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, April 25, 2021
The Partner Agency Map: Who is your nearest food partner?
Apr 25 all-day
Online w/ Manna Food Bank
The Partner Agency Map:
Who is your nearest food partner?
Do you know your nearest local resource for free food?
Take a moment from your day and view the Partner Agency Map to learn more about your local resources are for free food. Whether you are looking for supplemental food yourself or know someone who may be, this information is great to know and share.
To create a food secure WNC we need to make sure we’re aware of the resources we have available for ourselves and the people in our personal networks.

FIND A FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION NEAR YOU

The MANNA Partner Network of over 200 nonprofit pantries, meal sites, and other community-based organizations help residents to access free food across 16 western North Carolina counties. Use the map below to find MANNA partners close to you, or search the up-to-date listing of food partners (by county).

UNC Asheville Opens On-Campus Vaccine Clinic in Partnership with MAHEC
Apr 25 all-day
UNC Asheville Reuter Center
TIME AND DATES VARY
Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, UNC Asheville has a new role to play in combating COVID-19, expanding the campus’ commitment of care and compassion beyond the classrooms and into the community, as the Reuter Center has been transformed into a COVID-19 immunization site in partnership with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).

“MAHEC and UNCA are eager to urgently vaccinate as many people as possible every week until COVID is no longer present in Western North Carolina,” commented MAHEC’s CEO Jeff Heck. “UNCA is a great partner and together we will work to bring the vaccine to as many residents as possible.”

The site continues to call individuals as vaccine shipments arrive. Schedule updates and frequently asked questions will be posted at https://coronavirus.unca.edu/faq/covid-19-vaccine/, and individuals will be contacted directly with their appointment details.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 25 @ 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text
          Description automatically generated

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 25 @ 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

Monday, April 26, 2021
Governor Cooper Outlines Timeline for Lifting State’s COVID-19 Restrictions
Apr 26 all-day
Online w/ North Carolina Office of the Governor
Wednesday Governor Cooper laid out a timeline for lifting the current pandemic restrictions. The state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1 with stable trends and continued vaccination success. The Governor plans to issue an Executive Order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.
To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.
With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two-thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.
State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.
UNC Asheville Opens On-Campus Vaccine Clinic in Partnership with MAHEC
Apr 26 all-day
UNC Asheville Reuter Center
TIME AND DATES VARY
Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, UNC Asheville has a new role to play in combating COVID-19, expanding the campus’ commitment of care and compassion beyond the classrooms and into the community, as the Reuter Center has been transformed into a COVID-19 immunization site in partnership with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).

“MAHEC and UNCA are eager to urgently vaccinate as many people as possible every week until COVID is no longer present in Western North Carolina,” commented MAHEC’s CEO Jeff Heck. “UNCA is a great partner and together we will work to bring the vaccine to as many residents as possible.”

The site continues to call individuals as vaccine shipments arrive. Schedule updates and frequently asked questions will be posted at https://coronavirus.unca.edu/faq/covid-19-vaccine/, and individuals will be contacted directly with their appointment details.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 26 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text
          Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 26 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

American Rescue Plan Makes ACA Insurance More Affordable; Get Free Help, Signing Up w/ Pisgah Legal + Partners
Apr 26 @ 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Online w/ Pisgah Legal Services

Make a Free Appointment Today

Appointments can be made online at www.pisgahlegal.org/aca or by calling (828) 210-3404. For the safety of consumers, staff and volunteers, all appointments are currently being conducted by phone. Depending on where you live in WNC, some of Pisgah Legal’s ACA Partners may be offering in-person appointments.

 

Last year, more than 90 percent of North Carolinians who enrolled for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (www.healthcare.gov) received financial assistance to make their plans more affordable. Subsidies are based on household taxable income and may be difficult for consumers to calculate themselves. Pisgah Legal can help with this process and can factor in unemployment benefits if needed. Pisgah Legal can also answer questions about other coverage, such as COBRA, and help people apply for Medicaid and CHIP.

 

Pisgah Legal and other Enrollment Partners of WNC participating organizations give local residents free, unbiased health insurance information and enrollment assistance in the NC Health Insurance Marketplace. These organizations include: Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Mountain Projects, Inc., Western Carolina Medical Society, and Pisgah Legal Services.

