Thanks to a generous donation from our friends at fellow local business, Image 420 Screenprinting, we are proud to introduce a special, super limited edition t-shirt and sticker merch bundle ready for purchase today! These awesome shirts, which come in unisex sizes S through XXL, plus the matching sticker, are available for a $50 bundle price which will include one of each. The full price of your purchase will benefit our campaign to keep the Orange Peel alive and well until it is safe for us to all be together enjoying shows again in person. There are only 100 of these bundles available, and the designer, Brent Baldwin, did an amazing job with the art, so you are going to want to show off your proud support of keeping the music alive when you wear your shirt or display your new sticker. Every penny will bring us closer to hosting your favorite artist on our stage in the coming months when we can gather safely, and we will be SO thankful to all those who choose to demonstrate their support this way. We can’t wait to see you around town in your gear that helped save the music. Thank you all for your love and support.  Don’t forget, another amazing way to help us that costs nothing is to contact our elected representatives and let them know that you want congress to act and sign aid legislation now, including support for the SOS Act.  This bipartisan act will help independent music businesses recover from our devastating losses of nearly 100% of revenue this year. Click here to send a letter to your rep.  Even if you don’t have financial means to support us right now, sending a letter is a MAJOR contribution that we appreciate just as much. We wouldn’t have become the club we are without all of you, and with your help, we will be around for decades to come.

Call United Way’s 2-1-1 if you have questions about general community support services (24 hours a day/7 days a week) and please encourage others to call as well.

Despite the cancellation of the Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2020 season due to COVID-19, folks are being encouraged to take time to enjoy the lush gardens on the grounds of the historic campus.

With a QR code reader on any smartphone, garden visitors can tap into information about the individual plants wherever they’re standing. The codes direct the phone to webpages on a Muddy Sneakers site that the garden volunteers control.

The Master Gardners have been hard at work adding some tech to our gardens! QR codes can now be found on the 62 garden beds that make up the Playhouse gardens. Visitors can use their smartphones to learn more about the plants they are seeing. Congratulations and thank you to Tamsin Allpress and all of our gardening volunteers who work to keep our gardens beautiful! Photo by volunteer Mary Smit

Voices in the Laurel is currently registering young musicians in grades 1 – 12 into one of the
three ensembles, with rehearsals starting on Monday, August 31.

Caldwell Arts Council announces its “Western NC Regional Online Poetry Competition,” featuring Final Judge Kari Gunter-Seymour, Poet Laureate of the state of Ohio and $1200 in total cash awards! Click here for a printable pdf of these guidelines.

Eligibility and Guidelines:

• Residents of the following 31 counties in western North Carolina are eligible to enter:  Alexander,
  Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
• The deadline for entry is midnight, September 15, 2020.
• Entrants must be at least 18 years of age at time of submission.
• Each entrant may submit up to two original poems.
• Cost to enter is $10 for up to two poems.
• All entries AND entry fees must be submitted electronically. See below for submission and payment details. No U.S.P.S. mailed entries, checks or cash will be accepted.
• Poems must not have been written before January 1, 2019.
• Previously published poems are not eligible for submission.
• Poems can be of any subject matter or style; however the Caldwell Arts Council reserves the right to decline the written or audible posting/performance of any entered poem to its website, or other Arts Council platform due to its unsuitability for wide audiences as determined solely by the Caldwell Arts Council.
• Poems must be submitted electronically as a WORD document using .doc or .docx as your file
  extension.
• Poems cannot exceed 100 lines.
• All poems must be single spaced, in Times New Roman font, and be 12pt. type.
• Winning entrants must agree to allow their poems to be posted on the Caldwell Arts Council’s website and/or to be used in subsequent marketing/promotional materials by the Caldwell Arts Council.
• Entrants reserve/keep all other publication rights.
• Caldwell Arts Council staff, board members and their immediate family members are ineligible to
  enter.

