Calendar of Events
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.
In honor of National Doctors’ Day, The Blood Connection (TBC) is donating five dollars to Doctors Without Borders USA for every blood donation given on Tuesday, March 30th at a TBC center or blood mobile. Donors will also receive a $20 gift card (e-gift card at centers) as a thank you. TBC is doing this promotion to recognize the relentless work of local doctors and nurses. Especially in a year marked by a worldwide pandemic, their dedication to the community has been instrumental to our healing. As noted in the facts below, almost 293,000 blood products were sent to local hospitals in 2020 to help patients who rely on blood donations. On the other side of every one of those units sent is a doctor who administered that treatment, ultimately affecting the patient’s family, friends, coworkers, etc.
To Schedule a donation for Platelets or Automated procedures, please call 864-751-1168
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Medicare Advantage
Open Enrollment Period
ends March 31.
Each year, if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan) once during this time.
Our Medicare counselors are available to work with you individually to provide unbiased information about your Medicare insurance options.
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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.
We gather the foraged family together on Facebook the last Tuesday of every month at 7PM Eastern Standard Time with Abby’s book, The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders. You don’t even need the book to join in, though!
Abby will answer as many questions as we have time for, plus give you some bonus info from her experience as a botanist, forager, wildcrafter, herbalist, and educator empowering people on their wild paths.
Grab your cup of herbal tea, invite your #herbal #DIY #booknerd friends and join in on the fun.
TO JOIN:
Log in to Facebook at 7 PM (EST) and go to The WANDER School’s Facebook page – it’s that easy!! You don’t even need the book to join in…
1918 vs. 2020
In the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, 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.
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RESCUE
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REHAB
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RELEASE
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RELATE
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Check out the latest gardening video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website. Learn how soil amendments and conditioners can be used to improve heavy clay soils, overall soil quality, fertility, and plant health.
Free Video
Supporting Local Schools
Half of your purchase price of the 2021 Go Local Card will go to a public school to enhance programming, purchase much-needed teacher supplies and support local kids.
Each year, as we add more businesses and cardholders to the program, the local movement grows stronger.
This spring garden bingo card comes from our Growing Minds Farm to School Program, but anyone can play! Get a printable version of the card here or find more spring learning resources for kids here.
Did you know Buncombe County is actively involved in an important initiative aimed at more accurately reflecting the history of racial and economic injustice? The Buncombe County Remembrance Project is a part of the Equal Justice Initiative’s nationwide effort to work with counties to raise more awareness about individuals lynched in our County. Further, the project is working to bring about community healing concerning Jim Crow-era discrimination, mass incarceration, state-sanctioned violence, contemporary racial trauma and violence, and other important issues.
The Buncombe County Remembrance Project is a partnership with multiple local organizations that all recognize the need to publicly acknowledge and educate the public about racial issues. This work ties into the County’s 2025 Strategic Plan which is focused on equity defined as: Systems, policies, and practices that support equity for all people and an organizational culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. To learn more about the Buncombe County Remembrance Project, click here.
MLK Youth Scholarship
Martin Luther King Junior’s work to advance equal rights was pivotal in helping shape today’s landscape. There is much work still to be done, but his legacy continues to inspire generations. Buncombe County strives to be a place where Dr. King’s vision is realized by prioritizing equity and being intentional about highlighting racial injustice through initiatives such as the Buncombe County Remembrance Project, our Racial Equity Action Plan, and other efforts.
To further honor Martin Luther King Junior’s legacy, Buncombe County wants to ensure students are aware of the MLK Youth Scholarship for Buncombe County residents. Applications are due April 15, learn more here.
No matter how thorough and fair a reappraisal may be, there are still instances when only the property owner has all the information necessary for an accurate appraisal. Informal appeals for the tax year 2021 can be filed anytime between Jan. 1-April 28, 2021. Additionally, anyone receiving a change of value notice after April 1, 2021 has thirty days from that notice date to file an appeal.