The ACA – also known as “Obamacare” – is the law that ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. With these plans, consumers are protected and:

  • Can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing health condition and can’t be dropped for getting sick;
  • Insurers can’t charge higher premiums to women; and
  • Insurers can’t sell substandard plans that don’t pay for essential health care benefits.
New COVID-19 ACA Special Enrollment Period w/ Pisgah Legal
Apr 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Online w/ Pisgah Legal

People have a new opportunity to enroll in health insurance for 2021 on HealthCare.gov, but only for a limited time. This new COVID-19 Special Enrollment period starts on February 15, 2021 and ends on May 15, 2021. Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), and its enrollment partners of WNC, are once again offering free assistance helping people in the 18-county mountain region review their options and sign up for ACA health insurance.

With job losses continuing to mount amid the COVID-19 resurgence, and millions of people having lost their job-based health insurance since the start of this public health and economic crisis, the Biden Administration has opened up HealthCare.gov to give people who need health insurance a new opportunity to get covered, but they must act quickly. For free help locally, with trained assisters, make an appointment at pisgahlegal.org/aca or call (828) 210-3404.

“More than 535,000 North Carolinians enrolled in a health insurance plan during the last Open Enrollment period,” said Shannon Cornelius, Pisgah Legal’s Health Justice Program Director. “This is a new chance for people to sign up, and anyone who needs health insurance should visit HealthCare.gov today, or contact Pisgah Legal Services if you need assistance. Don’t delay.”

Health insurance is more affordable than many people think. In North Carolina, 83 percent of current marketplace consumers had plans available for 2021 that cost less than $50 per month, after financial help. Nine out of 10 marketplace enrollees in North Carolina received financial help that lowered their monthly health insurance premiums last year. In addition, 57 percent of enrollees also qualified for lower out-of-pocket costs for health care services.

“With this new Special Enrollment Period, both new and existing marketplace consumers can shop for marketplace pans, compare options, costs and even make changes. It opens up the ability to get health insurance outside of Open Enrollment. Our certified application counselors can help answer questions and get you enrolled in the plan that works best for you and your family,” said Cornelius.

Consumers enrolling in a plan on HealthCare.gov are guaranteed to receive comprehensive coverage, with no pre-existing condition exclusions or markups. All plans cover essential benefits, including doctor and hospital visits, prescription drugs, mental health treatment, and maternity care. In addition, consumers receive free preventive care services, such as immunizations and health screenings. Testing and treatment of COVID-19 are considered essential health benefits and are covered by all HealthCare.gov plans.

Consumers should avoid insurance plans offered outside of HealthCare.gov that seem too good to be true. “Junk insurance” products and short-term limited duration plans pose huge financial risks to consumers. These products can refuse to pay for care for pre-existing conditions, charge consumers more based on their gender, and impose annual coverage limits.

HealthCare.gov is the only website where North Carolina consumers are guaranteed to get comprehensive coverage,” said Cornelius.

 

Make a Free Appointment Today

The health insurance landscape can be confusing, but free, local help is available. Appointments can be made online at www.pisgahlegal.org/aca or by calling (828) 210-3404. For the safety of consumers, staff and volunteers, all Pisgah Legal Services appointments are currently being conducted by phone, some community partners may offer in person assistance.

Properly prepare to donate blood and help save lives
Apr 26 @ 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
American Red Cross Bus/ YMCA

— Healthy individuals are needed every day to maintain an adequate
blood supply for patients in need. Once a donor has made the commitment to give blood, it is
important to take a few simple steps to prepare and help ensure a good donation experience.
Get a good night’s sleep, drink an extra 16 ounces of water, eat iron-rich foods to maintain a
healthy iron level and consume a low-fat meal before donating.
Donating blood is an easy way to help others and only takes about an hour. The Red Cross
encourages donors to give blood every time they are eligible.

Mobile Blood Drive
Apr 26 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Hillman Beer

TBC Rewards

 

Sharing Life. Saving Lives.