Winter Lights at The N.C. Arboretum

November 20, 2020 – January 10, 2021

5:30 – 10:30 p.m. Nightly

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. This year, guests are invited to take a dreamy ride through the Arboretum’s enchanted forest and attend Winter Lights safely within their own vehicles. In light of COVID-19, the Arboretum has converted its popular event into a drive-thru show, allowing guests to navigate through a one-mile stretch of the Arboretum’s campus and see unique exhibits covered in thousands of holiday lights. As the Arboretum’s largest fundraising event of the year, proceeds generated from Winter Lights will directly support the Arboretum’s mission-driven programming.

***Tickets go on sale September 1***

MANNA’s mission is to involve, educate, and unite people in the work of ending hunger, and an important part of this mission is advocating for those living in and experiencing the effects of poverty. As a non-partisan organization, dedicated to sharing information about the issues affecting the people we serve together, MANNA does not endorse political parties or candidates. We simply ask people to work with our elected officials to make legislation that works for us all, and makes our region, our state, and our country stronger from the ground up. If you are interested in receiving advocacy-related emails from MANNA FoodBank, please follow link. By clicking here, you are signing up to receive information from MANNA about ways you can use your voice, and actions you can take, to help work towards our vision of a hunger-free Western North Carolina.

“David Wilcox is a father, a husband, a citizen and a songwriter. First inspired to play guitar after hearing a fellow college student playing in a stairwell. Wilcox is now 18 records into a career marked by personal revelation and wildly loyal fans. His lyrical insight is matched by a smooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings, giving him a range and tenderness rare in folk music.”

Listen to his song New Blue Horizon on our playlist.

• Annie’s Garden by Joe Ebel

• Daydream by Sapphirecut

• Stages, Intro by Hannah Hatch

• Blindman to the Breeze by Midair Dervish

 Check out our playlist on Spotify

and tell us which local artist or band you dig the most!

FIND INFO AT:  https://www.lwv.org/blog/100-days-and-100-ways-get-ready-election-day?utm_source=MonthlyHighlights&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=July2020

Learn to make dilly beans, salsa, fruit butter, and more!

Calling all families! If you visit the Museum with children and/or participate in the Museum’s family programs (or might in the future!), we want to hear from you. As we transition family programs to virtual or small-group in-person formats, we need your feedback to create a model that will work for you this fall. We’re giving away a FREE guest pass to one of the first 50 people to fill out the survey.

More Info at: https://www.openideo.com/challenge-briefs/beyond-the-bag-challenge?utm_source=oi-direct-outreach&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=beyond-the-bag&utm_source=July+2020+Newsletter&utm_campaign=june+2020&utm_medium=email

In person event cancelled. NOW ONLINE!!

REVIEW AND BID ON AUCTION ITEMS!

All proceeds of ticket sales and auction item purchases stay in Henderson County to benefit our mentor programs. Help us continue to Defend the Potential of children in our community!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henderson County is about to launch its
second annual silent auction featuring an array of trips, experiences, art, personal services and
much more.
Bidding at:    www.biddingowl.com/BigBrothersBigSistersWNC

“Have fun shopping from the comfort of your own home while supporting a good cause at the
same time,” said Joey Popp, North Carolina’s Big Brother of the Year. “The money raised
enables us to ‘ignite potential’ in the young people we serve in Henderson County with our
unique one-to-one mentoring programs.”
Donations are also accepted through the auction website or by visiting www.bbbswnc.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbbshendo

A rare double blister pearl wrapped in a 14 karat gold wire gallery on a strand of Czechoslovakian glass beads, this dazzling treasure is sure to make waves for the wearer
at any special occasion.

This is your chance to become the owner of a beautiful necklace with a handcrafted pendant valued at over $3,000. Created by Jeweler Charlie Wharton of Starfire Designs, this piece was generously donated by both Biltmore Lamp and Shade Gallery and the designer.