- Museums and Aquariums
- Retail Businesses
- Salons, personal care and grooming businesses, tattoo parlors
- Restaurants
- Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries
- Recreation (e.g., bowling, skating, rock climbing)
- Fitness and Physical Activity Facilities (e.g., gyms, yoga studios, fitness centers)
- Pools
- Amusement Parks
- Bars
- Movie Theaters*
- Gaming Facilities*
- Meeting, Reception, and Conference Spaces
- Lounges (including tobacco) and Night Clubs
- Auditoriums, Arenas, and other venues for live performances
- Sports Arenas and Fields (includes professional, collegiate, and amateur
Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from the week of Apr. 19 through May 19 (tentative). There is no registration fee this year.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org.
Sports include bowling, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, putt-putt, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed online.
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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).
Traveling Trunks and Kits are an economical way to bring the Museum to YOU! Rental fee is a refundable deposit of $15 per trunk. Trunks include many artifacts and a week of lessons.
Trunk deposits are always refundable, but if you choose to donate your deposit, these funds are used to assist students with economic needs to be able to come on field trips or to Living History Days.
Call 828-253-9231 or email [email protected] for information or to schedule your program.
Another way to bring the Museum to YOU is with an In-School Presentation!
A trained museum volunteer or staff person will present any of the above topics in your school. Programs may be presented to as many as 50 students per presentation (some are more hands-on and 25 students would be more appropriate).
Cost is $3 per student.
Choose a program, traveling trunk/kit, or suggest a custom program. Craft topics may include an extra supply fee.
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| 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. |
Asheville’s economic and building boom of the 1920s created a rarified atmosphere unique within Western North Carolina. Douglas Ellington is known as the architect who changed Asheville into an Art Deco showplace. With his ability to combine architectural styles he produced a series of one of a kind buildings—buildings which changed the face of Asheville—the City Building, Asheville High School, First Baptist Church and S&W Cafeteria. Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at his iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
WINNER of a 2014 Griffin Award for Excellence in Education from the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County
March is Red Cross Month, and for more than 130 years, heroic American Red Cross volunteers have provided hope and urgent relief to families in communities across the country.
This March the community is invited to join in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross and be
someone’s hero by rolling up a sleeve to give blood.
According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds to respond to
patient emergencies. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients,
and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all require blood.
All blood types are needed.
Be a hero in your community by rolling up a sleeve….
To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor
App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood
Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Completion of a RapidPass® online health history
questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the
instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. A blood donor card
or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who
are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High
school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height
and weight requirements.
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Medicare Advantage
Open Enrollment Period
ends March 31.
Each year, if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan) once during this time.
Our Medicare counselors are available to work with you individually to provide unbiased information about your Medicare insurance options.
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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.
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Join ᎺᎵ ᏔᎻᏏᏂ, Mary Thompson, The Basket consulting artist and prolific EBCI basketmaker, and Marilyn Zapf, Curator at the Center for Craft, for an engaging and informative conversation about the future parklet, Cherokee basketmaking, and Thomspon’s artistic practice. About The Basket, The Center for Craft is working in collaboration with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) to create a public art parklet to preserve and advance the important craft legacy of western North Carolina. Located on the ancestral lands of the Anikituwahgi (now known as the Cherokee people) the design references Cherokee basketry in its form and function. Named “The Basket,” this unique space in downtown Asheville promises to educate passers-by about Cherokee syllabary, traditions, and culture that still thrive today. The parklet will be installed directly in front of the Center’s 67 Broadway location in downtown Asheville, NC.
Please join us on Facebook Live for a webinar series addressing common questions for business owners. Wednesdays at noon, Running from February 10th through March 31st. Follow us on Facebook here.
The Power of Being Niche: Creating Growth While Narrowing Your Customer Base
Moderator: Sarah Benoit, Panelists: To be announced soon
Ever hear the saying “if you are marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one?” This is because most seasoned sales and marketing people know money is made when real relationships are strong. One of the ways you can build loyalty, repeat business, referrals, trust, and cash flow is to focus on a niche market. Niches don’t limit your business, they help you establish credibility in the marketplace. Over time you can expand to new niches that are the right fit for your products and services, and create long lasting growth. Want to learn more? Join us for this expert panel and learn from successful businesses that operate in a niche market. Come find out how to build your next growth strategy.
Crissy Dzielak will highlight great perennials for Western NC, especially ones that are lower maintenance, and how these plants can be used in the landscape. Zoom class.