Town Hall: COVID Vaccine – NOW What?!
Apr 26 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Online w/ Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
Thanks to vaccines, we are able to start getting back to doing the things we like to do. But have we reached enough of our population vaccinated? If your staff are vaccinated, what can you do differently? What do employers need to consider about encouraging staff to get vaccinated? Join us for a virtual town hall discussion on the importance of workforce vaccinations with Buncombe County Health & Human Services.

We’ll talk about: 

  • Where we are and where we want to be with vaccination numbers
  • Benefits of workforce vaccinations
  • How to get vaccinated
  • Role incentives can play in encouraging vaccinations
  • Legal considerations of disclosing vaccine status and enforcing masks in the workplace
  • Resources for employers
Mobile Blood Drive
Apr 26 @ 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Hillman Beer

TBC Rewards

 

Sharing Life. Saving Lives.

Fred Travis: “The Neuroscience of Meditation and Higher States of Consciousness”
Apr 26 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Virtual

• Learn that the so-called ‘monkey mind’ is actually
a healthy mind seeking fulfillment

• Effective meditation doesn’t control the mind but satisfies the mind

• The three major categories of meditation and their brain wave signatures

Dr. Fred Travis is one of the world’s most respected and highly published researchers in the area of meditation and the brain. He is director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition in Fairfield, Iowa. His groundbreaking book, “World-Class Brain: The Edge That Helps Peak Performers Succeed And How You Can Develop It,” describes how greater “brain integration” (increased brain connectivity and coherence) improves focus, memory, creativity, decision making, and behavior, and how meditation can develop a higher state of brain health. In this online talk, he will discuss the three major forms of meditation and how they each affect the brain in different ways, and will present the latest scientific knowledge about meditation, brain health, and higher stages of human development.

To receive Zoom link contact [email protected] (828-254-4350).

Science Fiction Book Club
Apr 26 @ 7:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

This club will meet virtually via zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic. Please email [email protected] for the link to join!  

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Allison Beatty to dive into the wreck of the wily and wonderful world of sci-fi, weird fiction, speculative fiction, literary horror, and disturbing fiction with a healthy mix of underappreciated classic and contemporary books. The club normally meets at Malaprop’s on the last Monday of every month at 7:00pm.

Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Governor Cooper Outlines Timeline for Lifting State’s COVID-19 Restrictions
Apr 27 all-day
Online w/ North Carolina Office of the Governor
Wednesday Governor Cooper laid out a timeline for lifting the current pandemic restrictions. The state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1 with stable trends and continued vaccination success. The Governor plans to issue an Executive Order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.
To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.
With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two-thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.
State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.
UNC Asheville Opens On-Campus Vaccine Clinic in Partnership with MAHEC
Apr 27 all-day
UNC Asheville Reuter Center
TIME AND DATES VARY
Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, UNC Asheville has a new role to play in combating COVID-19, expanding the campus’ commitment of care and compassion beyond the classrooms and into the community, as the Reuter Center has been transformed into a COVID-19 immunization site in partnership with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).

“MAHEC and UNCA are eager to urgently vaccinate as many people as possible every week until COVID is no longer present in Western North Carolina,” commented MAHEC’s CEO Jeff Heck. “UNCA is a great partner and together we will work to bring the vaccine to as many residents as possible.”

The site continues to call individuals as vaccine shipments arrive. Schedule updates and frequently asked questions will be posted at https://coronavirus.unca.edu/faq/covid-19-vaccine/, and individuals will be contacted directly with their appointment details.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 27 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text
          Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 27 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

American Rescue Plan Makes ACA Insurance More Affordable; Get Free Help, Signing Up w/ Pisgah Legal + Partners
Apr 27 @ 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Online w/ Pisgah Legal Services

Make a Free Appointment Today

Appointments can be made online at www.pisgahlegal.org/aca or by calling (828) 210-3404. For the safety of consumers, staff and volunteers, all appointments are currently being conducted by phone. Depending on where you live in WNC, some of Pisgah Legal’s ACA Partners may be offering in-person appointments.

