch, Cooper, Cloud Guy, Satin and Chenille, Smidge, Guy Diamond, Fuzzbert, Biggie and Mr. Dinkles invite you into the colorful world of Troll Village for this interactive performance only the Trolls can create. This is one Trolls party you won’t want to miss!

The world of the Trolls comes alive in this totally interactive, story-rich musical celebration of everything the Trolls love – singing, dancing, rainbows, glitter and plenty of hugs. The extravaganza utilizes the latest in scenic projection, puppetry, media technology and features a host of special effects and interactive surprises. Trolls LIVE! includes two acts with an intermission and will enchant both children and adults with its popular Trolls show-stopping songs, as well as introduce audiences to all-new electrifying Trolls music and choreography.

  vs. 

The WNCHA 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award will be presented to Ann Miller Woodford for her work preserving and promoting the history of African American people in far western North Carolina, on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The live Zoom webinar is free to attend and will include brief remarks from the Outstanding Achievement Award Committee Chair, Catherine Frank, WNCHA’s Executive Director, Anne Chesky Smith, WNCHA’s President, Ralph Simpson, and Ann Miller Woodford. The webinar will also include presentation of the Outstanding Achievement Award trophy and monetary prize as well as a 20-minute film adapted from one of Woodford’s lectures about her publication, “When All God’s Children Get Together: A Celebration of the Lives and Music of African American People in Far Western North Carolina.” An exhibit of the same name, curated by Ann Miller Woodford, is currently on display at WNCHA’s facility, the Smith-McDowell House Museum in Asheville and runs through the end of June 2021. About the Award: Since 1954, the Western North Carolina Historical Association has presented its annual Outstanding Achievement Award to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of our regional history. Recipients have included Sadie Smathers Patton, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Ora Blackmun, Johnnie Baxter, The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, the South Asheville Cemetery Association, and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. About the Winner: Ann Miller Woodford is a visual artist, designer, and entrepreneur, a creative person no matter what she is working on at any time. Now in her early 70s, she has dedicated the rest of her life to painting and drawing the spirit she feels and treasures around her while uplifting young people and adults. Using oils, she calls her works representational, mostly southern genre, however, she is skilled at drawing in pencil, charcoal, and ink, as well. She says, “I am motivated by people, animals, clouds, trees, rocks… Inspiration never stops!”

Every other Tuesday we gather at one of several local establishments for some tacos and conversation. The restaurant of choice will be posted each week.

Ayanna Thompson is a Regents Professor of English and Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies (ACMRS) at Arizona State University. For more information, visit her website, https://www.ayannathompson.com

Join us Tuesday nights, beginning April 13th, as The Magnetic Theatre teams up with the wizards at Smoky Park Supper Club to host a live, outdoor variety show. We’ll be filling Smoky Park’s gorgeous, riverside outdoor space with comedy, theatre, music and so much more.

There will be food and beverages available for purchase.

• This is a BYOC (Bring-Your-Own-Chair) event.
• In accordance with safety guidelines this show will be staged outdoors, with mask and social distancing protocols enforced. There will also be temperature checks and COVID waivers that need to be signed by each attendee at the gate.
• Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the 7pm showtime.
• We do require that masks be worn at all times unless you are actively eating or drinking.