Tickets are $50 each, and only 100 tickets will be sold. If a minimum of 75 tickets is not sold, all ticket holders will receive a full refund and the raffle will not occur.

https://one.bidpal.net/preludetogether2020/browse/fixedPrice(details:item/5)?utm_source=Brevard%2BMusic%2BCenter&utm_campaign=7c2d140ff3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_31_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b154873bc5-7c2d140ff3-131688489

Wow! Thanks to all those who have submitted tunes for the Dig Local Spotify playlist. If you’d like to be considered as an addition to our music compilation, we are still accepting submissions for our Spotify playlist now (check out the playlist here).

There are only three requirements to be considered:

• You or your group must be regionally based in the Asheville area
• Your song submissions must be all original compositions
• The songs must be “family-friendly” (no profanity or obscenity or violence)

If selected, one or two of your songs will be featured in our Spotify playlist. There may also be opportunities to be featured in our Weekly Scoop email and on our social media platforms!

Submit your music by filling out the following info at the link below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5LCQovN51Y56SLuo7kB_hmeer33DsNhITEvz7TkF8O9ATqA/viewform?mc_cid=8ce4073971&mc_eid=258ba8532a

Census – Please respond

It’s not too late!  This once-a-decade population count of everyone who lives in the United States is mandated by the U.S. Constitution, and everyone is required to participate. Responses from the census help determine how federal funds are allocated for critical public services and programs in communities around the country for the next 10 years. If you haven’t responded yet, respond now—online, by phone, or by mail.  Respond Now

If you don’t care about all the other things the Census is used for, like determining how many representatives each state has in Congress, and so much more, you should care that the population count affects the share of available federal money that comes to the French Broad River MPO for local programming.  That money has paid for sidewalks on Hendersonville Rd and Patton Avenue, and will help pay for sidewalks on Johnston Blvd, Deaverview Rd, New Leicester Highway, plans for permanently redesigning Coxe Avenue, and more.  Respond Now – please.

Craft Futures Fund

The Craft Futures Fund will support craft communities throughout the United States and their creative responses to COVID-19. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that seed resilience, foster community, and amplify impact.

The raffle winner will choose from three amazing getaway packages, each valued at approximately $2,500:

• The Lake Lure Relaxing Getaway includes a three-night stay at The Enchanted Cottage on Lake Lure, a $100 gift certificate to Chimney Rock State Park, a $150 gift certificate to La Strada at Lake Lure, and a selection of craft beverages provided by Green Man Brewery.

• The Biltmore Estate Romantic Getaway includes a $2,500 Biltmore Estate gift card that can be used at all Estate locations, including overnight accommodations at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, dining at the Bistro, Estate tickets and tours, Biltmore Winery tastings, outdoor activities, or retail items.

• The Asheville Glamping Adventure Getaway includes a $1,600 gift certificate to be used for accommodations at any of Asheville Glamping’s thirteen unique glamp-sites, a $500 gift certification to the Adventure Center of Asheville, a $250 gift certificate to the Mast General Store and a $150 gift certificate to Well-Bred Bakery & Café.

 

Tickets are priced at $40 each or 3 tickets for $100. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y4yvu8kz for full package details.

 

A limited number of raffle tickets will be available for purchase from August 18, 2020 through September 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EDT on our specially created event website at https://tinyurl.com/y4yvu8kz. The winner will be selected at random, announced on all CRC for ED social media platforms on September 20th at approximately 7:00 p.m. EDT, and will be notified directly by telephone, mail, and/or email. Please see full Terms & Conditions here.

Dave’s family is proud and honored to create the Dave Hart Scholarship Fund in honor of his dedication to, and passion for the students and families he served and adored. The funds will be used to support full and partial scholarships for Studio 52 students beginning this fall. You can click below to donate or you can mail your donation to PO Box 310, Flat Rock, NC. 28731. Please include Dave Hart Scholarship in memo-line / letter.