 

Last year, more than 90 percent of North Carolinians who enrolled for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (www.healthcare.gov) received financial assistance to make their plans more affordable. Subsidies are based on household taxable income and may be difficult for consumers to calculate themselves. Pisgah Legal can help with this process and can factor in unemployment benefits if needed. Pisgah Legal can also answer questions about other coverage, such as COBRA, and help people apply for Medicaid and CHIP.

 

Pisgah Legal and other Enrollment Partners of WNC participating organizations give local residents free, unbiased health insurance information and enrollment assistance in the NC Health Insurance Marketplace. These organizations include: Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Mountain Projects, Inc., Western Carolina Medical Society, and Pisgah Legal Services.

The ACA – also known as “Obamacare” – is the law that ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. With these plans, consumers are protected and:

  • Can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing health condition and can’t be dropped for getting sick;
  • Insurers can’t charge higher premiums to women; and
  • Insurers can’t sell substandard plans that don’t pay for essential health care benefits.
FREE Senior Fitness in the Park
Apr 27 @ 9:00 am – 9:45 am
Lake Louise Park

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!

Mobile Blood Drive
Apr 27 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Craggy Correctional Center

TBC Rewards

 

Sharing Life. Saving Lives.

New COVID-19 ACA Special Enrollment Period w/ Pisgah Legal
Apr 27 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Online w/ Pisgah Legal

People have a new opportunity to enroll in health insurance for 2021 on HealthCare.gov, but only for a limited time. This new COVID-19 Special Enrollment period starts on February 15, 2021 and ends on May 15, 2021. Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), and its enrollment partners of WNC, are once again offering free assistance helping people in the 18-county mountain region review their options and sign up for ACA health insurance.

With job losses continuing to mount amid the COVID-19 resurgence, and millions of people having lost their job-based health insurance since the start of this public health and economic crisis, the Biden Administration has opened up HealthCare.gov to give people who need health insurance a new opportunity to get covered, but they must act quickly. For free help locally, with trained assisters, make an appointment at pisgahlegal.org/aca or call (828) 210-3404.

“More than 535,000 North Carolinians enrolled in a health insurance plan during the last Open Enrollment period,” said Shannon Cornelius, Pisgah Legal’s Health Justice Program Director. “This is a new chance for people to sign up, and anyone who needs health insurance should visit HealthCare.gov today, or contact Pisgah Legal Services if you need assistance. Don’t delay.”

Health insurance is more affordable than many people think. In North Carolina, 83 percent of current marketplace consumers had plans available for 2021 that cost less than $50 per month, after financial help. Nine out of 10 marketplace enrollees in North Carolina received financial help that lowered their monthly health insurance premiums last year. In addition, 57 percent of enrollees also qualified for lower out-of-pocket costs for health care services.

“With this new Special Enrollment Period, both new and existing marketplace consumers can shop for marketplace pans, compare options, costs and even make changes. It opens up the ability to get health insurance outside of Open Enrollment. Our certified application counselors can help answer questions and get you enrolled in the plan that works best for you and your family,” said Cornelius.

Consumers enrolling in a plan on HealthCare.gov are guaranteed to receive comprehensive coverage, with no pre-existing condition exclusions or markups. All plans cover essential benefits, including doctor and hospital visits, prescription drugs, mental health treatment, and maternity care. In addition, consumers receive free preventive care services, such as immunizations and health screenings. Testing and treatment of COVID-19 are considered essential health benefits and are covered by all HealthCare.gov plans.

Consumers should avoid insurance plans offered outside of HealthCare.gov that seem too good to be true. “Junk insurance” products and short-term limited duration plans pose huge financial risks to consumers. These products can refuse to pay for care for pre-existing conditions, charge consumers more based on their gender, and impose annual coverage limits.

HealthCare.gov is the only website where North Carolina consumers are guaranteed to get comprehensive coverage,” said Cornelius.

 

Make a Free Appointment Today

The health insurance landscape can be confusing, but free, local help is available. Appointments can be made online at www.pisgahlegal.org/aca or by calling (828) 210-3404. For the safety of consumers, staff and volunteers, all Pisgah Legal Services appointments are currently being conducted by phone, some community partners may offer in person assistance.

FREE Senior Fitness in the Park
Apr 27 @ 11:00 am – 11:45 am
Botanical Gardens at Asheville

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!

Live Stream: Jennifer Lapidus Launches Southern Ground, in conversation with Chef Andrea Reusing
Apr 27 @ 6:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

Like most of our events, this event is free, but registration is required. Click here to RSVP for this event. Prior to the event the link required to attend will be emailed to registrants.

If you decide to attend and to purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!


At Carolina Ground flour mill in Asheville, North Carolina, Jennifer Lapidus is transforming bakery offerings across the southern United States with intensely flavorful flour, made from grains grown and cold stone-milled in the heart of the South. While delivering extraordinary taste, texture, and story, cold stone-milled flour also allows bakers to move away from industrial commodity flours to create sustainable and artisanal products.

In Southern Ground, Lapidus celebrates the incredible work of craft bakers from all over the South. With detailed profiles on top Southern bakers and more than seventy-five highly curated recipes arranged by grain, Southern Ground harnesses the wisdom and knowledge that the baking community has gained. Lapidus showcases superior cold stone-milled flour and highlights the importance of baking with locally farmed ingredients while providing instruction and insight into how to use and enjoy these geographically distinct flavor-forward flours. Southern Ground is a love letter to Southern baking and a call for the home baker to understand the source and makeup of the most important of ingredients: flour.

Jennifer Lapidus is the founder and principal of Carolina Ground flour mill in Asheville, North Carolina. She launched Natural Bridge Bakery in 1994, where she milled her flours in-house and baked her naturally leavened breads in a wood-fired brick oven. Her bakery was the first of its kind in western North Carolina and was featured in Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads. Jennifer has appeared on The Splendid Table podcast and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Saveur, Taste of the South, and numerous other local publications. Jennifer sits on the board of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and is co-organizer of the Asheville Bread Festival.

Andrea Reusing is the chef and owner of Lantern, where she collaborates with small farms and producers across North Carolina and is an advocate for food policy change. Reusing was the recipient of the James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Southeast” in 2011 and Lantern was named one of Gourmet Magazine’s America’s Top 50 Restaurants and one of “America’s 50 Most Amazing Wine Experiences” in Food & Wine. In 2011, Reusing published her cookbook, Cooking in the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes. An absorbing journey through a year in her home kitchen as she cooks for family and friends, the book was named one of the most notable cookbooks of the year by The New York Times. Reusing was the founding chef of The Durham Hotel, home to her rooftop raw bar and American restaurant that was included in Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants list and was named The News & Observer’s Restaurant of the Year in 2017. Her next Durham project is an homage to her grandmother and her basement game room, where she made pickles and dandelion wine. Reusing is the founder of Kitchen Patrol, Lantern’s project to improve children’s access to quality food through weekly cooking classes, and serves on the board of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Governor Cooper Outlines Timeline for Lifting State’s COVID-19 Restrictions
Apr 28 all-day
Online w/ North Carolina Office of the Governor
Wednesday Governor Cooper laid out a timeline for lifting the current pandemic restrictions. The state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1 with stable trends and continued vaccination success. The Governor plans to issue an Executive Order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.
To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.
With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two-thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.
State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.
UNC Asheville Opens On-Campus Vaccine Clinic in Partnership with MAHEC
Apr 28 all-day
UNC Asheville Reuter Center
TIME AND DATES VARY
Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, UNC Asheville has a new role to play in combating COVID-19, expanding the campus’ commitment of care and compassion beyond the classrooms and into the community, as the Reuter Center has been transformed into a COVID-19 immunization site in partnership with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).

“MAHEC and UNCA are eager to urgently vaccinate as many people as possible every week until COVID is no longer present in Western North Carolina,” commented MAHEC’s CEO Jeff Heck. “UNCA is a great partner and together we will work to bring the vaccine to as many residents as possible.”

The site continues to call individuals as vaccine shipments arrive. Schedule updates and frequently asked questions will be posted at https://coronavirus.unca.edu/faq/covid-19-vaccine/, and individuals will be contacted directly with their appointment details.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 28 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text
          Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

URGENT NEED: Blood Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low
Apr 28 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

Text Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

 

 

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.